St. Louis natives and NYT Bestselling authors Julia Riew and Brad Riew return for school visits and community events
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2025
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – In a multi-day, community-wide effort, the Very Asian Foundation (VAF) is proud to support the homecoming of St. Louis-raised siblings and newly minted New York Times bestselling authors Julia and Brad Riew through The May Book Project. The two will return to their hometown September 16–19, 2025, to share their debut novel, The Last Tiger, with students and the broader community.
Julia Riew Instagram
Over the course of three days, Julia and Brad will visit six schools across the St. Louis area, reaching an estimated 2,000 students, educators, and readers through assemblies, discussions, and book signings. On the morning of September 17, Julia and Brad will visit Forsyth School and John Burroughs School. On September 18, they will spend the day visiting MICDS, The Whitfield School, and Brentwood Middle and High Schools.
“The May Book Project is excited to welcome Julia and Brad back home and bring their voices to kids in our region,” said Dr. Grace Lee, May Book Project committee co-chair, Webster Groves elected school board member, and MICDS Dean of Faculty. “We think it's important to center the voices of Asian authors and especially love supporting our young people! Most of all, it's important for kids to see people who look like them creating stories, ensuring that they feel a sense of community.”
Julia and Brad will also make a public appearance at a book reading event at the Schlafly Library on September 17 at 6 p.m. KSDK news anchor and VAF co-founder Michelle Li will moderate the event in partnership with the Gateway Korea Foundation.
The Riews’ visit is made possible with the generous support of The Cheshire Hotel and a coalition of schools – MICDS, Forsyth School, The Whitfield School, and John Burroughs School. Brentwood Middle and High Schools are the featured May Book Project school and will have media availability on Thursday afternoon.
“Brad and I wrote THE LAST TIGER inspired by stories from our grandparents’ youth—the many difficulties that they overcame in their early lives, and the love that carried them through,” said Julia Riew. “We are so thrilled to be returning back to our hometown, the place where we both first cultivated our love for writing and the arts, to share this story with the next generation of St. Louisans!”
Julia says the book’s origin, about her grandparents’ romance and resilience, was first sparked by an English class assignment at John Burroughs.
“My notes from that assignment ended up being an incredible primary source for THE LAST TIGER,” said Julia. “I hope that this book might be able to encourage any young aspiring writers in St. Louis who dream of sharing their stories with the world!”
About the Authors
Julia Riew and Brad Riew are siblings and graduates of John Burroughs School. Brad graduated from Harvard College and is currently an MFA candidate in NYU’s creative writing program. Julia graduated from Harvard University magna cum laude with a joint degree in theater, dance, media, and music. She is best known for her Korean folktale-inspired musical Dive, which is currently in development for a world premier at the American Repertory Theater.
About The May Book Project and VAF
Founded in 2022 with the help of St. Louis high school students, The May Book Project is an international youth literature project for all readers that fosters literacy and connection. The MBP is a free resource and includes a rubric and a list of more than 330 books to support librarians in the choice and celebration of building a library.
VAF is a journalist-founded nonprofit formed after a viral moment. The mission is to connect people through advocacy and celebration.
Media Contact:
Shelbi Voss, media@veryasianfoundation.org
