This event will be followed by a signing line with the author.

George M. Johnson is no stranger to death. In this debut adult memoir, readers are invited to witness untrodden ground as George navigates an HIV diagnosis, alcoholism, tremendous loss, and nationwide book bans over the span of 15 years. Through the highs and lows of life in the spotlight, they have clung to family and community like never before — finding their most authentic self along the way.

Drawing inspiration from Toni Morrison, Jesmyn Ward, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, And If I Die Before I Wake explores grief, trauma, sexuality, and the Black family through the lens of transformation, healing, and hope. Poetic, grounded, and bursting with signature humor, this is New York Times-bestselling author George M. Johnson more bold, more brave, and more daring than ever — ready to share a new part of their journey with the world.

George M. Johnson (they/them) is an Emmy nominated, award-winning, and bestselling Black nonbinary author and activist. Their debut memoir, All Boys Aren’t Blue, was a New York Times bestseller and garnered many accolades. It was the #1 most banned book of 2024 in the United States, according to the American Library Association. For their work fighting book bans and challenges, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) honored George with its Free Speech Defender Award, and TIME Magazine named them one of the “100 Next Most Influential People in the World.” They also wrote Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known.

Johnson will be in conversation with Preston Mitchum (he/him). Mitchum is an award-winning Black queer attorney, advocate, and activist of considerable renown. As the founder of PDM Consulting, a social impact and advocacy firm dedicated to amplifying the voices and power of Black people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and young people, he has established himself as a leading figure in the fields of legal and social justice.