The Well-Read Black Girl Festival Is On

The online community is riding a wave of support straight to Brooklyn in time for book festival season

Mark your calendars: After exceeding its $15,000 fundraising goal this weekend, the Well-Read Black Girl Writers’ Conference and Festival is on for September 9th in Brooklyn. The Kickstarter campaign launched on June 3rd and after only three days has close to $18,000 from over 400 backers and counting.

In a statement on the Kickstarter page, WRBG founder Glory Edim shared her excitement for the overwhelming support the event has received and announced a stretch goal of $25,000 for a Festival closing concert.

“The combination of sisterhood, collaboration, and creative output is leading us to this exact moment. I feel empowered. I feel proud. And most importantly, I feel immensely grateful for your generosity,” Edim wrote.

The force behind the festival and the campaign is, of course, a favorite of the literary web: Well-Read Black Girl, the digital community and Brooklyn-based book club that celebrates the work and accomplishments of black authors. Inspired by the work of writers like Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison to create spaces for black women in literature, WRBG decided to put on an event to inspire and hone the creative ideas of black writers. After a morning of workshopping and networking with authors and agents, the festival portion will celebrate black writers and, according to the campaign page, will include an “array of outstanding authors and writers, including Tayari Jones, Naomi Jackson, LaShonda Barnett, Tiphanie Yanique, Tia Williams, Jenna Wortham, Doreen St. Félix, and more.”

The conference is sure to be a day of literary inclusivity, addressing the need to empower black women to explore their identities through writing. It will take place just a week before the Brooklyn Book Festival, encouraging a crossover of attendees while also asserting its importance in a predominantly white literary community.

The event will showcase the mission of WRBG to open up spaces for women of color to talk about women of color. Formed by Edim in August 2015, the organization has come a long way since its creation. Having now reached over 20K members in their digital book club, WRBG can only continue to foster much-needed equality in the literary community.

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