Kweli International Literary Festival

We're thrilled to announce the 2022 Kweli International Literary Festival REGISTRATION IS OPEN! The nation’s foremost literary festival exclusively for diverse BIPOC writers, #KweliLitFest22 will be held July 23rd through September 1st and will feature readings and conversations, craft talks, master classes, and workshops with award-winning BIPOC authors, including Nicole Dennis-Benn, Jaquira Díaz, Safia Elhillo, Nikky Finney, Kelly Lytle Hernandez and Honorée Fanonne Jeffers.

Festival Opening Day will be held on SATURDAY, JULY 23, 10AM-6PM, virtually as well as in-person at Barnard College in New York City. The full-day event includes readings and craft conversations with acclaimed authors, and lunchtime consultations and panel discussion with agents and editors. There is limited capacity for the in-person launch day so sign up now to reserve your spot. Master classes, craft talks, and multi-session workshops following Opening Day will be held virtually for full accessibility.

Our stellar lineup of Teaching Artists in Short Fiction, Novel, Poetry, and Nonfiction tracks include Kemi Alabi, Nikky Finney, Tyehimba Jess, Megha Majumdar, Nadia Owusu, Tanaïs, and more! 

Registration closes in less than a week so sign up now!

INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
See the Presenter Information Webpage for full bios.

AUTHORS
Kemi Alabi (Author, Against Heaven)
Daphne Palasi Andreades (Author, Brown Girls)
Hannah Bae
Rio Cortez (Author, Golden Ax) 
Nicole Dennis-Benn (Author, Patsy)
Remica Bingham Risher (Author, Soul Culture: Black Poets, Books and Questions That Grew Me Up)
Jaquira Díaz (Author, Ordinary Girls: A Memoir)
Safia Elhillo (Author, Girls That Never Die) 
Nikky Finney (Author, Love Child's Hotbed of Occasional Poetry)
Santee Frazier (Author, Aurum)
Kelly Lytle Hernandez (Author, Bad Mexicans)
Oscar Hokeah, (Author, Calling for a Blanket Dance)
Omotara James (Author, Song of My Softening)
Honoree Fanonne Jeffers, (The Love Songs of W.E.B Dubois)
Tyehimba Jess (Author, Olio)
Rachel Kondo (Author, Girl of Few Seasons)
Dahlma Llanos-Figueroas (Author, A Woman of Endurance)
Megha Majumdar (Author, A Burning)
Maaza Mengiste (Author, The Shadow King)
Cleyvis Natera (Author, Neruda on the Park)
Nadia Owusu (Author, Aftershocks)
Marytza Rubio (Author, Maria, Maria and Other Stories)
Mecca Jamilah Sullivan (Author, Big Girl)
Morgan Talty (Author, Night of the Living Rez)
Tanaïs (Author, In Sensorium, Notes for My People)
Christine Kandic Torres (Author, The Girls in Queens)
LaToya Watkins (Author, Perish)
David Heska Wanbli Weiden (Author, Winter Counts)

EDITORS & AGENTS
Kukuwa Ashun (Editor, Flatiron Books)
Caroline Bleeke (Executive Editor, Flatiron Books)
Renee Jarvis (Agent, Triangle House Literary)
Iwalani Kim (Agent, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates)
Roma Panganiban (Agent, Janklow & Nesbit)
Marie Pantojan (Editor, Random House)

Register Now! Check out highlights from our previous festivals.