Epic Read-A-Thon | Friday, September 18, 2026
On September 18, 2026, join us for the 15th annual Epic Read-A-Thon — a day-long, nonstop, out-loud, crowd-sourced virtual reading of classic picture books to benefit the Desert Island Supply Co.’s All City Writers Corps.
Hi there. Every year, for the past 15 years, we’ve done a kind of beautiful ridiculous thing. We’ve gathered readers from Birmingham and across the globe to read out loud, non-stop for 24 hours straight.
It’s called the Epic Read-A-Thon, and it’s how the Desert Island Supply Co. — DISCO, for short — helps fund a year of creative writing for hundreds of Birmingham-area students who are part of the All City Writers Corps, a program that brings weekly workshops to classrooms, publishes an annual anthology of student poems, and closes the year with a release party where every young author walks out with a book that has their name inside it.
The Epic Read-A-Thon is how we pay for all of that. On Friday, September 18, 2026, from midnight to midnight, volunteer readers from across the planet will take turns reading classic picture books to support the All City Writers Corps.
Sponsor the Epic Read-A-Thon
— Winnie-the-Pooh
Sponsoring the Epic Read-A-Thon puts your business in front of a community that genuinely shows up: 6,000+ monthly newsletter subscribers, a nationally recognized creative-writing audience, public-school teachers, parents, students, volunteers, and readers of all ages across the U.S. and abroad. Your logo lives on our site, on the Swell fundraising page, on posters and flyers, and we’ll effusively thank you on all our channels.
$10,000
Logo placement on every surface. Six sponsor “power hours,” event shout-outs, guest-reader opportunities, and special thanks at the launch party. Pre-, post-, and live social media recognition during the event. Acknowledgment as a major supporter in the event press release and the annual publication. Invitations to the student-author book-release party.
$5,000
Logo placement on site, posters, flyers, and launch-party banner. Three sponsor “power hours,” event shout-outs, and guest-reader opportunities. Pre-, post-, and live social recognition. Acknowledgment in the event press release and the annual publication.
$2,500
Logo placement on site, posters, flyers, and launch-party banner. One sponsor “power hour,” an event shout-out, and a guest-reader spot. Pre-, post-, and live social recognition. Acknowledgment in the event press release and the annual publication.
Ready to sponsor one of the best literary events around? Download and fill out this sponsor commitment form, then send it to us, and we’ll be in touch!
Prefer to build something custom? We’d love to work with you on the specifics — different levels, in-kind contributions, matching gifts, anything you and your team would find meaningful.
Sign up to read during the read-a-thon
Anyone can participate — alone or on a team. Sign up, make a reader page in a few minutes, and ask your friends and family to support you on behalf of DISCO and the All City Writers Corps. We’ll be in touch to find a good reading time for you on September 18. Every dollar we raise helps fund the All City Writers Corps.
A few things people ask
With love from Birmingham and the team at DISCO
