MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Greetings,

As Director of Broward County Library, I’m excited to welcome you to one of our signature cultural and literary events, the South Florida Book Festival. It has been a major event series in our region since 2012, and a very proud tradition in our library’s story.

Every year we endeavor to bring the finest examples of panAfrican creativity to the community, presenting celebrity authors, performers and visual artists, together with respected thought leaders in contemporary Black culture. Our objective is to promote the work of brilliant exponents of African American arts and studies and expose the community to the finest work being done. In short, we want to bring revelation, illumination and enjoyment to our festival attendees.

The events that you are about to experience certainly fulfill those goals. This year’s theme, “WORD! Celebrating 50 Years of Hip-Hop Culture,” explores the cultural explosion generated by the hip-hop phenomenon. We will delve into this exciting, vital topic through thrilling performances and the exchange of fascinating ideas. I can’t wait!

In addition to welcoming you, I’d like to give a nod of appreciation to the wonderful staff that planned and produced these events. I especially appreciate how inclusive our program is of all ages and interests, and how we have something for everyone…including cocktail sipping sophisticates, music lovers, scholars, and teens who want to DJ.

Thank you for joining us in 2023 and being at the center of “WORD!”

Allison Grubbs Broward County Library Director