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Written by Shari Mitchell
The moment we began setting up our Scribbles and Quills Pop-Up display at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Faculty of Social Sciences, we knew this was not going to be an ordinary afternoon.
A mere week ago, on March 4th, 2026, the UWI Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Health Economics hosted a youth discussion under the UWI Youth Social Impact Platform, and this auspicious occasion attracted a vibrant mix of students and staff to this forum, all gathered to explore innovation, leadership, and impact.
The event was buzzing with activity, discussions, and youthful energy, and nestled in the mix was yours truly, Scribbles and Quills – a proud partner of the UWI Youth Social Impact Platform and enthusiastic participant in a space dedicated to youth excellence.
How exciting!
Our goals that day?
To place new books into eager hands.
To spark curiosity and conversation.
To remind young people that literacy is powerful.
Armed with twenty free books, twenty gift cards, a collection of genres, and a generous stack of bookmarks, we naively and nervously assumed we would have to persuade passers-by to come say hi as soon as our book popup display was complete.
We were totally wrong!
With our eye-catching display, which showcased the wide range of genres available at the Scribbles and Quills Bookstore – from fantasy and romance to classics and personal development, along with our display of free books, generously provided through the IQRA Project, a powerful literacy initiative aimed at improving literacy across Trinidad & Tobago, staff and students were drawn to us like bees to honey.
The moment they began swarming our table in droves, it was clear that books still have thatinvisible magnetic pull.
There is something deeply satisfying about watching books find new homes.
To our surprise, by 2:40pm, just under two hours into the event, nearly everything was gone.
Our free books were all claimed, and the gift cards were eagerly snatched from our grasp. All that remained were the bookmarks, and even those were slowly disappearing into tote bags and back pockets.
Words cannot describe how thrilling it was to witness students leap with joy when they discovered that they could simply take a book home. The shocked smiles, the brightened eyes, and the vibrating echoes of “thank you” heard around the table was truly special.
Familiar Faces – And New Discoveries
During our time there, some students even came up to us to confess that Scribbles and Quills was already part of their world.
Greeted with excited recognition, they proclaimed that they already followed our social media platforms, had visited the bookstore before, and knew our carefully curated shelves all too well.
Seeing them light up in this new space felt like unexpectedly running into old friends outside of your usual meeting place.
However, for others we were a brand new, sweet discovery.
With genuine curiosity they asked…
“You’re a local bookstore?”
“Where exactly are you located?”
“Do you have all of these genres in store?”
We were only too pleased to share with them our mission, our wide array of genre offerings, our community events such as our monthly book club, and our passion for promoting literacy in Trinidad & Tobago.
Whether we were familiar faces or new acquaintances, the students did not hesitate to lean in and engage with genuine interest and curiosity. They lingered, asked questions, browsed thoughtfully, read book blurbs aloud to their friends, and asked all about our events.
The conversations were easy, natural, energizing, warm, curious, enthusiastic.
To passively browse our display was impossible.
Personal Development: The Genre That Triumphed
If there was one genre that truly commanded attention on this day, however, it was personal development.
Students immediately gravitated toward titles such as, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, “101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think” by Brianna Wiest, and “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill.
Watching them swiftly attach their hands to these books on display was enough proof to suggest that this population of students is hungry for growth.
A few even sighed and exclaimed, they wished they could purchase the books right there on the spot, and were disappointed that they could not.
These academics were not interested in reading for leisure, as the pull to read for personal transformation proved far greater.
They were searching for tools, for success strategies, and for helpful guidance as they navigated their own unique journeys from University into career life, and this sight was quite promising to see.
There was something deeply fulfilling about connecting with young people who see books not as academic obligations, but as success tools, as companions on their journey of self-actualization.
Overall, through the generosity of the IQRA Project, which allowed us to place donated books directly into the hands of students, and as a sponsor at the UWI Youth Social Impact Platform, we were proud and pleased to align Scribbles and Quills with youth empowerment, literacy advocacy and access to knowledge.
This deeply matters because sometimes the right book at the right time can shift the entire trajectory of a person’s life.
Plus, at a forum dedicated to social impact, literacy advocacy felt like the most foundational impact of all.
As the event wrapped up at 4pm, the students poured out one by one, and the lounge began to quiet.
This was our cue to pack what was left of our display, but in every sense, the afternoon had been enriching, fulfilling, purposeful and, most of all, fun.
There was a collective sense of accomplishment potent in the air.
How satisfying it was to leave feeling energized by the conversations, the enthusiasm, and the clear hunger for literary spaces among Trinidad & Tobago’s youth.
We are deeply grateful to the UWI Faculty of Social Sciences for welcoming us into this space, and for granting us the opportunity to engage, connect, and share our love of books in such a dynamic setting, and in such an impactful way.
Partnerships like these remind us why Scribbles and Quills exists:
● To champion literacy.
● To build community.
● To make books accessible and exciting.
We look forward to many more opportunities to collaborate with UWI and continue promoting literacy – one conversation, and one book at a time.
Written by Shari Mitchell There is no better way to begin one’s weekend, than with a Scribbles and Quills event!
Written by Radeyah H. Ali At Scribbles and Quills Limited, stories are at the heart of everything we do. That
