LDM 2013: Year in Review

When 2013 started, we were on a vast high. A worn-out high, but a vast one. We'd just shot our Literary Death Match pilot after raising $11,000 on Kickstarter (it cost us $24,000 — oops!). Then the hard part: we started the hard charge at putting together a sizzle reel to sell the show (if you've never seen it, watch it now).

We went to Cannes to pitch it, with all the confidence and naïveté (and some key contacts) to power such ventures. We didn't know we'd be up against shows like "Pregnant & Dating" and we didn't realize we were trying to catch lightning in a bottle, but lo/behold: it worked. We got optioned. But. It didn't work all the way (if it had, I'd have gone door to door thanking you all). Not yet. But that day is coming. Maybe soon. Maybe a little later then we want. But it's coming. 

Our TV efforts took a lot of our brainspace, but it didn't stop us from motoring around the planet howling about the importance of literature. By the numbers: LDM made 8 debuts last year: Ljubljana, Brooklyn, Reykjavik, Salt Lake City, Festival No. 6 in Wales, Hong Kong, The Berkshires and Calgary. We put on the show in 9 countries. Hong Kong was our 50th city. San Francisco became the first city to support 50 shows. This year we did 51 events overall (vs. an unreal 67 in 2012 and 68 in 2011). We returned to China for the first time in 3 years. We did a show in Edith Wharton's stable. We did as many shows in Reykjavik (3) (our LDM City of the Year for 2013) as we did in the metro NY area (2 in Brooklyn, 1 in Manhattan). 

For 2014, we've got big things ahead, but it starts with taking more time to craft epic shows. That means fewer, but also better. We're starting in Portland, Maine (the front-runner for our City of the Year for 2014) and we'll teaming with LA's finest literary organizations in a limited run of shows this year, we'll be whizzing back to London and Hong Kong in March, with debuts in San Antonio (April 5), Hartford (April 26), Lillehammer (May 21), and at Symphony Space in NYC in September. 

Our aim this year: #discoverLDM. If you know someone that's never been, now's the time to send them (have them sign up for our newsletter, so we can alert them). We've been at this for eight years, and the show has never been better (and there are triggers in place to make it even better than that). We're more excited by the future of literature than we've ever been, and we want you along for the ride. 

Mostly, though: thanks for supporting Literary Death Match. See you in 2014, somewhere or another. 

ATZ