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Free Group Fiction Read: “Blue Ruins” + “Sulphur” Talk (Oakland)

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Saturday, July 25, 2026 - 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE
Nomadic Bookshop | 326 23rd St, Oakland, CA 94612

Event Details

We love to enjoy books in community. If you do too, this is the event for you. We are Kokonut Head Media, a nonprofit literary educator and publisher, and we’re hosting an afternoon of reading, discussion, and community. We’ll spend our time together reading and discussing two stories. The first is called “Blue Ruins” by Roseline Mgbodichinma, and the second is called “Sulphur” by Damilola Omotoyinbo. Each story takes less than 15 minutes to read aloud, so we’ll move through both as a group and spend the bulk of our time in discussion. No reading required beforehand.

 

About the Stories
In “Blue Ruins”, Ahachi has always lived at the edge of the ocean, half-wild, half-invisible to the village that raised her. When Nkasi rises from the water and chooses her, it feels like the first time anyone ever really has. But Nkasi’s love is possessive in the way of deep water: it doesn’t ask, it pulls. And the further she lets herself fall, the harder it becomes to find the surface. You can read it for free online here: https://kokonutheadmedia.com/stories/blueruins
In “Sulphur”, Mary has always been a good girl. A church girl, the role model, the daughter who never gives anyone a reason to worry. But goodness, she learns, is just another word for hiding. As she gets older, she discovers a self she was never given permission to want, and every time she gets close to it, it disappears. You can read it for free online here: https://kokonutheadmedia.com/stories/sulphur

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.


Cost: FREE
Categories: Community, Discount Tix / Promo Codes, In Person, Literature, Pride
Venue: Nomadic Bookshop
Address: 326 23rd St, Oakland, CA 94612