The fourth annual “No Book Left Behind: Celebrating Our Freedom to Read” festival will be held on Sunday, October 4, from 12-5 pm at Revalation Vineyards. The family-friendly event is a celebration of literacy and the freedom to read. This year’s festival will feature three prominent queer authors.
Manil Suri, PhD, author of the memoir A Room in Bombay, will speak at 1 pm. Suri, who was born in Mumbai and has lived in the U.S. since 1979, has also authored three novels—The Death of Vishnu, The Age of Shiva, and The City of Devi—as well as a book on popular mathematics entitled The Big Bang of Numbers: How to Build the Universe Using Only Math.
Suri is an emeritus university professor of mathematics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He has served as a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. He lives with his husband in Silver Spring, Md.
Speaking at 2:30 pm will be Bree Fram, a retired U.S. Space Force colonel, astronautical engineer, and author who served 23 years in the military and was the first openly transgender officer promoted to colonel. Fram came out publicly in 2016, on the day the military first lifted its transgender service ban, and was forced into retirement in 2025 under a renewed ban.
She is the co-editor of With Honor and Integrity and With Valor and Visibility, and co-author of Forging Queer Leaders. Fram’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Military Times. She speaks nationally on leadership, service, and inclusion; and lives in Northern Virginia with her family.
At 4 pm, the festival welcomes Charles H. Ford, PhD, a historian and professor at Norfolk State University and the co-author of Queer Virginia, a chronicle of the courageous and creative ways that LGBTQ+ people across the commonwealth have persevered and fought for their rights. The new book reveals generations of widespread prejudice and oppressive laws as well as the inspiring resilience that queer Virginians brought to this struggle.
Ford has served in various administrative capacities such as department chair and quality enhancement plan director at Norfolk State, and he currently serves as a member of the board of directors of WHRO Public Media.
The festival will host a number of community organizations, vendors, and local artists, including the Madison County Library, Madison Literacy Council, MADSafe, NAACP Culpeper, and Hundred Acre Books. A craft table will be available for children, and food will be provided by the Cuba Mex Food Truck.
In an era of increasing controversy surrounding book selection in both school and public libraries, the festival aims to create a positive and welcoming atmosphere that champions access to a wide range of literature. The event provides a space for community members to come together in support of intellectual freedom.
“We are excited that this year’s ‘No Book Left Behind’ festival will showcase three writers with impactful stories and experiences,” said event organizers Cindy Taylor and Françoise Seillier-Moiseiwitsch. “Many books featuring LGBTQ+ themes have been banned across the U.S. and sadly here in our own community. Our region is vibrant with diverse authors whose stories are compelling and deserve to be heard. Reading is a vital means of connection with people from all walks of life.
“Our mission is to create and host an inclusive and joyful event that not only celebrates literature but helps fosters a love of reading for people of all ages,” the organizers continued. “With the ongoing controversy about book banning in mind, we believe it is important to come together as a community and celebrate the power of stories.”
Revalation Vineyards, set in Madison County, is known for its scenic views, award-winning wines, and support for the local arts and literary communities. The winery provides an ideal backdrop for this celebration of reading and the free exchange of ideas and experiences. Revalation also hosts a monthly book club, author talks, and gallery shows highlighting the visual arts.
The No Book Left Behind event is free and open to the public.
