Tom Watson, Longfellow Books, and Project Home Partner to Give Back
- Jul 28
- 2 min read
Community book event raises over $500; future sales of ‘Your Turn’ to benefit Project Home
A small community celebration of Tom Watson's memoir, Your Turn, has grown into an ongoing partnership between the author, Longfellow Books, and Project Home.
On July 15, Longfellow Books in Portland hosted an author event featuring Tom Watson in conversation with Jessica James of Longfellow Communications, the book's publisher. The event included talks by Longfellow Books owner Ari Gersen and Victoria Morales, the Executive Director of Project Home. The idea was to donate all sales of Your Turn at the event to the nonprofit. More than $500 was raised.
Left to right: Tom Watson in conversation with Jessica James; Victoria Morales
Going forward, 100% of the proceeds from each copy of Your Turn sold at Longfellow Books will be donated to Project Home, a nonprofit that helps low-income, working Mainers overcome barriers to affordable housing, prevent eviction, and achieve long-term stability through financial guarantees, housing navigation, and coordinated health and career support.
Watson, whose memoir reflects on resilience, community, and the people who help us rebuild after life's most challenging times, was a founding board member of Project Home when the organization was established as the Quality Housing Coalition in 2018.
"When I wrote Your Turn, I hoped it would encourage people to think about the people who show up for them during life’s toughest moments," said Watson. "Project Home shows up for people every single day and it has impacted the lives of thousands of Mainers. If this book can help support that work in a small way, then that's one of the most meaningful things it can do."
"Many of the people we serve are part of Maine's invisible population—our neighbors whose housing challenges often go unnoticed until they are in crisis," said Victoria Morales, Executive Director of Project Home. "Stable housing creates the foundation for everything else: health, employment, education, and hope. Tom has believed in this mission since the beginning, and we’re honored to partner with him and Longfellow Books.”
For Longfellow Books owner Ari Gersen, the partnership reflects the important role an independent bookstore can play in strengthening its community.
Ari Gersen of Longfellow Books
"Longfellow Books has always been more than a place to buy books—it's a community space where ideas, conversations, and human connections are forged," said Gersen. "Working with Tom has been a joy because he's always asking, 'What good can this do?' We're proud that Your Turn will continue supporting Project Home every time someone discovers the book here."
Released earlier this year, Your Turn chronicles Watson's journey from building a business out of the back of his pickup truck in gritty 1990s Portland, to recovering from a life-changing stroke. Told through humorous, deeply personal vignettes and illustrated by his daughter, Rose Watson, the memoir explores resilience, family, the courage and creativity required to lead a successful business, and what it means to rebuild your life after you’ve nearly lost everything.
Going forward, all proceeds from sales of Your Turn at Longfellow Books will be donated to Project Home.
BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Longfellow Communications
Language: English
Hardcover: 365 pages
ISBN: 979-8-218-89522-8
MEDIA INQUIRIES, REVIEW COPIES, AND IMAGE REQUESTS
Please contact Jessica James at jessica@longfellowcomms.com or 207.852.1304