Zibby Ownes tells all to Jane Rosen, including the upcoming anthology that her publishing company has produced.
Graphics by Hanna Goldstien.
Meet the incomparable “bookfluencer,” Zibby Owens! One woman, so many hats––best-selling author, publisher, award-winning podcaster, CEO of Zibby Media, bookstore owner, and mom of four! For her latest feat, Zibby has edited a collection of deeply moving essays by 75 Jewish authors (myself proudly included) titled “On Being Jewish Now,” with all profits supporting Artists Against Antisemitism. Read what inspired her to take on this project below, along with the answer to the big question we all want to know—Cake or Pie?
Jane Rosen (J.R.): Where did the name Zibby come from? And does anyone call you Elizabeth?
Zibby Owens (Z.O.): When I was a little girl, another girl in my playgroup couldn’t pronounce Elizabeth, so she called me Zibeth. My parents shortened it to Zibby. And nope, only the credit card companies.
JR: You are editing an anthology called “On Being Jewish Now, Essays and Reflections from Authors and Activists”. Can you tell us a little more about it?
Z.O.: I’m so proud of this collection. On June 30, after more bad news in the media about the hostage situation and antisemitic attacks on fellow Jews, I hit a wall. I couldn’t stand how powerless I felt and how little I could help make anything better other than using my “platform” to condemn the attacks and repost information. I decided to email other founders of Artists Against Antisemitism, a non-profit launched by authors to raise money to combat antisemitism. What if we wrote an anthology and donated the proceeds? I’d edited two other anthologies during the pandemic and knew how to do it, plus now I have my own publishing house, Zibby Books, to produce it. I asked 200+ Jewish authors and advocates if they could write essays about their experience of being Jewish so we could have the collection out in time for the anniversary of the October 7th events. Seventy-five authors jumped in and did it. The result is a heartfelt, emotional, hopeful, funny, sad, and surprising assortment of experiences from a wide range of Jews. I’m so proud of the contributors and of my team. I think the book will help so many people who, like all of us, haven’t known what to do in the aftermath of the turning tides.
J.R.: Tell us something that has surprised you in the publishing industry.
Z.O.: I didn’t realize how predetermined a lot of bestsellers were and that publishers could basically pick which books would make it. Who knew? At Zibby Books, though, every book is a lead title.
J.R.: Tell us your very favorite thing about owning a bookstore of your own.
Z.O.: Just being able to sit there on my laptop and listen to all the conversations, watching as people discover books they’ll love and leaving excited to go read them.
J.R.: Which guest on your podcast had you the most star-struck?
Z.O.: Alicia Keys and Matthew McConaughey!
J.R.: If you had to be trapped inside any book for a month, where are you?
Z.O.: I just did this! I went to Ashford Castle in the west of Ireland after reading Ali Rosen’s “Alternate Endings” which was inspired by that location!
J.R.: What is your favorite classic of all time?
Z.O.: Does “Marjorie Morningstar” count?
J.R.: What book made you fall in love with reading?
Z.O.: “Charlotte’s Web”
J.R.: What was the last great book you read?
Z.O.: I’m about to finish “Swan Song” by Elin Hilderbrand and haven’t been able to put it down!
J.R.: Which book do you wish you wrote?
Z.O.: “The Paper Palace” by Miranda Cowley Heller.
J.R.: You are famously the poster child for the saying “I don’t know how she does it?” Are you an early morning creative or midnight oil-burner?
Z.O.: I’m an all-day, all-night kind of girl.
J.R.: Where is your happy place?
Z.O.: My bookstore in Santa Monica.
J.R.: Describe the rest of your life in five words.
Z.O.: That is just too hard. (That’s five words.)
J.R.: What’s next for you?
Z.O.: Finishing my next novel “Overheard”.
J.R.: Kindle or paper?
Z.O.: Paper.
J.R.: Cake or Pie?
Z.O.: Cake!
Jane L. Rosen is the author of Seven Summer Weekends., On Fire Island, A Shoe Story, Eliza Starts a Rumor, and Nine Women, One Dress. She is also a screenwriter and contributor to publications including The New Times, Tablet, and now, her hometown paper, the Fire Island News. She and her husband have three grown daughters and a rescue pup named Rosalita.