2025 KWELI INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL
The 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival has been reimagined. We adopted a brand new format and we have a wonderful new partner and a beautiful new home in Tribeca: New York Law School (NYLS).
This fall, our hybrid festival will feature virtual and in-person readings and conversations with debut and award-winning BIPOC writers, craft talks, workshops and much more, as well as the year’s best opportunity to connect with agents, editors, and fellow creatives of color during the opening weekend of the festival.
As always, it’s our honor to invite longstanding beloved authors of color to speak alongside recent debuts and rising stars who are generous enough to share their honest publishing journeys with you, as well as shine light on the most urgent issues of the day through their art. It is our privilege to share that this year’s keynote speakers will be: Aaliyah Bilal (National Book Award Finalist), Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (National Book Award Finalist), and Megha Majumdar (Finalist for Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence). They will join us for opening and/or closing events in October.
Festival Opening Weekend will be held on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, in-person at New York Law School (NYLS) in New York City.
The weekend program will include Sarah Aziza (2025 Palestine Book Awards Finalist), Edwidge Danticat (2009 MacArthur Fellow), Yohanca Delgado (2021 - 2023 Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University), Nicole Dennis-Benn (2016 Finalist for National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Award), Xochitl Gonzalez (2023 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Commentary), Martha S. Jones (2025 Guggenheim Fellow), Dinaw Mengestu (2012 MacArthur Fellow), along with other highly acclaimed writers, as well as groundbreaking debut authors. Take a peek at our Schedule at a Glance.
Multi media readings and performances will take place at Akwaaba throughout the fall.
The festival continues virtually through November 15 with the Art of the Novel and Art of the Essay Craft Talks and Master Classes curated for writers of color by teaching artists, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (2022 National Book Critics Circle Award), Princess Joy L. Perry (winner of the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Award), and MORE.
Registration includes in-person Opening Weekend tickets with access to full-weekend programming featuring keynote conversations and breakout sessions offered on Saturday, October 18 and Sunday, October 19, as well as access to the special multimedia readings, conversations, craft talks that are scheduled from October 20th through November 18th.
Have questions about registration, refund policy, etc.? Check our Frequently Asked Questions
Kweli International Festival Opening Weekend at New York Law School - Full Schedule
Kweli International Literary Festival Faculty
Program Book PDF | Kweli International Literary Festival
New York Law School is co-sponsoring our event.
See highlights from past festivals below!
Click here for the 2023 Kweli International Literary Festival.
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.
