Literati stages modern student book fairs and subscription book services
Literati founder and CEO Jessica Ewing
With this acquisition, Literati is expanding into new select states
Move will expand quality alternative to traditional fairs, delivering award-winning literature from major houses to independent storytellers
AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Literati, a Texas-based education technology company founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Jessica Ewing, which stages modern student book fairs and subscription book services, today announced its acquisition by Trustbridge Partners.
Literati joins a portfolio that includes the Walker Books Group (WBG) and Trustbridge Entertainment. WBG includes children’s and young adult publishers such as Candlewick Press, Holiday House, and Peachtree and is known for critically and commercially acclaimed publishing such as Maisy Mouse, Where’s Waldo?, Guess How Much I Love You, and for its work with creators like Jon Klassen, Kate DiCamillo, and many others.
Trustbridge Entertainment develops book-first properties for the small and big screen and focuses on building franchises around WBG’s many iconic titles and creators. Literati’s acquisition by a mission-driven growth equity firm will help it continue to enhance, innovate and scale a model that prioritizes the joy of book discovery for kids, and new fundraising solutions for schools, all at a more important time than ever.
Literacy rates are in steep decline in the United States. Fewer than a third of the nation’s fourth graders had proficient reading scores in 2024. Literati was born a decade ago as a technology-first platform designed to solve the chronic mismatch between children’s reading capabilities and the books they are offered. Through its book clubs, the company combines expert curation with proprietary data science to deliver personalized selections. Literati members have reported increased daily reading times by an average of 39 minutes.
Since launching its school book fair division in 2022, Literati has scaled to become the number two school book fair provider in the United States, achieving nearly $40M in revenue, and reaching 2.5 million students across 4,000+ annual fairs.
Trustbridge Partners is recognized for its unique investment model which emphasizes patient capital, a focus on growth, and building better businesses for the long term. This model has attracted a global portfolio of legendary publishers, as well as mission-driven education, healthcare, and technology companies, all with an emphasis on quality and putting the consumer first.
The Literati leadership team, led by CEO Jessica Ewing, will remain in place to drive the company’s vision and next phase of growth. “Joining Trustbridge is a deeply intentional move for us,” Ewing said. “We have long been attracted to partners in publishing who value the very human process of creating art, while also appreciating the ways technology has and will continue to change the game. It’s clear Trustbridge has brought together top talent in the industry. I couldn’t be more excited to work alongside some of the children’s publishing houses I admire most.”
Literati has sought to bring innovation, openness, and a modern approach to a book fair category that most view as antiquated. “I think book fairs are beautiful, but we need fresh thinking and new approaches to problems like inequality among students, volunteer burnout, and simply not enough funds flowing into classrooms and libraries,” Ewing said.
John String, Managing Director with Trustbridge, based in New York, said: “We felt an instant alignment with the Literati team and their vision for the space. They are technologists by trade but book people by heart. We are excited to build the future of this important industry with them.”
Literati will continue to champion books from publishers across the industry and prides itself on being an open platform. Ewing said: “Our goal has always been to provide the best books we can. We work with publishers of all sizes to do that and that won’t change, but I think we’d love to continue to broaden our offering and see even more independent storytellers represented at fairs. I’d love to be able to offer even more selections than we do today, both at the events and online.”
Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, CEO of Walker Books Group, said: “Across Walker Books Group, our purpose has always been to champion stories that are lived with, returned to, and loved over time. We feel very aligned with Literati in this regard and are thrilled to be welcoming our new sister company.”
While traditional school book fairs have long been a cornerstone of the academic year, many have struggled to compete for student attention in an increasingly digital landscape. Through this acquisition, Literati and Trustbridge aim to address this gap.
Shannon McClintock Miller, who leads Future Ready Librarians, said: “Literati is reimagining what a book fair can be in all the right ways. It’s not just about selling books, it’s about creating meaningful connections that foster a lifelong love of reading. I’ve seen students light up as they discover stories that speak to them. What truly sets Literati apart is the integrity behind everything they do, always focused on what’s best for readers and school communities.”
Literati is using this new partnership with Trustbridge to increase its reach into schools and to provide a wealth of quality reading material combined with new fundraising solutions. “This will provide more schools with a real alternative when it comes to selecting a book fair that meets their needs,” Ewing said. “Our mission is simple: to ignite a love of learning and a love of life. Every child deserves to fall in love with a story. Schools shouldn’t have to choose between raising money and raising readers.”
About Literati
Founded to help families and schools fall in love with reading again, Literati delivers millions of books annually through modern book fairs, subscriptions, and new classroom initiatives designed to close the book-access gap for every child.
About Trustbridge
Trustbridge Partners is a global growth equity firm with approximately $10 billion in assets under management. Founded in 2006, the firm specializes in long-term investments within the media, technology, and healthcare sectors. With a mission-driven approach, it focuses on partnering with companies that provide high-quality content and services to improve lives globally.
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