El Martillo Press at Arvida Book Co.

Arvida Book Co.

115 W Main St, Tustin, CA 92780, USA

3:30 pm - 5 pm

Reading followed by author signings.

Matt Sedillo has been described as the "best political poet in America" by investigative reporter Greg Palast as well as "the poet laureate of the struggle" by historian Paul Ortiz. His work has drawn comparisons in print to Bertolt Brecht, Roque Dalton, Amiri Baraka, Allen Ginsberg, Carl Sandburg,  and various other legends of the past. Sedillo was the recipient of the 2017 Joe Hill Labor Poetry award, a panelist at the 2020 Texas book festival, a participant in the 2012 San Francisco International Poetry Festival, the 2022 Elba Poetry Festival, the 2023 Guadalajara Book Fair, 2024 Medellin Poetry Festival, the 2025 Hurlingham Poetry Festival, the 2025 Ghazipur Literary Festival, the 2025 Guadalajara Book Fair and the recipient of the 2022 Dante's Laurel. Sedillo has appeared on CSPAN and has been featured in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Axios, among many other media outlets and publications. Sedillo has spoken at Casa de las Americas in Havana, Cuba, the National Library of Chile in Santiago Chile, Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile, at numerous conferences and forums such as the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education, the National Association of Chicana/Chicano Studies, the Left Forum, the US Social Forum, and at over a hundred universities and colleges, including UNAM, the University of Cambridge, UC Berkeley, Stanford, the University of Napoli among many others.

Christine Peiying Chen was born in Lushan, China, in 1968, but is a naturalized New Zealander. She is a bilingual poet, translator, columnist for the newspaper Mandarin Page (New Zealand); and editor-in-chief of the New York newspaper Compact News. Some recognitions obtained are: Best Foreign Author Award 2023; 30th Ossi Di Seppia Italian Literature Award; winner of the International Poetry Contest Asia Literaria (Chinese language). Two-time winner of the New Zealand Literature Prize (Chinese literature) in 2018 and 2019. Chen's work has been translated and published in different languages, including Hindi, Arabic, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Romanian, Albanian, Russian, Kazakh, Korean, Bengali, etc. In 2022, Chen participated in organizing and editing the Sydney International Poetry Festival in Australia and received a Special Contribution Award. In 2023, she was appointed continental coordinator of the World Poetry Movement in Oceania. She is also on the committee of the Chinese Writers Association of New Zealand from 2021 to the present.

HBO Def Poet, author, and member of two National Poetry Slam Teams,Cory Besskepp Cofermerges originality and heritage with performances at countless colleges, cafés, arenas, festivals and coffeehouses. Twice named teacher of the year, he was featured in theLos Angeles Timesfor his academic innovation that incorporates Hip Hop and poetry into the classroom. By mixing classical structure with an urban flavor, Besskepp creates literature that deconstructs the complex issues facing youth today through non-elitist language. In 2005, his Hip Hop Theater Play,Homeless Beatboxerwas twice featured at the REDCAT Theater at Disney Hall. Besskepp celebrates over 25 years as the host of A Mic and Dim Lights open mic and events series with co-founder and DJ, JB.

With roots from the small city of La Puente hidden somewhere in the San Gabriel Valley,Samantha "Sammy" Herrera is a Mexican-American educator, poet, spoken word artist, and zine queen. She has found her way back into poetry after a long hiatus, fully immersing herself in the community through open mics, workshops, and poetry slams. She writes on topics such as feminism, racism, working with children, mental health, love, and heartbreak. Sammy is more often a lover than a fighter but will tackle heavy topics with grit and grace through poetry and performances. Her debut poetry collection,how to stay afloat: the art of drowning was published by Daxson Publishing in 2025. You can find samples of her work, upcoming events, shows, and digital zines on her websiteprettypetitepoems.com.

Arvida Book Co. is committed to cultivating a thriving community of readers and writers, broadening access to literature, and igniting meaningful conversations and the exchange of ideas. Arvida serves as a vital literary hub and one of Orange County’s few true “third places”—spaces beyond home and work where community and connection flourish.

El Martillo Press publishes writers whose pens strike the page with clear intent; words with purpose to pry apart assumed norms and to hammer away at injustice. El Martillo Press proactively publishes writers looking to pound the pavement to promote their work and the work of their fellow pressmates. There is strength in El Martillo. Founded in Los Angeles in 2023 by Matt Sedillo and David A. Romero, and launched with a diverse group of celebrated and hardworking writers who embody our working-class intellectual spirit, El Martillo Press maintains an editorial board that makes its selections for publishing.