BY YAYOI LENA WINFREY for WEEKLY VOLCANO 4/24/26 |
Syed K. Jamal is a terribly busy man. After launching Grit City Studio and Cinematically Yours for filmmakers, he is now creating the inaugural Tacoma Literature Festival for writers. Alongside it, he has also been producing the Road to LitFest series, which supports the major literary event by including free online and community activities leading up to it.
Jamal first arrived in Tacoma from India to visit relatives.
“Even though it was a short trip, a part of Tacoma stayed with us. We could not shake the memories,” he says. “The places we experienced, the people we met, and the sense of community all drew us in.”
He and his family enjoyed the city so much that they returned in 2015 to make Tacoma their permanent home.
As a trained filmmaker and graphic designer, Jamal grew excited over the potential for creating a center for arts activities in Tacoma. Thus, his ideas gave birth to Grit City Studio.
Now a nonprofit, GritCityStudio.org, according to Jamal, is “dedicated to transforming Tacoma into a global creative hub.”
“Cinematically Yours reflects Grit City Studio’s vision of showcasing Tacoma as a cinematic city to the world,” explains Jamal. “With its vibrant arts community, striking locations, and ideal setting for a wide range of creative productions and programming, Tacoma has the potential to attract creators from across the globe.”
The Tacoma Literature Festival, also known as Tacoma LitFest, “naturally aligns with that mission,” says Jamal.
As a self-confessed “voracious reader,” he says that his connection to fellow readers and book lovers was the inspiration for creating Tacoma LitFest.
“The Tacoma Literature Festival exists to celebrate stories, storytellers, and our shared love for both,” Jamal explains, adding that it is “an opportunity to showcase Tacoma’s literary richness and its welcoming spirit, helping attract talent and both financial and social capital to support the city’s economic and cultural growth.”
Produced by GritCityStudio.org, the daylong Tacoma LitFest is an educational and entertainment celebration that connects audiences with authors, poets, and publishers. For anyone who enjoys reading and learning, the event will also showcase a book fair as well as programs for children.
Some special guests at this first year’s festivities include American science fiction writer Ted Chiang as a keynote speaker. Other speakers will include Pulitzer Prize winner Lewis Kamb, who will appear via video message. The first American woman to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, Melissa Reid, is also on the roster, as is the first Black woman to serve on the Washington State Supreme Court, Justice G. Helen Whitener.
Besides speakers, workshops and panel discussions that cover a wide range of intriguing topics are also on the schedule. One of them, “Japanese War Brides in Tacoma,” will be moderated by the author of this article.
Plans for all subsequent Tacoma LitFests include holding them annually in May, which is also the month that the City of Tacoma proclaims as Tacoma Literary Month. The proclamation is a public ceremony that will be held on April 28 at 4:30 p.m. at Tacoma City Hall, and everyone is invited.
Along with Tacoma LitFest, the Road to LitFest was also helmed by Jamal. It is an interesting concept that offers a series of free events held prior to the festival itself.
“The Road to LitFest grew out of the strong response we received from the community,” says Jamal.
When Tacoma LitFest was initially announced, it had booked only one floor at the Tacoma Armory. But once requests for proposals for sessions and workshops were announced, the replies far exceeded the accommodations that had been reserved. Jamal’s team then secured two additional spaces at the Armory and launched the Road to LitFest series.
“This allowed us to host and showcase more free, high-quality sessions and make them accessible to a broader audience,” he says, adding, “The series has since helped further activate and inspire our creative community.”
The Road to LitFest series presents conversations and community gatherings from February through the end of April. Upcoming conversations can be seen at luma.com/gritcitystudio.
Besides tips on songwriting or how to write charismatic characters that actors yearn to play, the series also presents behind-the-scenes conversations, such as how to get an agent or how to break into the entertainment industry.
Whether it is making movies or promoting books, Jamal is one person who is never too busy to take on another creative project.
As the founder and CEO of GritCityStudio.org, he says, “My professional work focuses on building public diplomacy through international relationships at the intersection of the creative economy, education, and social entrepreneurship.”
Anyone interested in attending the free Tacoma LitFest should sign up at the following link: tacomaartslive.org/events/tacoma-literature-festival/
Tacoma LitFest
May 2, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tacoma Armory
1001 S Yakima Ave.
Free, All Ages
