Winston Under 40 has chosen Bookmarks as its Community Partner for 2019. Each year, the Winston Under 40 advisory board identifies a local nonprofit to provide assistance to and volunteer with throughout the year. Bookmarks mission of fostering a love of reading and writing in the community truly resonated with the board and sparked their interest given their focus of empowering the future workforce of Winston-Salem.

Bookmarks is a literary arts nonprofit organization that aims to connect readers with authors and books. It is most highly known for its annual Festival of Books & Authors which is the largest book festival in the Carolinas. This year’s festival will be held September 5 through 8, and promises to connect thousands to acclaimed authors and to remind everyone of the joy of reading. Other programs include Authors in Schools, which reaches 9,000 students annually; and Bookbuild: Fostering Connections by Building Connections. This new initiative will place 25,000 new and diverse books into all public schools in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.
Winston Under 40 not only engages young professionals through social activities and professional development opportunities, but also finds ways for them to provide service to our community. Each year members participate in a number of activities to support local nonprofit organizations. Winston Under 40 looks forward to working with Bookmarks on its current initiatives, at the festival, and in the independent bookstore where the organization provides a variety of programming.

If you have never visited Bookmarks store, you are missing out on a treat. The space is truly inspiring and has quickly become a popular gathering space in downtown Winston-Salem. Visit them at 634 W. Fourth Street #110 or visit bookmarksnc.org for more information.