Winner (April 2026) "The Jack of Elyra and the Death God" (Part 3)
Congratulations to Ri for winning the April contest. Four chapters of the book were submitted to this contest. You can find the story in full here.
This website is dedicated to celebrating diversity in literature! If you like to read work by new writers, please visit Short Stories & Poems. To lcheck out book reviews and to learn about the history of exclusion in film, television, literature, and comic books, visit Essays. On the Resources page, you will find a vast array of articles to help you explore new books and new ways of reading as well as a few articles for the writers among us. All are welcome to participate in the monthly writing contests. Visit Writing Contests to find out this month's theme and to find out how to participate. Visit the Submissions page if you would like to submit your work to be featured on this platform. And if you are an indie, self-published, or up-and-coming author or poet, consider contacting me about being featured in one of the Author Q&A posts or for your book to be included in the Book Release Radar. Underground Bookshelf is on Patreon for those who would like to help me keep this project going. You're also welcome to subscribe to the monthly newsletter to receive regular updates. May you find your next favorite book or author! Happy reading!
23 Jun 2026 16:21
Congratulations to Ri for winning the April contest. Four chapters of the book were submitted to this contest. You can find the story in full here.
23 Jun 2026 16:13
I've got two events scheduled so far (and working on a third one), so if you happen to be in the area of Boston, MA, USA on the dates below, you're invited to join one (or more) of the events listed below. The events are FREE to attend!
18 Jun 2026 15:54
Welcome to the latest resource series by Underground Bookshelf. This series focuses on literature written by authors of Iranian heritage. War often comes with undermining the humanity of the people and cultures impacted. One way to reaffirm a people's humanity is to engage with the people, culture, and perspectives through literature and storytelling. In this series, you'll find fiction and nonfiction books for children, middle grade readers, young adults, and adult readers.
17 Jun 2026 12:47
I know, I know, the comic series, Storm, is aptly named because it centers Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. Storm. So, I should really be talking about how great Storm is in this series. But there's an (almost) throwaway panel that stood out to me as a person with a disability, and I've got to talk about it as well.
16 Jun 2026 15:23
Originally posted to Wattpad, "The Second Trial" by Twixie is a poem that explores the trauma that comes with society's treatment of sexual assault survivors. The poem is part of a collection called, Symphony of Wings & Hearts.
11 Jun 2026 15:33
Why is it that every time you think things can't get any worse, they do?
11 Jun 2026 15:30
Congratulations to Ri for winning the April contest. Four chapters of the book were submitted to this contest. You can find the story in full here.
9 Jun 2026 11:16
Welcome to the latest resource series by Underground Bookshelf. This series focuses on literature written by authors of Iranian heritage. War often comes with undermining the humanity of the people and cultures impacted. One way to reaffirm a people's humanity is to engage with the people, culture, and perspectives through literature and storytelling. In this series, you'll find fiction and nonfiction books for children, middle grade readers, young adults, and adult readers.
4 Jun 2026 13:53
Thank you to Korra II for allowing me to repost this book review. This review was originally published on August 3, 2021, on Baskerville Books. You can find the original review here.
4 Jun 2026 12:54
"Broken Friendship" by Palak Taneja is a poem about the way deep friendships can be lost as people drift apart. The poem was originally written in Hindi, but an English translation is also available. Click here to read this poem in English.
4 Jun 2026 12:53
"Broken Friendship" by Palak Taneja is a poem about the way deep friendships can be lost as people drift apart. The poem was originally written in Hindi. Click here to read this poem in its original form.
2 Jun 2026 15:27
Welcome back! This resource series focuses on ICE and deportations in the United States. Painful experiences with ICE, immigration, seeking refuge, and deportation in the United States can impact people at any age, including children, young adults, and families. The nonfiction books below are written for adults. They bring a human element to stories about immigration, dealing with the pain of deportation, and the loss of safe harbor. You can also find resources, support, and information about your rights when dealing with ICE or other immigration officials in the links under this paragraph.
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