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What

2023 National Black Writers Conference Biennial Symposium (NBWC2023).
Diasporic Visions: A Celebration of Black Speculative Fiction

When

Friday, March 31, 2023 – Saturday, April 1, 2023

Where

Presented In-Person and Virtually | Program Subject to Change
Medgar Evers College, CUNY | Edison O. Jackson Auditorium
1638 Bedford Avenue | Brooklyn, NY 11225

About

Black speculative fiction encompasses and blurs the genres of magical realism, futurism, horror, fantasy, paranormal, and mythology. These imaginative stories enable writers to create alternative and futuristic worlds, narratives rooted in traditional beliefs and spirituality, and compelling stories that center the Black experience. The stories also raise questions about colonialism, racism, identity, and gender.

At the 2023 National Black Writers Conference Biennial Symposium (NBWC2023), students, writers, scholars, and readers will discuss the genre’s history and current state. This public gathering will feature interactive panel discussions, roundtable discussions, and opportunities for attendees to engage with fellow literature lovers from across the country.

The annual award presentation celebrates internationally acclaimed writers. Award-winning poet and fiction writer Sheree Renée Thomas and best-selling novelist Jewell Parker Rhodes are the NBWC2023 honorees and both will receive the Octavia E. Butler Award. Other confirmed writers include poet, fiction, and nonfiction writer Jewelle Gomez; fiction writer L. Penelope; and fiction writers and memoirists Tananarive DueWayétu Moore, and Dr. Reynaldo Anderson, executive director and co-founder of the Black Speculative Arts Movement.

The core program for NBWC2023 will be in-person and will take place at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn. Symposium highlights include a free Youth Day program, pre-symposium thematic events, interactive discussions, online and on-location Black booksellers, and more! Registration is required for all events (in-person and virtual).

Register here!

IBW21

IBW21 (The Institute of the Black World 21st Century) is committed to enhancing the capacity of Black communities in the U.S. and globally to achieve cultural, social, economic and political equality and an enhanced quality of life for all marginalized people.