Eric Cervini (left), RuPaul (center) and Adam Powell founded Allstora, a new online book marketplace.Photo:Courtesy of Allstora
Courtesy of Allstora
RuPaulis holding nothing back when it comes to books.The Emmy Award-winning host ofRuPaul’s Drag Racehas announced the launch of a new online book marketplace,Allstora. The platform is an author-owned, independent marketplace, housing over 10 million titles, and offers fair compensation and more opportunities for women and authors of color, as well as emerging and self-published authors.“I started reading books at a very early age, and they were a lifeline to the rest of the world for me,” RuPaul tells PEOPLE. “I loved the idea of knowledge is power, and knowledge is a way to transport yourself to wherever you wanna be.”
RuPaul in front of the Rainbow Book Bus.Courtesy of Allstora
RuPaul, who serves as Allstora’s Chief Creative Officer, co-founded the marketplace with LGBTQ+ advocate and best-selling author Eric Cervini and actor and drag performer Adam Powell.
“Creatives – whether drag queens, philosophers or authors – are driving our culture forward, and should be properly compensated for their work," RuPaul says in a statement.
The launch of Allstora also coincides with the first cross country tour of theRainbow Book Bus, a nonprofit which rallies against book bans and protects LGBTQ+ books in particular. The bus distributes titles to communities who have limited access to them, in an effort to share life-saving stories to those who need them most.
“The Rainbow Book Bus began as a dream that has since developed into our flagship bookmobile program, and we are beyond excited to take these books on the road and bring them to communities who need them most,” says Powell, who also serves as executive director of the Rainbow Book Bus, in a statement. “We must fight censorship and attempts to reduce young people’s access to inclusive stories, and our colorful and joyful bus loaded with amazing books is an antidote to hate and discrimination.”
The Rainbow Book Bus.Courtesy of Allstora
RuPaul still has more literary surprises up his sleeve. Allstora will host his new book club, RuPaul’s Book Club. The monthly subscription highlights books that have inspired its founder, and will offer delivery to members, as well as access to bonus material like author interviews. The first club selection is RuPaul’s own memoir,The House of Hidden Meanings, out on March 5.
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As a whole, Allstora aims to bring both readers and writers together.“I’m passionate about uplifting the voices of underrepresented groups, and I’m proud of what Allstora offers to both authors and readers: a community,” RuPaul continues in a statement.For more information on Allstora, visit their website atallstora.com.
source: people.com
