Inaugural Black Book Bash Heads to Florida
The inaugural Black Book Bash, a gathering of more than 150 Black authors, will take place October 3-5 in Jacksonville, Fla. Featured authors include Clarence A. Haynes, Wanda M. Morris, and justin a. reynolds, and event programming includes panels, keynotes, wellness events, a game night, and a pajama party. The festival will also welcome readers with programming that reflects the “breadth and brilliance of Black literary culture,” according to a press release.
Florida has been a key player in the national book ban movement, which has targeted Black authors and books with Black characters, including canonical works by Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and others. Black Book Bash founder Casey R. Kelley said in a statement that the festival is an occasion for defiance and joy: “This is about making space—not just for our stories, but for the connection between Black authors and the readers who see themselves in the work.... We are choosing truth. And we are inviting the entire publishing industry to show up.”
Learn more at https://blackbookbash.com/.
