Kweli Journal

09/20/2021

She Changed Black Literature Forever. Then She Disappeared.

IMANI PERRY: "And like most readers, I wanted a healing to her wounds. But “Corregidora” denies that. At 19, I’d been socialized as a child of the civil rights movement to hope for freedom. Gayl Jones answered back: Hope won’t get us out of the funk of history that we live with today. I learned from her that the terror of now is as important a subject for the Black imagination as a speculatively beautiful tomorrow."

In search of Gayl Jones, whose new novel breaks 22 years of silence.

07/20/2021

✨Join us for tomorrow’s #KweliLitFest21 conversation between Dantiel W. Moniz and Novuyo Rosa Tshuma celebrating #MilkBloodHeat at 7pm on Crowdcast! 🎉

Register via the link in our bio!

Image 1: Cover art for MILK BLOOD HEAT.

Image 2: Photo of Dantiel W. Moniz

Image 3: Photo of Novuyo Rosa Tshuma

#dantielwmoniz #novuyorosatshuma #onlineevents #intergenerational #Floridians #womanhood #storytelling

07/14/2021

Kaitlyn Greenidge Opening Keynote - Crowdcast

TOMORROW, JULY 15TH: #KweliLitFest21 begins an amazing 10 weeks of readings, workshops and conversations as #KaitlynGreenidge opens this literary arts festival with a keynote address. RSVP to join us here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/kaitlyn-greenidge

Register now for Kweli Journal's event on Crowdcast, scheduled to go live on Thursday July 15, 2021 at 7:00 pm EDT.

07/14/2021

🎉#KweliLitFest21 starts tomorrow!

Pictured are some of the lovely literary artists who will be featured in the upcoming #KweliLitFest21 readings and conversations available to EVERYONE for FREE! ✨✨✨

Photos (in order): Zakiya Dalila Harris, Graham Akhurst, Mateo Askaripour, Dantiel Moniz, Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, Brian Young, Nadia Owusu, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Danielle Evans and Asali Solomon.

Dates and times of all sessions are available at http://www.kwelijournal.org/international-literary-festival-2021, as well as registration information.

See you online! ✨✨✨

#kwelijournal #readings #conversations #bipocwriters #authors #literaryfestival #literaryarts #conferences #onlineevents #virtualevents #kidlit #adultlit #freeevents #freetopublic #literarycommunity #asalisolomon #grahamakhurst #literarycommunityofinstagram

07/12/2021

Happy Monday @kweli.journal family! #KweliLitFest21 starts this week and we couldn’t be more excited!

Xochitl Gonzalez will be joining us to lead “Building Meaning From The Ground Up: A Craft Class in Fiction” on July 31 from 11 AM - 2 PM.

About this workshop:

As BIPOC writers, we understand that the personal is always deeply political. Yet, the task of creating literary art with larger social implications can so easily stray into the realm of “Polemic Fiction”. How can we, as artists, explore the pressing issues of the day that weigh on our hearts without flattening our experiences into “a message”. In this craft class, we will focus on critically examining gaze, as well as the roles that detailed world-building and 360-degree character development play in creating believable universes on the page where plots, and their larger implications, feel organic, urgent and inevitable.

This workshop is exclusively for BIPOC writers.

Register here: http://www.kwelijournal.org/events/2021/7/31/kwelilitfest21-building-meaning-from-the-ground-up-a-craft-class-in-fiction-led-by-xochitl-gonzalez

Graphic by @bustle

#fiction #conference #onlineevents #Bipocwriters #peopleofcolor #masterclass #olgadiesdreaming #literaryart #xochitlgonzez

Happy Monday @kweli.journal family! #KweliLitFest21 starts this week and we couldn’t be more excited!

Xochitl Gonzalez will be joining us to lead “Building Meaning From The Ground Up: A Craft Class in Fiction” on July 31 from 11 AM - 2 PM.

About this workshop:

As BIPOC writers, we understand that the personal is always deeply political. Yet, the task of creating literary art with larger social implications can so easily stray into the realm of “Polemic Fiction”. How can we, as artists, explore the pressing issues of the day that weigh on our hearts without flattening our experiences into “a message”. In this craft class, we will focus on critically examining gaze, as well as the roles that detailed world-building and 360-degree character development play in creating believable universes on the page where plots, and their larger implications, feel organic, urgent and inevitable.

This workshop is exclusively for BIPOC writers.

Register here: http://www.kwelijournal.org/events/2021/7/31/kwelilitfest21-building-meaning-from-the-ground-up-a-craft-class-in-fiction-led-by-xochitl-gonzalez

Graphic by @bustle

#fiction #conference #onlineevents #Bipocwriters #peopleofcolor #masterclass #olgadiesdreaming #literaryart #xochitlgonzez

07/08/2021

Celeste Mohammed will be teaching a #MasterClass on subtext titled “What Lies Beneath” for #KweliLitFest21 on July 31st from 2pm-5pm.✨

“Show don't tell”, is the classic rule for writing fiction. However, what the writer chooses to show and to omit is crucial because, it has been suggested that the dignity of a short story is due to only one-eighth of it being above the surface. By a close reading of the texts, we will examine this statement and its limits, if any, for the diverse writer whose work is outside of mainstream Western culture.

This workshop is exclusively for BIPOC writers.

✨✨Register at http://www.kwelijournal.org/events/2021/7/31/kwelilitfest21-what-lies-beneath-a-master-class-on-subtext-led-by-celeste-mohammed ✨✨

#fiction #celestemohammed #BIPOCwriters #storytelling #subtext #writersofcolor #authors #indieauthors #trinidadandtobago #onlineevents

Celeste Mohammed will be teaching a #MasterClass on subtext titled “What Lies Beneath” for #KweliLitFest21 on July 31st from 2pm-5pm.✨

“Show don't tell”, is the classic rule for writing fiction. However, what the writer chooses to show and to omit is crucial because, it has been suggested that the dignity of a short story is due to only one-eighth of it being above the surface. By a close reading of the texts, we will examine this statement and its limits, if any, for the diverse writer whose work is outside of mainstream Western culture.

This workshop is exclusively for BIPOC writers.

✨✨Register at http://www.kwelijournal.org/events/2021/7/31/kwelilitfest21-what-lies-beneath-a-master-class-on-subtext-led-by-celeste-mohammed ✨✨

#fiction #celestemohammed #BIPOCwriters #storytelling #subtext #writersofcolor #authors #indieauthors #trinidadandtobago #onlineevents

07/07/2021

You are invited to join us for “Ekphrasis and the Fragment”, a craft talk led by Larissa Pham on Saturday, July 24 from 12:00pm - 1:30pm EST.

In this craft talk, Larissa will share a variety of approaches to writing from images and visual art, and through fragment, weave essayistic creative nonfiction from stellateing points of observation and relationality. Participants are encouraged to arrive at the workshop with an image (like a personal snapshot, family or archival photograph) or piece of art (like a drawing, painting, sculpture, or piece of architecture) to work from.

This workshop is exclusively for BIPOC writers.

You can register here: http://www.kwelijournal.org/events/2021/7/24/kwelilitfest21-ekphrasis-and-the-fragment-craft-talk-led-by-larissa-pham

#KweliLitFest21 #crafttalk #LarissaPham #KweliJournal #onlineevent #visualart #nonfiction #fragment #writersofcolor #BIPOCwriters

You are invited to join us for “Ekphrasis and the Fragment”, a craft talk led by Larissa Pham on Saturday, July 24 from 12:00pm - 1:30pm EST.

In this craft talk, Larissa will share a variety of approaches to writing from images and visual art, and through fragment, weave essayistic creative nonfiction from stellateing points of observation and relationality. Participants are encouraged to arrive at the workshop with an image (like a personal snapshot, family or archival photograph) or piece of art (like a drawing, painting, sculpture, or piece of architecture) to work from.

This workshop is exclusively for BIPOC writers.

You can register here: http://www.kwelijournal.org/events/2021/7/24/kwelilitfest21-ekphrasis-and-the-fragment-craft-talk-led-by-larissa-pham

#KweliLitFest21 #crafttalk #LarissaPham #KweliJournal #onlineevent #visualart #nonfiction #fragment #writersofcolor #BIPOCwriters

07/06/2021

You are invited to join us for this #KweliLitFest21 workshop, “The Geometry of Storytelling” led by Yiyun Li.

In this workshop, Yiyun will talk about how stories about human relations are made of patterns rather than events and discuss how to apply ‘geometry’ in both a temporal and spatial sense – concepts such as triangulation, mirroring, invisible lines, beautiful symmetry – to create stories that transgress the ordinary.

This workshop is exclusively for BIPOC writers.

Register here: http://www.kwelijournal.org/events/2021/7/17/kwelilitfest21-the-geometry-of-storytelling-craft-talk-led-by-yiyun-li

#onlineevents #YiyunLi #masterclass #crafttalk #writersofcolor #authors #literaryarts #storytelling

You are invited to join us for this #KweliLitFest21 workshop, “The Geometry of Storytelling” led by Yiyun Li.

In this workshop, Yiyun will talk about how stories about human relations are made of patterns rather than events and discuss how to apply ‘geometry’ in both a temporal and spatial sense – concepts such as triangulation, mirroring, invisible lines, beautiful symmetry – to create stories that transgress the ordinary.

This workshop is exclusively for BIPOC writers.

Register here: http://www.kwelijournal.org/events/2021/7/17/kwelilitfest21-the-geometry-of-storytelling-craft-talk-led-by-yiyun-li

#onlineevents #YiyunLi #masterclass #crafttalk #writersofcolor #authors #literaryarts #storytelling

07/05/2021

Our scholarship portal for #KweliLitFest21 is now open.

Our scholarship portal for #KweliLitFest21 is now open.

07/02/2021

✨ For #flashbackfriday, let’s go back to 2015. Enjoy these moments from the Kweli Reading & Conversation at The New York Times Conference Center that January. ✨

Registration is available now for our annual literary festival which begins July 15th. See the link in our bio to sign up for the free sessions!

#KweliJournal #KweliLitFest21 #writersofcolor #womenwriters #authors #literaryjournal #literaryfestival #readings

06/29/2021

✨This is just friendly Tuesday reminder that registration is now open for our FREE virtual festival* beginning July 15th. Registration for all readings, conversations and keynotes are available via the link in our bio.✨

*Master classes and workshops are available for a nominal fee.

#onlineevents #literaryjournal #KweliJournal #KweliLitFest21 #BipocWriters #virtualevents #authors #writers

✨This is just friendly Tuesday reminder that registration is now open for our FREE virtual festival* beginning July 15th. Registration for all readings, conversations and keynotes are available via the link in our bio.✨

*Master classes and workshops are available for a nominal fee.

#onlineevents #literaryjournal #KweliJournal #KweliLitFest21 #BipocWriters #virtualevents #authors #writers

06/25/2021

Mahlia, our Kweli Editorial
Intern, shares a message from the Bahamas.

“Happy Caribbean Heritage Month!

I’m Mahlia, and I’m Kweli’s Editorial Intern this summer. As someone who grew up in The Bahamas, for me, nothing compares to Island Life. That’s why I’m trying my hardest to hold tightly to Caribbean Heritage Month.

And two authors who are helping me celebrate Caribbean culture this month are Kaitlyn Greenidge and Tiphanie Yanique, who both delve into Caribbean culture in their historical fiction novels.

I’m so excited that Kaitlyn and Tiphanie are this year’s keynote speakers for Kweli’s International Literary Festival.

The free 10-week festival features readings, conversations, and workshops with many talented writers like Tiphanie and Kaitlyn. The festival is also virtual, so you can attend from anywhere in the world, like The Bahamas.

Registration is now open, so you can click the link in our bio to learn more about the festival and to sign up today!”

#onlineevents #literaryfestival #KweliJournal #Bahamas #carribeanheritagemonth #pridemonth #BIPOCwriters #writersofcolor #registernow #linkinbio #virtualevent

06/23/2021

✨Registration is open for #KweliLitFest21 and we couldn't be happier! Guggenheim Fellow and author, Kaitlyn Greenidge and O' Henry Prize winner and author, Tiphanie Yanique will be our opening and closing keynote speakers. Please plan to join us this summer, beginning July 15th for 10 weeks of masterclasses, readings, workshops and conversations! You can register here: http://www.kwelijournal.org/international-literary-festival-2021

#KweliLitFest21 #literaryfestivalsnyc #internationalliteraryfestival #virtualevents #Bipocwriters #writersofcolor #literarymagazine #adultfiction #kidlit

06/23/2021

✨TONIGHT, JUNE 23: Join us for our final digital launch reading featuring @vtchavez @gmdelprado @leosimonovis and @reem.kassis! You can register at the link in our bio for the 7pm event. ✨

#writersofinstagram #bipocwriters #kwelijournal #digitalreading #literarymagazine #crowdcastevents

✨TONIGHT, JUNE 23: Join us for our final digital launch reading featuring @vtchavez @gmdelprado @leosimonovis and @reem.kassis! You can register at the link in our bio for the 7pm event. ✨

#writersofinstagram #bipocwriters #kwelijournal #digitalreading #literarymagazine #crowdcastevents

06/21/2021

✨✨Tomorrow June 22nd, join us for our second digital reading celebrating @faisalmohyuddin and @sanamsheriff, our featured poets at 7pm tomorrow on @crowdcast.io. Please see the link in our bio to register. ✨✨

#Freedom #Resilience #BIPOClivesmatter #BIPOCwriters #writersofcolor #writersofinstagram #poetsofinstagramcommunity #sing #SingTheTruth #linkinbio #poetsofcolor

✨✨Tomorrow June 22nd, join us for our second digital reading celebrating @faisalmohyuddin and @sanamsheriff, our featured poets at 7pm tomorrow on @crowdcast.io. Please see the link in our bio to register. ✨✨

#Freedom #Resilience #BIPOClivesmatter #BIPOCwriters #writersofcolor #writersofinstagram #poetsofinstagramcommunity #sing #SingTheTruth #linkinbio #poetsofcolor

06/17/2021

✨✨We are delighted to have Celeste Mohammed participating in our #KweliLitFest21!

On her latest release, PLEASANTVIEW: “Coconut trees. Carnival. Rum and coke. To many outsiders, these idyllic images represent the supposed easy life in Caribbean nations such as Trinidad and Tobago. However, the reality is far different for those who live there—a society where poverty and patriarchy savagely rule, and where love and revenge often go hand in hand.” - from @igpublishing ✨✨

Registration for the festival starts soon, so we invite you to join us!

#literaryfestivals #BipocWriters #onlineevents #writersofcolor #authorsofcolor #trinidadandtobago #Pleasantview #literaryjournal

06/16/2021

YITUN LI will be opening up our festival weekend.

KWELI INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL, July 15 - September 16.

YITUN LI will be opening up our festival weekend.

KWELI INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL, July 15 - September 16.

06/15/2021

Join us for our Juneteenth Digital Launch Reading on Saturday, 7PM. Link in profile.

Join us for our Juneteenth Digital Launch Reading on Saturday, 7PM. Link in profile.

06/14/2021

We are excited to have Crystal Wilkinson, author of THE PERFECT BLACK and the 2021-22 Kentucky Poet Laureate, at the 2021 Kweli International Literary Festival beginning July 15th!

📸: @markcornelison for UK
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#KweliLitFest21 #BipocWriters #writersofcolor #literaryfestival #indiewriters #July15th #virtualfestival #ThePerfectBlack #registrationopensoon

06/13/2021

Celebrating CRYSTAL WILKINSON, the 2021 recipient of the THOMAS D. CLARK MEDALLION for PERFECT BLACK!

We are thrilled to announce that Crystal Wilkinson is the 2021 recipient of the Thomas D. Clark Medallion for PERFECT BLACK (out 8/3)! This award is given annually by the Thomas D. Clark Foundation to writers whose literary achievements highlight Kentucky history and culture. Congratulations, Crystal!

06/11/2021

🥂 Congratulations to all of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize winners including Natalie Diaz, Louise Erdrich, Darnella Frazier, Tamara Payne, Mitchell Jackson, Wesley Morris, Les Payne and Ed Yong! 🥂

06/11/2021

🥂 Congratulations to all of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize winners including Natalie Diaz, Louise Erdrich, Darnella Frazier, Tamara Payne, Mitchell Jackson, Wesley Morris, Les Payne and Ed Yong! 🥂

06/10/2021

We are delighted to welcome Mahlia Neely to the Kweli Journal team! 💐

"Hi! My name is Mahlia Neely, and I’m a rising junior at Vassar College. I am delighted to be Kweli’s Editorial Intern this summer. My first two weeks with Kweli have been nothing short of amazing. I have enjoyed helping with various facets of Kweli Journal, from the next journal issue to the upcoming International Literary Festival.

The highlight of my internship with Kweli thus far has to be cohosting the event with Carole Boston Weatherford where she spoke about her book Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre. As a cohost, I was able to engage with the audience, and I enjoyed hearing about Carole’s writing process, especially regarding writing difficult topics for a children audience.

Laura, Kendolyn, and the entire Kweli team have been so welcoming and helpful. I have already learned so much, and I can’t wait to see what more my summer with Kweli has in store for me."

We are delighted to welcome Mahlia Neely to the Kweli Journal team! 💐

"Hi! My name is Mahlia Neely, and I’m a rising junior at Vassar College. I am delighted to be Kweli’s Editorial Intern this summer. My first two weeks with Kweli have been nothing short of amazing. I have enjoyed helping with various facets of Kweli Journal, from the next journal issue to the upcoming International Literary Festival.

The highlight of my internship with Kweli thus far has to be cohosting the event with Carole Boston Weatherford where she spoke about her book Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre. As a cohost, I was able to engage with the audience, and I enjoyed hearing about Carole’s writing process, especially regarding writing difficult topics for a children audience.

Laura, Kendolyn, and the entire Kweli team have been so welcoming and helpful. I have already learned so much, and I can’t wait to see what more my summer with Kweli has in store for me."