our mission
WHAT IS PROJECT LOUDMOUTH?
PROJECT LOUDMOUTH is a 501(c)(3) powered by Loudmouth Books that connects Indianapolis-area Title I schools with diverse books and the author-illustrators who create them.
Founded in August 2025, after bestselling Indiana author Leah Johnson saw a need to create more accessible pathways to life-affirming literature, Project Loudmouth aims to increase literacy rates amongst under-resourced student populations by making reading fun again via exciting, authentic stories. Project Loudmouth’s foundational beliefs are that books should not be reserved for only those who can afford them, and by supporting vulnerable readers today, we build a stronger central Indiana tomorrow.
our team
the founder
PROJECT LOUDMOUTH was founded by Indianapolis-based author, Leah Johnson. Leah is the owner of Indianapolis-based independent bookstore, Loudmouth Books, and the author of award-winning books for children and young adults. Her bestselling debut YA novel, You Should See Me in a Crown, was a Stonewall Honor Book, the inaugural Reese's Book Club YA pick, and named one of TIME magazine's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. She is also the author of the Lambda Literary Award finalist, Ellie Engle Saves Herself, the editor of the USA Today bestselling middle grade anthology, Black Girl Power, and the co-author of the Good Morning America YA Book Club pick, There’s Always Next Year with George M. Johnson.
the managing director
Arriel Vinson is an educator and Midwesterner who writes about being young, Black, and in search of freedom. Her debut YA novel-in-verse, Under the Neon Lights, is a 2026 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, a 2026 Indiana Authors Award in YA winner, and a 2026 Black Caucus of ALA Fiction Honor. Arriel earned her MFA in Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and is a Tin House YA Scholar, Highlights Foundation scholarship recipient, and Walter Grant recipient. Her sophomore novel, If This World Were Mine, is forthcoming on January 26, 2027.
