Indie Musician Ani DiFranco Releases New Book SHOW UP AND VOTE

From Award-winning musical artist and feminist icon Ani DiFranco comes a compelling and timely story about the power of connectedness and the collective responsibility of participating in democracy. SHOW UP AND VOTE (Rise x Penguin Workshop) by DiFranco and illustrated by multi-disciplinary artist Rachelle Baker is an inspiring call-to-action for young citizens to understand and embrace the importance of voting. 

In this vibrant tale, readers follow a young girl as she accompanies her mother to their local polling station. As she pays witness to the commonality of this experience, her mother gently reinforces the great responsibility and importance of this act. The girl works through a whirlwind of emotions, from feelings of excitement, nervousness, and ultimately, invigoration.

Ani DiFranco drew from her own childhood experiences to craft SHOW UP AND VOTE, saying “My mom didn’t just bring me to vote with her, she brought me when she went and volunteered time to campaigns. I stamped envelopes with her. I canvased door to door. Being engaged as a citizen, understanding your role as a citizen, even really knowing there is such a thing, is not automatic. Like many things in this complex world, it must be taught, and it must be modeled. I am very grateful to my parents for giving me that gift. Rachelle’s artwork lends such spunk and style to this little story of budding citizenship, I love it so much!”

Ani’s authenticity shines in the text, encouraging readers to contemplate their roles as citizens and the profound impact of their voice. Illustrator Rachelle Baker adds a genuine neighborhood feel in a range of bright, bold colors and familiar faces, establishing a realistic and relatable setting. SHOW UP AND VOTE is a triumphant pairing of image and word that will make it a staple on bookshelves for many years to come.

In addition, in May DiFranco released her 23rd album, Unprecedented Sh!t, to rave reviews. A documentary on DiFranco’s rise entitled 1-800-ON-HER-OWN premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and is screening throughout 2024. The film is a vulnerable look at her life today, as she struggles to balance artistry with the demands of family. Earlier this year she starred as ‘Persephone’ in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical, Hadestown.

Ani DiFranco is a Grammy-winning musical artist and feminist icon recognized for her poetry and songwriting, which pierces social convention and challenges the status quo, as well as for her social activism and political engagement. One of the first artists to create her own record label in 1990, she has sold over 5.5 million albums through her own Righteous Babe Records. While she has been known as the “Little Folksinger,” her music has embraced punk, funk, hip hop, jazz, soul, electronica and even more distant sounds. SHOW UP AND VOTE follows her New York Times bestselling memoir No Walls and the Recurring Dream and her debut children’s book The Knowing.