The San Francisco Public Library and its James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center, in partnership with Sistah Scifi, proudly presents “A Teenage Superhero: Celebrating Octavia E. Butler’s Lauren Oya Olamina.” This hybrid event will take place on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 6:00 PM at the Hormel Center (3rd Floor of San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin Street) and online. The evening honors Octavia E. Butler’s literary legacy two weeks before what would have been the esteemed author’s 78th birthday.  Lauren Oya Olamina—the courageous teenage protagonist of Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower — is emblematic of the futures we are capable of creating together when guided by empathic leadership. 

Event Details

• Date & Time: Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 6:00 PM Pacific Time

• Location: James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center (3rd Floor), San Francisco Public Library – Main Library, 100 Larkin St., San Francisco, CA (Hybrid event: in-person & virtual)

• Admission: Due to the support of Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, admission is free and open to the public (all ages)

• Format: In-person attendance and live-stream available (registration recommended).

Event Overview

A part of the Hormel Center’s annual Pride activities, “A Teenage Superhero” is a celebration of youth, queerness, and radical imagination. Inspired by the journey of Lauren Oya Olamina, Octavia E. Butler’s powerful teen protagonist, this event invites readers of all ages to explore how young voices can lead transformational change. Moderated by Aida Ndiaye, the same age as Lauren at the start of Parable of the Sower, the panel will bring together leading authors and scholars to discuss the timeless relevance of Butler’s work and the urgent need to nurture today’s young visionaries.

Octavia E. Butler’s own identity deeply informed her visionary writing. As a Black, queer woman navigating science fiction spaces historically dominated by white male authors, Butler created characters who challenged traditional power structures and embraced difference as a source of strength. Her lived experiences with marginalization shaped Parable of the Sower and other works that center radical empathy, resilience, and the imagining of new, inclusive futures. Recognizing Butler’s queer identity is essential to understanding how her literature empowers those at the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and class to envision transformative change.

This nuanced understanding of Butler’s identity and politics is further explored in the groundbreaking works of two of the event’s panelists. In Understanding Octavia E. Butler, Dr. Kendra R. Parker examines lesser-known aspects of Butler’s literary canon—including her explorations of romance and intimate human connection—highlighting how desire and emotional vulnerability shaped Butler’s science fiction landscapes. In Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler, Dr. Susana M. Morris—a queer Jamaican-American writer and scholar—delves into how queer rights movements and liberatory politics informed Butler’s writing. Both works contribute to a richer portrait of Butler’s life, revealing how love and resistance converge in the creation of Lauren Oya Olamina—an unforgettable teenage heroine who dares to reshape the world.

“Octavia E. Butler believed in the power of community to survive and thrive. Through Lauren Oya Olamina, she showed us that real leadership listens, nurtures, and builds. We gather in that spirit—to celebrate young leaders and strengthen the future we are imagining together,” says Isis Asare, founder of Sistah Scifi.

“Octavia E. Butler showed us that heroes are often young people who dare to see a different world,” says Kevin Darling, Hormel LGBTQIA Center Librarian. “This celebration honors that spirit and reminds us that our libraries are places where futures are imagined and made real.”

“Lauren Olamina is the only kind of hero I'm interested in these days,” says Maggie Tokuda-Hall, acclaimed author and in-person panelist. “One who realizes that either we survive together, or not at all. I'm a proud believer of Earthseed.”

“Editing Parable of the Sower was an unforgettable experience,” reflects Dan Simon, founder of Seven Stories Press. “Octavia crafted Lauren Olamina as a force of empathy and strength. It’s fitting that a new generation is celebrating her now—because Butler’s work remains a blueprint for building the future we urgently need.”

Featured Speakers & Panelists

• Aida Ndiaye (Moderator): Teen author of The Imagination Book and Evil Burrito and the FBI, Aida brings a dynamic youth perspective to the conversation

• Dr. Kendra R. Parker (Virtual Panelist): Associate Professor at Georgia Southern University, President of the Octavia E. Butler Literary Society, and author of Understanding Octavia E. Butler

• Dr. Susana M. Morris (Virtual Panelist): Associate Professor at Georgia Tech, co-founder of The Crunk Feminist Collective, and author of the forthcoming biography Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler

• Maggie Tokuda-Hall (In-Person Panelist): Acclaimed author of The Mermaid, The Witch, and The Sea and The Siren, the Song, and the Spy, celebrating diverse and imaginative young protagonists

RSVP and Additional Information

RSVP: Attendance is free, but registration is recommended for both in-person and virtual participants. Register via https://on.sfpl.org/superhero or www.sistahscifi.com/pages/events.

Accessibility: All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible; live captions will be provided. For additional accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

Photography/Video Notice: By attending this event, you consent to photography and video recording for promotional use. If you prefer not to appear in event media, please notify a staff member upon arrival.

About the Hosting Partners

• San Francisco Public Library (SFPL): A nationally recognized leader in literacy, diversity, and public engagement, offering free access to information and community programming.

• James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center: The world’s first public library center dedicated to LGBTQIA history, culture, and literature, celebrating resilience and inclusion.

• African American Center: The African American Center welcomes those studying the historical, political and cultural experiences of African Americans in California and beyond. The Center houses a collection of circulating and reference materials. 

• The Mix: San Francisco Public Library's creative space for teens, ages 12-18. Designed by teens, for teens.

• Sistah Scifi: The first Black-owned bookstore focused on science fiction and fantasy in the U.S., dedicated to amplifying Black and Indigenous voices in speculative fiction.
   

Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating youth leadership, storytelling, and the visionary spirit of Octavia E. Butler. Together, let's lift up the teenage superheroes who are dreaming—and building—the future.