Join us for an evening celebrating the power and purpose of creativity. Octavia's Bookshelf founder Nikki High and author Lynell George will discuss Octavia E. Butler's visionary practice of worldbuilding, her Altadena legacy, and the enduring inspiration of her life and work in challenging times.

Lynell George is a Southern California-based journalist, essayist, and author whose work explores urban history, place, art, music, and literature. A former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times and LA Weekly, she is the author of three nonfiction books, including A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia E. Butler, a 2021 Hugo Award finalist. Her work has earned multiple L.A. Press Club awards, and her liner notes for Otis Redding Live At The Whisky A Go Go won a GRAMMY in 2017.

Nikki High is the founder and owner of Octavia's Bookshelf in Pasadena, a bookstore featuring a curated selection of books across all genres by BIPOC authors. A lifelong reader, Nikki created the literary space she longed for as a child and opened Octavia's Bookshelf on February 18, 2023. When she's not at the bookstore, she can usually be found reading, crafting, or spending time with her husband and dogs.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26TH | 7:00-9:00 PM | EATON FIRE COLLABORATORY, 540 W Woodbury Rd