Interview: Author Karis McPherson on the Literacy Awareness Project

I had the pleasure of interviewing Karis McPherson, author of middle grade novel Midnight Dreem, about the Literacy Awareness Project, her rapid-fire TikTok interview series where she attends book events and performs impromptu interviews with readers. Karis is an author, literary advocate, and language enthusiast with a passion for promoting literacy around the world. Seeing her videos pop up on my feed makes me smile, so I want to share the bookish joy she creates with all of you!

Her mission statement:

“As someone deeply dedicated to promoting literacy and education, I have initiated a project aimed at the community. My mission is to ignite the global passion for reading, which I trust is already there. By capturing and celebrating the diverse voices in our nation, sometimes in different languages, I aim to create an inclusive community that fosters connections, transcends cultural barriers, and changes the stereotypical narratives regarding reading. I am enthusiastic about the potential it holds to make a meaningful impact on literacy rates and educational opportunities.”

1. You conduct interviews at many different book events! How do you choose which ones to attend?

I generally choose the events based on my intuition and any time constraints. Rather than overthinking, I simply choose to follow my instincts and seize the moment wherever it arises. Recently, I was in Costco and noticed a lot of people hanging out in the books section. This led to a few unplanned interviews. They were all so thoughtful and forthright. I think I live for simplicity.

2. Your project features a diverse group of readers with diverse taste in books. How do you select who to interview?

This has been trial and error for me. Before, I relied on holding a sign that asked, "What book are you reading?" and waited around for people to approach me. This method has its own challenges, like people recommending books in passing or readers wanting to engage in deep, extended discussions, because they've found someone who also loves books. Recently, I've begun to embrace just engaging with any and everyone. I've found that this captures wildly different perspectives within the reader community.

3. I love how your project shares the unique impact of books on individual readers, in their own words. Have their answers impacted your own reading habits?

Absolutely! A profound impact. They have and continue to introduce me to genres, authors, and perspectives I might not have explored otherwise. And that's a testament to why I wanted to do this project in the first place. There's a special joy in discovering new literary worlds through the eyes of fellow enthusiasts.

4. Do you have a favorite interview so far?

Not really. However, when I was at this year's Comic Con there were a few interviews which made it difficult to be serious.

5. You mention an interest in including different languages in your project. Can you share the languages you’ve encountered during the project so far?

I've had the pleasure of encountering Spanish, Chinese, and Russian speakers in the project so far. It's been exciting to see how the community responds to those videos. Hopefully I get the opportunity to explore even more languages in the future, although I must admit, it still makes me nervous each time I do it.

6. Has the project surprised you in any way?

Absolutely! One of the most significant surprises has been realizing the vast number of people engaged in reading—far more than I initially thought. It's lovely to witness such a widespread love for books. Another revelation is how people decide what to read and where they get their information. 

7. What’s next?

The journey continues! I've recently launched an affiliate store on Bookshop where people can shop the books featured in the videos. Looking ahead, my dream is to collaborate with other literary organizations and sponsors who share the project's vision. There are numerous exciting ideas on the horizon, and I'm eager to welcome like-minded people that care about it as much as I do.

8. Where can readers follow your project?

For daily updates I encourage, readers, teachers, librarians, and bookstores to follow @authorkaris on social media. We're on Instagram, TikTok, as well as Youtube. The support of the community and their engagement will be important for the future of this project. I genuinely hope our content resonates with booklovers and booksellers worldwide and I look forward to seeing what 2024 has in store. 

Thanks for the interview Karis!