WHO WE ARE
Project Loudmouth aims to increase educational equity and bolster literacy rates amongst under-resourced student populations by delivering free books and author visits to indianapolis-area Title I schools.
Our MissionFounded in August 2025, after bestselling Indiana author Leah Johnson saw a need to create more accessible pathways to life-affirming literature, Project Loudmouth aims to increase literacy rates amongst under-resourced student populations by making reading fun again via exciting, authentic stories. Project Loudmouth’s foundational beliefs are that books should not be reserved for only those who can afford them, and by supporting vulnerable readers today, we build a stronger central Indiana tomorrow.
Our StoryOUR TEAM
LEAH JOHNSON
Leah Johnson (she/her) is a lifelong Hoosier with a passion for children’s literacy. Her bestselling debut YA novel, You Should See Me in a Crown, was a Stonewall Honor Book, and named one of TIME magazine's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. She is also the author of the Lambda Literary Award finalist, Ellie Engle Saves Herself, the editor of the USA Today bestselling middle grade anthology, Black Girl Power, and the co-author of the Good Morning America YA Book Club pick, There’s Always Next Year with George M. Johnson. When she’s not writing, you can find her at Loudmouth Books, her Indianapolis-based independent bookstore that specializes in highlighting the work of marginalized authors and uplifting banned or challenged books.
The Founder
arriel vinson
Arriel Vinson (she/her) is a Midwesterner and educator who writes about being young, Black, and in search of freedom. Her debut YA novel-in-verse, Under the Neon Lights, is a 2026 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, a 2026 Indiana Authors Award in YA winner, and a 2026 Black Caucus of ALA Fiction Honor. Arriel’s background in nonprofit work includes Poets and Writers and working in development for An Open Book Foundation. She earned her MFA in Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and is a Tin House YA Scholar, Highlights Foundation scholarship recipient, and Walter Grant recipient. Her sophomore novel, If This World Were Mine, is forthcoming on January 26, 2027.
The Managing Director