NON-PROFIT 'THE WORLD IS JUST A BOOK AWAY'
LAUNCHES AUTHORS FOR BOOKS PROGRAM
WITH ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL JOURNALIST RIZ KHAN
AND AUTHOR A.G.S. JOHNSON
Non-profit organization The World is Just a Book Away
(WIJABA) is proud to launch its Authors for Books
program with the help of debuting author A.G.S. Johnson
and renowned international journalist Riz Khan. Both are
donating a portion of the profits from the sales of
their just-released books, The Sausage Maker's
Daughters (Johnson) and We
Interrupt Our Programming...(Khan), to WIJABA, which
supplies books and builds school libraries for children
in developing countries.
"WIJABA is extremely excited about the opportunity
created through the launch of Authors for Books," says
WIJABA Founder James Owens. "The participation of
talented authors A.G.S. Johnson and Riz Khan means that
proceeds from books will actually provide books
for children who have little to no current access to
books. I think this is a beautiful and extremely
meaningful cycle of giving for the authors, the readers,
the charity, and most of all the children we serve."
Johnson is a founding board member of WIJABA (2009), and
Khan became a member of the advisory board for WIJABA in
April 2011.
Khan, an author and internationally-renowned television
broadcaster who helped set up and shape the world's
three leading news networks--BBC World, CNN
International and Al Jazeera English--is respected
around the globe for his high-profile interviews with
leading figures in politics, entertainment, business and
sports.
His first venture into fiction, We Interrupt Our
Programming... is a comical drama set in the
fast-paced world of international TV news, offering the
reader a candid look at some of the quirky things that
might take place behind the scenes, and a chance to meet
some fascinating and familiar-sounding characters that
inhabit the often dysfunctional, but always highly
influential, world of international media.
Khan--a long-time and avid supporter of education,
health and literacy for children in developing
countries--recently launched his first novel in Dubai
during the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2012.
The novel will be available for purchase online through
Amazon.com
and all Kindle applications.
"The joy of reading is magical in itself, but the power
of reading to educate, inform and develop a child's mind
towards critical thinking cannot be replaced," states
Khan. "It is easy for those of us privileged to have so
much reading material to assume everyone else does - but
it is not the case. I was moved by the passion driving
James Owens and his team at The World Is Just a Book
Away to make a difference in the lives of so many
children who might otherwise be forgotten."
After her 20-plus year career in international banking,
A.G.S. Johnson--who also serves on the Council of the
Library Foundation of Los Angeles board--pursued her
lifelong dream of becoming an author. She earned a
Masters in fiction writing from the University of
Southern California and proceeded to publish her debut
novel, The Sausage Makers Daughters, which hit
bookshelves in February. Part murder mystery, part
courtroom drama, part in-dept character study, The
Sausage Maker's Daughters is set against the Vietnam
era, exposing the counterculture life of Kip Czermanski
before the crowded courtroom right along with the
darkest secrets of her conservative family. With her
second novel already in progress, she's garnered praise
from author Aram Saroyan, (Door to the River) and
award-winning author Madelyn Cain (Laffit: Anatomy of
a Winner).
"The [WIJABA] film clips of these beautiful Muslim
children, the girls with their hair covered, waving
American flags at these libraries' openings and rushing
to get inside, moves me to tears," Johnson says. "That's
why a portion of the proceeds from my novel will go to
fund this continuing effort to bring the inspiration of
books to all children in the world. Books change lives."
Adds Khan, "The work of WIJABA is SO valuable and has
lasting impact on these young lives that are the future
of our world. From a very young age, I would read
anything I could get my hands on, and I believe that has
truly brought me the success I feel today. I can only
hope that everyone else as lucky as I, realizes how
important it is to try to give something back."
More information on the authors and links to PURCHASE
their books:
Riz Khan -- Twitter: @AJRizKhan, Facebook: Riz Khan
A.G.S. Johnson --
http://agsjohnsonauthor.com/
About The World Is
Just A Book Away
The World Is Just A Book Away (WIJABA) is a
501(c)(3) founded on the core belief that education
breaks the cycle of poverty and promotes peace around
the world. We provide children with hope through books
and education in our libraries and reading rooms,
empowering them to change their own lives and the world
at large. We work in developing countries where we can
make a major impact and where children can also leverage
their knowledge by partnering with local communities to
better the lives of their fellow citizens.
WIJABA launched in
2008 with a library program in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, site
of the mudflow disaster that displaced more than 60,000
people and destroyed many schools. Strategically,
WIJABA is intended to make a deep impact in a
specific community, by building sustainable libraries
and programs, rather than trying to assist children in
many countries simultaneously. To date, expanding into
other regions and surpassing all initial expectations,
the organization has initiated programs to serve
25,000+ Children with 50,000+ Books, through 49
Libraries, 26 Parent Libraries, and 2 Mobile Libraries
http://www.justabookaway.com
http://www.justabookaway.org/blog
www.facebook.com/justabookaway
@justabookaway
(Twitter)
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