Rain Taxi Inc

The annual twin cities book festival has been produced every october since 2001. A day-long celebration of books and authors, the festival gathers international, national, and local writers in the twin cities to present new work. The event is free and open to the public. Audience attendance has grown steadily since its inception and for the last twelve years has been over 6,000 making it the biggest free literary event in the twin cities. The festival presents an all-day exhibit featuring over 150 publishers, booksellers, and authors showing off their wares, with book signings and specials. Two auditoriums feature author readings, panel discussions, and workshops on current literary issues throughout the day. A children's pavilion presents storytelling, activities, music, and crafts. The twin cities book festival brings attention to the wealth and diversity of contemporary literature and brings pride to the twin cities, a reading capital.

Each year rain taxi showcases eight to ten emerging and established writers, both local and national, who publish with small and independent presses. These talented writers, who could be characterized as "the accessible avant-garde," are eager to engage with local audiences. They represent a wide demographic, including but not limited to african american, asian american, latin, and lgbtq voices. Our readings take place in local art galleries, bookstores, and community spaces. Sample events include readings by autistic poet dj savarese, nobel prize-winner olga tokarczuk, carolyn forche, cherrie moraga, and tessa hadley.

Other program service accomplishments include the chapbook series and other programs.