Hey there,

Here at ad astra, we love to read. And within that love for reading is the belief that reading can create real change when coupled with concrete action.

Through literature, we’ve learned about the kind of individuals we strive to be. We believe that stories can help us all learn and unlearn, educate and grow. Books can challenge us to see something in a new way and teach us how to better support one another. They give us tools to go out into the world and help create change.

And have seen readers create such change time and time again: publishing employees unionizing, book lovers holding companies accountable to their empty statements regarding equity, readers amplifying voices and stories to initiate systemic and structural upheaval in our wider world, just to name a few. When we combine our love for reading with action, we hold power.

 
An individual holding A long Petal of the Sea against checkered black and white pants.
 
A stack of books in front of a yellow sheet. Books include: The Bell Jar, Sula, Know My name, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Vanishing Half, The Death of Vivek Oji, and more
 

An Introduction

Let’s have a conversation about books & intersectional feminism

We are Olivia and Fiona, two friends who share a love for words and what they can do. Simply put, books have changed our lives.

With ad astra, our goal is to advocate for the connections between readership and societal change, to make transparent what is happening in publishing and how it connects to a bigger picture. We are readers, library and indie bookstore lovers, publishing employees, and activists.

We do this in a number of ways, primarily by sharing updates and insights on Instagram and in our free newsletter.

 

About the Name

Per aspera ad astra | Through hardships to the stars

We believe there is a strength and importance in reading and activated, conscious readership. Through this, we believe a more equitable, sustainable world for all is possible.

 
An individual holding the book You Exist Too Much. She wears a blue denim jumpsuit over a black and white striped turtleneck.
 
A blonde woman holding a book that partially obscures her face. She holds a matcha latte in one hand and is next to a bookshelf.
 

About Us

Olivia (she/her)

Olivia manages ad astra’s conversations, website copy, newsletter, and social media. Currently working at Libro.fm, Olivia has always loved reading and talking about her latest reads.

As a child, her parents would take away her books, upset by how much time she spent with her nose in their pages.

Olivia lives in San Francisco, her hometown and one of her favorite places in the world. When she’s not under a tree flipping through her latest read, you can find her hiking, drinking matcha lattes, or editing her friends’ stories. She also loves long walks through parks and plant-filled neighborhoods. She graduated as an English major with a creative writing focus from Scripps College in 2018.

 
A brunette woman drinking out of a mug sitting at a desk that's covered in books, pens, and a laptop.
 

Fiona (she/her)

Fiona is passionate about storytelling and illustration. She worked at the Mill Valley Public Library for years, shelving books and running the Children’s Room on Sundays, and is currently a Producer at an agency in Portland, OR.

fionabransgrove.com