916 Ink

916 Ink is Sacramento’s arts-based creative writing and literacy nonprofit that provides workshops and tutoring to transform Sacramento youth into strong readers, confident communicators, and published authors. Our programs increase literacy skills, improve vocabulary, teach empathy, positively impact social and emotional learning, and expand communication skills. We envision a Sacramento region where every child and teen is given access to a culturally relevant creative writing program that leads them to believe in themselves and to understand the power of the written word.

Information Table: L5, Inner Lobby

CapLit

CapLit is a reading series and literary organization founded in Sacramento, CA in 2025. Created by Stories on Stage Sacramento Founder Valerie Fioravanti, long-term Director Sue Staats, and former Stories on Stage Davis Co-Director Naomi Williams, we pair outstanding writing and acting talent to an audience hungry for cultural events and community in Sacramento. (Click here to learn more about the three of us!) We are in the process of finalizing our 501c3 nonprofit status.

CapLit’s first season launched on March 7th, 2025 at the CLARA auditorium, featuring excerpts from the anthology Sacramento Noir. We followed with three more events in May, July, and September. Our 2026 season premieres on Saturday, March 21st.

In addition to its role as a reading series, CapLit is a hub for literature and writers in Sacramento. Our first workshop, launched in January 2026, filled quickly. As we move forward, there will be more writing workshops and opportunities to socialize, network, and grow as writers in community.

Information Table: L7, Inner Lobby

E Train Talks

Hi, I’m Ethan, a 14-year-old award-winning literacy advocate, podcast host, and founder of E Train Talks, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to inspiring a love of reading in kids of all ages and helping to end book deserts in underserved communities throughout the Sacramento area.

The wonderful author Wendelin Van Draanen, who was a guest on my book podcast about a year ago, suggested I reach out to you about sharing my program at your upcoming book festival. She’s familiar with the literacy advocacy work I do in the Sacramento area and thought it might be a good fit.

I started my literacy program over three years ago, and since then, I’ve donated more than 7,500 brand new books to children in underserved communities and Title One schools across the region. I’ve also interviewed over one-hundred authors and spoken at school assemblies and reached thousands of children across the U.S., both in person and virtually.

I’d love the opportunity to share my program and help celebrate children’s stories with a table at your book festival. To learn more, feel free to visit my website at www.etraintalks.org or find me on social media at:
Twitter: https://x.com/ETrainsWorld
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/etraintalks/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/etraintalks/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/e-train-talks-inc-84a138257/

Information Table: L3, Inner Lobby

Mustard Seed School

Mustard Seed School is a free, private, emergency school serving children experiencing homelessness, ages 3 to 15. While families work with our Outreach Team to seek a stable living situation, community resources and more, eachstudent is welcomed into a classroom environment lovingly prepared with their academic and social-emotional needs in mind.

Students receive healthy snacks and meals, school supplies, clothing, survival supplies, counseling, health screenings, and access to various other community resources.

Mustard Seed’s main goal is to provide a safe, structured, nurturing environment as we prepare students to enroll in public school.

Information Table: L1, Inner Lobby

Friends of the Sacramento Public Library – Book Den

Friends of the Sacramento Public Library is a volunteer helpmate to the award-winning Sacramento Public Library system. As a membership-supported nonprofit, the Friends advocate, raise funds, and provide crucial support to the system’s 28 libraries. There is a Branch Friends Group at each of the 28 branch libraries of Sacramento Public Library. Friends of the Sacramento Public Library is proud to serve as a community ambassador for the Library. Our volunteer activities help the Library expand the materials and programs serving our diverse community beyond those normally included in the Library’s operating budget. We also advocate on behalf of increased funding for the Library through our public relations initiatives and publications.

About the Book Den: The Book Den is a brick and mortar, non-profit, used bookstore run by the Friends. We average about 80,000 used books, media, magazines, games, puzzles, records, DVDs, and CDs between our store and warehouse. We also sell on Amazon and Ebay in addition to special sales throughout the year along with donating to many other non-profits, schools, etc.. Everything is donated and we are all volunteers. The Book Den is located at 8250 Belvedere Ave E, Sacramento, CA 95826. We’re open for sales on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9am to 3pm. Donations are taken on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9am to noon.

Information Table: L2, Inner Lobby

Jaym Gates

Jaym Gates is an editor, author, and occasional defense and security consultant. After five years as the Communications Director for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, she spent a few years as a freelancer before moving into the tech world, where she works for a not-for-profit standards organization. She has co-edited the anthologies War Stories, Strategy Strikes Back, and Winning Westeros, co-founded Falstaff Books, and has edited and written for games such as Pathfinder, Gloomhaven, Oathsworn, Blue Rose, and Zorro the Roleplaying Game. In her spare time, she consults for space and defense interests and spends time with her horses and dogs in the Seattle area.

Information Table: L10, Inner Lobby

Lavender Library

The Lavender Library is a volunteer-run LGBTQ+ library, archive, and community space in Sacramento with queer books, films, archives, zines, and more.

We host book clubs, support groups, open mic nights, craft markets, and other community events year-round.

Information Table: L4, Inner Lobby

Sacramento Public Library

Sacramento Public Library is the fourth largest library system in California with 28 locations serving 1.4M urban, suburban and rural residents. In addition to lending books, Sacramento Public Library offers services and programming focused on early learning, technology and creation and is committed to providing Sacramento communities with welcoming community spaces.

Information Table: L8, Inner Lobby

Society for the Promotion of Speculative Fiction

The Society for the Promotion of Speculative Fiction (spSF) is a charity organization that runs the annual BayCon event in Santa Clara, California.

The organization strives to ignite imaginations, shape culture, and advance the genre through BayCon and scholarships/grants. Lets explore boundless realms of pure imagination together!

Information Table: L6, Inner Lobby

World Fantasy Convention

The World Fantasy Convention is Coming to Oakland! Join us from October 22-25 for four days of panels, readings, awards, the dealers room, books, and art. Register today using the membership button, or click here, and reserve a hotel room here.

Reimagined Identities & Fantastic Literature

Why Oakland, and why now?
 Because Oakland has always made room for the future while living inside the pressure of the present.
Because people have migrated here for generations carrying entire universes.
 Legends. Folktales. Songs. Prayers. Grandmother stories and survival knowledge stitched into language. Because Oakland doesn’t archive those inheritances.
 Oakland activates them.
 Lets them meet. Clash. Remix.
 Turns them into new myths.

Information Table: L9, Inner Lobby