Dewey’s Read-a-Thon is a comin’

This weekend (April 18th-19th) sees the staging of the latest edition of Dewey’s Read-a-Thon, an event where bookish members around the blogosphere come together to celebrate their passion for the written word, by reading (or cheering on those who are reading), as many books as they can within a 24-hour period. Sadly my schedule is so packed this weekend that I won’t be able to take part in this latest event myself (you may remember I dragged my weary body through the last one and enjoyed it immensely), but my thoughts and best wishes are with all participants.

This edition marks the 4th staging of the event since it conception in 2007, and it’s sure to be the most poignant. The Read-a-Thon’s creator Dewey (The Hidden Side of the Leaf), a true icon of the online bookish community, sadly passed away in November of last year, and this is the event’s first staging without her at the helm. The reigns of organisation for this Read-a-Thon (and future ones), has been taken up by three of Dewey’s previous co-organisers (Hannah (WordLily), Ana (Things Mean a Lot), and Trish (Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?)), and they do so in tribute to Dewey’s memory (and from their efforts so far I can definitely say that Dewey would have been proud of them).

So, if the idea of reading non-stop for 24 hours has got you all edgy and excited then there’s still time to get yourself down on the participant list. Just head on over to the official Read-a-Thon website and tippity-tap your name onto the list (and I can tell you from experience that you won’t be ‘edgy and excited’ after the event, but you will be glowing with achievement, and that’s the best reason for taking part).

If like me your time’s at a premium this weekend, but you still feel like you want to take part in some way, then you can sign yourself up to be a ‘cheerleader’ instead (same link as reader sign-up). Time investment is minimal and involves nothing more than dropping by some of the participant’s blogs and offering words of encouragement. I’ve not officially signed myself up for that (because I’m not sure how close I’m going to be to an Internet connection over the weekend) but if I can manage it I’ll be dropping by a few of the participants. Hope to see you there!

Oh and P.S. It’s doubtful that anything is going to entertain me more this week than Darren’s (Bart’s Bookshelf and former Reader of the Week) Read-a-Thon flavoured debut video podcast. That must have taken a lot of bottle – quite literally! (only joking Darren. You’re a natural! ))