2023 KWELI INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL
We couldn’t be more excited to share that the 2023 Kweli International Literary Festival will be held from July 15 - September 15.
The hybrid festival will feature virtual readings and conversations with debut and award-winning BIPOC writers, master classes, craft talks, and much more, as well as the year’s best opportunity to connect with agents, editors, and fellow creatives of color at our in-person Festival Inaugural Day. Read on to see our incredible lineup this year!
Festival Inaugural Day will be held on SATURDAY, JULY 15, 8AM-6PM, in-person at Barnard College, New York City.
The full-day program will include Ingrid Rojas Contreras (Pulitzer Prize Finalist), Namwali Serpell (Windham-Campbell Prize), screenwriter Raven Jackson (Sundance Short Film Prize), Jocelyn Nicole Johnson (National Book Critics Circle Leonard Prize Finalist), Victor LaValle (Whiting Award), a keynote conversation between Hanif Abdurraqib (Andrew Carnegie Medal) and Kaitlyn Greenidge (Center for Fiction First Novel Prize) along with other highly acclaimed writers, as well as groundbreaking debut authors ready to share their publishing journeys with emerging writers of color. Take a peek at our Schedule at a Glance.
In addition, there will be two free in-person pre-Festival reading and performance events on Thursday, July 13, 2023 at The Africa Center in Harlem and on Friday, July 14, 2023 at Ballet Hispanico. These pre-festival events will feature live music and choreographed dance. See our updated artist list below!
The festival continues virtually through September with Master Classes, multi-session Workshops, and Craft Talks curated for writers of color by teaching artists, Fatimah Asghar, Mikael Awake, Rita Chang-Eppig, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Kirstin Valdez Quade, Megha Majumdar, and more. Register for virtual classes here.
Have questions about registration, scholarships, refund policy, etc.? Check our Frequently Asked Questions
Kweli International Festival Inaugural Day at Barnard - Full Schedule
Kweli International Literary Festival VIRTUAL Master Classes, Craft Talks and Workshops
Kweli International Festival Readings and Conversations
Kweli International Literary Festival Scholarship Application (deadline to apply is Tuesday, June 20, 11:00PM EST)
The Barnard Creative Writing Program and the Barnard Center for Research on Women (BCRW) are co-sponsoring our event.
2023 Festival Teaching Artists
Short Fiction
Novel
Nonfiction
Poetry
Screenwriting & Filmmaking
Agents, Editors & Podcast Hosts
Dance & Music
See highlights from past festivals below!
Click here for the 2022 Kweli International Literary Festival.
Click here for the 2021 Kweli International Literary Festival.
Click here for the 2020 Kweli International Literary Festival.
Click here for the 2019 Kweli International Literary Festival.
Click here for the 2018 Kweli International Literary Festival.
