Last week’s New York Times non-fiction bestseller list reflected the renewed focus on racial injustice in America. Top titles ranging from White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism to The New Jim Crow reflect the call for our populace to better educate itself about racial violence and systemic racism in order to do something to address it.
These topics are deep and intricate and you may be looking for a bigger forum for knowledge and discussion. Luckily, these five upcoming literary events feature conversations with authors and speakers who can give greater context around a myriad of issues. The engaging line-ups not only address current events but also expose audiences to a range of written works that will inform and entertain.
Nantucket Book Festival
- Dates: Jun 18 – Jun 21, 2020
- Format: Virtual
- Cost: FREE
The Nantucket Book Festival started in 2012 when local business owners decided to host an event that celebrated the island’s literary history. The event is FREE, typically held in person on Father’s Day Weekend (Jun 18 – Jun 21, 2020) and features roughly 25 fiction and non-fiction authors of works ranging from serious historical accounts to relaxing beach reads. We spoke to Executive Director Maddie Hjulstrom about this year’s agenda and the planning to adapt to COVID. She shared that board member Michael Schulder is a former executive producer at CNN and was spearheading discussions of a festival podcast before the pandemic. As public health concerns grew, the event was able to leverage that initiative and pivot to a virtual content series called “At Home with Authors.”
Podcast and video recordings of many author discussions are live on the site, and you can subscribe for future updates. Noteworthy content for today’s climate includes a Jun 10th discussion with Barbara White, whose book Disturber of Tradition profiles antislavery advocate Anna Gardner who organized an abolitionist gathering in Nantucket that was the site of Frederick Douglass’s first public address. A Jun 3rd video features author Mitchell Jackson whose works The Residue Years and Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family touch on the themes of race, poverty, inequality, and violence.
For those in the area, Nantucket’s community TV NCTV-18 will air multiple back-to-back episodes of author discussions on June 20, which would have been the height of the in-person festival. NCTV will also commemorate what would have been opening night on June 19th with a special episode in which authors answer the question “Given the current circumstances, what gives you hope?”
Romance Slam Jam Convention
- Dates: Jun 24 – 28, 2020
- Format: Virtual
- Cost: $25 Reader Weekend
Romance Slam Jam (RSJ) was launched in 1995 to address the systematic exclusion of Black romance novelists from book contracts, mass distribution, and literary awards. Industry naysayers had contended that “People won’t buy Black romance” and RSJ was determined to disrupt the now billion dollar category.
Now, this diversity and inclusion focused event includes participation from the top publishing houses and features a variety of established and emerging multicultural stories. Enjoy author readings, Q&A sessions, prizes, and other fun reader engagements. You can even pitch your book idea to notable publishing houses such as Harper Collins and Harlequin Books. Pitch deadline Jun 20th.
Austin African American Book Festival
- Dates: Jun 27, 2020
- Format: Virtual
- Cost: FREE
The event was launched in 2006 when a longtime educator and bookseller in Austin, TX had a vision to host a literary forum patterned after the Harlem Book Fair in NYC. This year’s festival falls on the birthday of Black poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, and the theme “We Wear the Mask” pays homage to Dunbar’s work. The festival will explore the various masks we leverage to navigate social stratification and succeed in broader society.
This year’s FREE virtual event features speakers that explore topics ranging from inequities in healthcare to the imperative of documenting Black stories. Profiles follow below:
Dr. Damon Tweedy – Physician published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and a contributor to The New York Times, Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. Tweedy’s memoir Black Man in a White Coat addresses racial biases in medical education and broader access to healthcare resources.
Isabel Wilkerson – Pulitzer prize winning journalist and author whose recent book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, outlines the system of human rankings that has shaped American society.
Dr. Mark Cunningham – Austin Community College professor will facilitate a dialogue connecting the life and works of Paul Laurence Dunbar to the current racial climate.
kYmberly Keeton – Join this African American community archivist from the Austin History Center for an engaging creative writing workshop that will highlight the importance of documenting Black stories.
Harlem Book Fair
- Dates: Jul 18-19, 2020
- Format: Virtual
- Cost: FREE
The event is the United States’ largest African-American book fair and the nation’s flagship Black literary event. It is held annually in Harlem, NY and features panel discussions, book sales, workshops, and more. The organization also hosts public programs and in-school initiatives that promote literacy and strengthen the community. Notable past speakers have included Maya Angelou, Cornel West, Sonia Sanchez, Amiri Baraka, Walter Mosley, Terry McMillan, and more.
This year’s event is going virtual with author readings, presentations, and more. Stay updated as more details are announced on their website.
National Black Book Festival
- Dates: Oct 22 – 24, 2020
- Format: In person
- Cost: FREE + cost for ticketed special events
This annual gathering is the largest African American book event in the South. Hosted in Houston, TX, it features authors, publishers, and readers from the Southwest and nationwide. There will be author discussions and signings, free workshops and seminars, networking, door prizes, children’s activities, and much more. Among the authors featured this year are award-winning journalist Ed Gordon, actress/producer Karyn Parsons, and entertainment executive Matthew Knowles.
Ed Gordon – Has been featured on television networks including BET, NBC, MSNBC and CBS. His new book Conversations in Black: On Power, Politics, and Leadership features reflections from some of the most prominent voices in Black America and envisions the best way forward in a radically divided America.
Karyn Parsons (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) – Introduces her children’s book How High The Moon, a family reconnection story set in the Jim Crow South.
Matthew Knowles (Former Manager, Destiny’s Child) – Has authored several books including Racism From the Eyes of a Child (2017) his personal reflection on racism in America through his experiences integrating all-white schools and serving as an executive in corporate America and the music industry. His most recent book is Destiny’s Child: The Untold Story about his experience managing one of the best selling girl groups of all time.
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