Books to Prisoners Showcase & Community Night Recap
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
On May 23, 2026, the Books to Prisoners (BTP) community gathered at the Couth Buzzard in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood for a BTP Showcase and Community Night filled with raffles, a talk from a formerly incarcerated guest speaker, book readings from Dear Books to Prisoners: Letters from the Incarcerated, and appreciation of the art and poetry incarcerated letter writers have sent in to BTP.
"A few months ago the board asked me to do something for 'volunteer appreciation,'”said BTP Program Coordinator Ella Foskett. “I decided I wanted to achieve this by creating a time and space for volunteers to appreciate what they accomplish by showing up to BTP and show their loved ones what it is they spend their time doing and why."
On the left: BTP Program Coordinator Ella Foskett announcing raffle winners.
On the right: Rocky reads from Dear Books to Prisoners.
The event took place in the cozy community arts space at the back of the Couth Buzzard bookstore and cafe. The business generously partnered with BTP for a "Buy Two Books Get One Used Free for BTP" promotion. The Couth Buzzard is also featured on our Donate Books page as a bookstore you can purchase books from for BTP.
The evening featured a "create-your-own" bookmark station with hand-carved stamps, a raffle for BTP merch where participants guessed the weight of book packages, and a gallery of poetry and artwork sent to BTP by incarcerated people. The inclusion of the artwork and poetry was an important part of showing volunteers the impact of BTP's work.
Event attendees guessing the weight of book packages for a raffle, appreciating the artwork and poetry sent in by incarcerated people, and creating personalized bookmarks.
"I hoped to give volunteers and their guests a showcase of the effect they have just by showing up to pick out books or wrap packages, because the outcome of these actions is often much more meaningful than just receiving a book you didn't have before,” said Ella. “BTP provides an avenue of connection to the outside world that incarcerated people might not otherwise experience. The expression of this often comes in artwork and thank you letters that volunteers may not see, so I wanted to create a night where this response to the actions of volunteers was on display and easy to engage with."
After attendees mingled, tried their hand at guessing book package weights for the raffle, printed their own bookmarks, and perused the poetry and artwork, the evening's program began with a reading of letters from Dear Books to Prisoners: Letters from the Incarcerated. Volunteers Peg, Rocky, Morgan, Siri, and Vicki read letters that spoke to the mental and physical tolls of incarceration, the difficulties of accessing information and reading material due to book restrictions and dwindling prison library resources, and the impact of receiving books from BTP.
Volunteers Vicki (left) and Morgan (right) read letters from Dear Books to Prisoners.
Following the reading, Ella introduced Rory Andes, founder of The Andes Network and former co-director of Just Us Solutions. Rory spoke on his experience being incarcerated, the role that access to books and information played for him in prison, and the importance of connection and relationships when incarcerated.
In one story, Rory poignantly described how receiving a thesaurus while incarcerated provided him with more options for verbal self expression at a time when he found himself recycling the same words and thoughts. He also touched on other issues that impact incarcerated people in Washington state, including how Washington is one of a handful of states that does not offer individuals a chance of parole.
On the left: Ella introducing Rory Andes, the event's featured guest speaker.
On the right: Rory fielding questions from BTP volunteers and event attendees.
Following his talk, Rory opened the floor for Q&A. The questions asked included how information flows and is restricted in prison, Rory's experience as a veteran, and advice for supporting those who are currently or formerly incarcerated. When asked what books volunteers should choose when a letter writer doesn't indicate any book titles, genre, or author preference, Rory advised selecting books that the volunteer is personally excited about, which can provide one small avenue for connection between the volunteer and the incarcerated individual.
Looking back on the event, Ella said, "I hope volunteers take away a sense of appreciation for the work they do, and I hope other guests took away an interest in learning more about information censorship in prison and a desire to come volunteer for BTP!"
Thank you to all who attended the BTP Showcase and Community Night, to Ella, to Rory, to the Couth Buzzard for hosting us, to Kim for her beautiful sketch, and to all the volunteers who participated. We hope to see you at the next one!
