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Author Talk | Ibi Zoboi

Gwinnett Reads Jane Austen

Join YA award-winning author Ibi Zoboi as she discusses her novel "Pride," a vibrant reimagining of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," about cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the magic of first love.

Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.

When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.

But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape, or lose it all.

Books will be available for sale and signing from The Book Cellar. 

Registration is requested.

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 Supported by Gwinnett Creativity Fund

This program is supported in part by Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts also receives support from its partner agency - the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ibi Zoboi is the New York Times bestselling author of American Street, a National Book Award finalist; Nigeria Jones, a Coretta Scott King Award winner; Pride; My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich; Star Child; Okoye to the People; the Walter Award–winning Punching the Air, co-written with Exonerated Five member Yusef Salaam; and the Coretta Scott King Honor–winning picture book, The People Remember. She is also the editor of the anthology Black Enough. Born in Haiti and raised in New York City, she now lives in New Jersey with her family.

Moderator Renée Hicks is a book lover and influencer who has fostered community in the literary space for nearly eight years. She founded Book Girl Magic, a virtual book club dedicated to celebrating and uplifting Black women authors. What began as her personal mission to spotlight underrepresented voices has grown into a global movement encouraging readers to explore stories beyond their own experiences. With a heart for connection, Renée uses the magic of books to spark dialogue and highlight our shared humanity.

Presented by Adult Services. 

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