Celebrate the many and varied voices that capture and critique the Bay Area.

On May 21, thousands of word nerds will make a pilgrimage to 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza for a day's worth of reading, listening, and debate. The literary brainchild of Kira Brunner Don and Timothy Don—both Oaklandians who are well-decorated authors and editors in their own rights—The Oakland Book Festival is an annual one-day literary gathering centered around the power of the written word.

"Our goal is not just to present a series of authors reading their latest work," Timothy Don said in an interview with the East Bay TImes, echoing the festival's fundamental principle of pairing cultural curators who might not be on the same page when it comes to the topics they will be discussing. You should expect plenty of thoughtful, possibly heated discussions, all moderated by experts hoping to join audience members into the conversation.

"Ideally, panelists won't [always] agree," he continued.

Here's a rundown of the noteworthy gatherings that caught our eye.

On Inequality: A Conversation (Pt. One)

Privilege has now become something of a moral albatross; it's a burden that can weigh heavily on our collective consciousness. Equally so, those who find themselves on the other side of privilege—the underserved—can be left feeling jaded, perhaps ignored from the larger sum. And Lo-and-behold: the touchstone of inequality.

Moderated by Berkeley's own Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Ramona Naddaff will be joined by two fellow panelists—trailblazing black panther Angela Davis and UC Professor of Critical Theories Judith Butler—to discuss the stark, muddied waters of what it means to be an unprivileged individual in modern society. Be sure to get there early to grab a seat for what's promises to be a no-holds-barred conversation on current affairs.

(Pt. 2 of the conversation will follow directly afterward, paneled by Liberal Studies professors Mark Griff and Danielle Allen.)

When: May 21, 12:30pm–1:45pm

Where: City Hall Council Chambers at Oakland's City Hall

Why: We all need should step outside our boxes.

Envisioning Equity in the Arts

The idiomatic bow to the starving artists is anything but a tongue-and-cheek anecdote to many; it's a cringe-worthy, hand-to-mouth reality for a large cohort of struggling 21st century creators. With too many in the creator class living in destitution, unsure where their next meal might come from or if their rent check will clear, creating an economically sound platform for artists to create is essential.

Moderator Shannon Jackson (vice chancellor of the Arts and Design committee at UC Berkeley) will be joined by co-panelists Dean Beard, Patricia Moloney, and Anyka Barber to discuss just that: how to go about making sure our artists don't starve themselves out of existence.

When: May 21, 12:30pm–1:45pm

Where: Hearing Room #2 at Oakland's City Hall

Why: "Help me, I'm poor."

The Making of an Author

The storyteller who can summon not only the perfect turn of phrase but an entire backstory for their author is rare indeed. It's at this intersection that this panel lies: the creation and the creator.

Paneled by Laura Albert and Seumas Raibéart Coutts, the two acclaimed wordsmiths will discuss how the cult-classics penned under Albert's nom de plume, JT LeRoy, became modes of expression for her personal struggles and how they garnered world-wide literary acclaim.

When: May 21, 3:30pm–4:30pm

Where: Council Chambers at Oakland's City Hall

Why: Books don't just grow on trees, you know.

Hip-Hop and Social Justice

If you're still a bit miffed as to how (and why) Beyoncé's Lemonade didn't take home "Album of the Year" at the Grammys—then do we have a panel recommendation for you.

Moderated by San Francisco Chronicle journalist Nastia Voynovskaya, she shares the stage with four bonafide hip-hop stars to discuss what it truly means to be a quote "conscious rapper."

When: May 21, 4:45pm–6:00pm

Where: Dalziel Building at Oakland's City Hall

Why: Because we should all be in formation with one another.

FINE PRINT: The festival is free and open to the public. In addition to panel discussions, there are activity centers for kids and the requisite food truck corral just off the plaza. The only ticketed item at the Oakland Book Festival is the reception; all tickets can be bought on the festival's kickstarter page.