About Us
Celebrating Our Region in Word, Image and Sound
The Inlandia Institute is a literary center in partnership with Heyday Books and its Affiliates. We seek to bring focus to the richness of the literary enterprise that exists in the Inland Empire.
Mission
Our mission is to recognize, support and expand literary activity in all of its forms through community programs in the Inland Empire, thereby deepening people’s awareness, understanding, and appreciation of this unique, complex and creatively vibrant region.
Goals
With our publishing partner Heyday Books, we support the publication of quality regional literary projects under a special Inlandia imprint.
We operate a program producing and supporting public literary programming throughout the Inland Empire, conduct oral histories to preserve the history and culture of the Inland Empire, hold writer’s workshops for emerging authors, create a love of literature in children; and mentor young writers and cultural activists.
History
Following the release, in late 2006, of Heyday’s publication Inlandia: a Literary Journey through California’s Inland Empire, literary professionals and supporters in the region began discussions about the need for ongoing support and promotion of literary endeavors and programming.
The Riverside Public Library took the lead in these efforts using the term “Inlandia” to brand its cultural programming. In August 2007, Heyday and the City of Riverside entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the Inlandia Institute to provide cultural programming at the Riverside Public Library and explore the regional potential for such an undertaking.
A regional Advisory Council of 26 members convened in June 2008 and has met quarterly ever since. The Advisory Council determined the Inlandia Institute, in order to fulfill its mission, should incorporate as an independent non-profit organization. Inlandia incorporated as a non-profit in August 2009.
Today Inlandia provides literary and cultural programs at a variety of venues throughout the Inland Empire.
