A cool storytelling event will be held this Wednesday (6 p.m. on Feb. 17) at Kelly Writers House (3805 Locust Walk). The event, presented by the Sensible Nonsense Project, emphasizes the impact of kids’ books on adults and celebrates the universal importance of children’s books.

At this live reading, six presenters from the Philadelphia community will speak about their own favorite children’s books, and will explain how the books helped shape them into the adults they are today.

Here they are:

Lorene Cary, writer, professor, and founder of Safe Kids Stories
Katherine Fritz, blogger and costume designer
Christine Neulieb, writer and editorial director at Lanternfish Press
David Norse, minister, Broad Street Ministry
Maura Reilly-Ulmanek, University of Pennsylvania undergraduate
Amleset Girmay, University of Pennsylvania undergraduate

The event is free and open to the public. It will be co-hosted by project founder Arielle Brousse, and Andrew Panebianco. Guests will not only be able to enjoy the personal essays written by the scheduled readers, but will also be able to indulge in a post-event reception inspired by after-school snacks. Those unable attend in person will be able to stream the event live via KWH-TV.

The Sensible Nonsense Project is a collective storytelling project designed to remind ourselves and each other about the legitimate artistry and universal importance of our best-loved childhood books. The project is designed to be participatory. Live events like this one take place a few times a year, but the project is ongoing at the website, where essay submissions—of whatever length, tone, or style—are always welcomed and encouraged.