January 9, 2019
I finally got to see it in person: one of the most gloriously lunatic youth writing centers in the world, Grimm & Co. It’s located in Rotheram, about two hours north of London by train. In the middle of town, in a former pub, Deborah Bullivant and her team have created a complete and utterly convincing alternative universe dedicated to storytelling and pure wonder. I was there for two hours and I barely scraped the surface of this place, with its secret doors, miles-deep mythology and backstory, hundreds of bizarre products, stories all over the walls, kid-made books, and of course the writing room where student-writers gather around a very official table and sit on toilet seats. This place is worth the trip from London, or Leeds, or South Korea. It is simply that great, and is unsurpassed in all the world. -D.E.
TO BE DESTROYED | WORLD PREMIERe!
To Be Destroyed is a documentary that follows author Dave Eggers as he meets with students and teachers in the Rapid City, SD school district where his novel The Circle was pulled from shelves along with works by Alison Bechdel, Stephen Chbosky, Bernardine Evaristo and Imbolo Mbue. Through footage of heated school board meetings, community rallies and interviews with locals, we learn how these books were designated “to be destroyed."
This film will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Learn more and buy tickets here!
