Kweli Journal

Banned Books Week may be over but the fight for the freedom to read and the first amendment continues. I talked with author/artist Mike Curato (FLAMER) about his experiences as an often-banned creator in Massachusetts and beyond. #massfreedomtoread @massaabb.bsky.social @authorsabb.bsky.social

Bookstore to Open in Former Macon Hardware Digs Pulitzer-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones is teaming up with Bed-Vyne's owners to create a literary salon in the Bed Stuy building.

"Pulitzer-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones is teaming up with local entrepreneurs to create a literary salon in the landmarked Bed Stuy building."

Y'all know I was born for a time where one could discuss the prose of James Baldwin and then messy gossip

www.brownstoner.com/brooklyn-lif...

Registration announcement for Kweli International Literary Festival featuring the painting “Diaspora Daughter” by Patrick Dougher. Text: 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival October 18 - November 18 Festival Opening Weekend: October 18-19, 2025 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN KWELIJOURNAL.ORG #KWELILITFEST25 Dissporo Doughter by Patrick Dougher New York Law School AKWAABA Bed and Breakfast Inn Brooklyn

🚨 Today is the LAST DAY to register for Kweli International Literary Festival.

Registration includes all-access to Opening Weekend program featuring keynotes and breakout sessions OCT 18-19, + access to multimedia readings, convos and craft talks scheduled thru NOV 18.

🎟️ SIGN UP at link in bio!

See full roster and program schedule at the REGISTRATION link in our bio!

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Photo gallery of faculty at the 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival featuring IWALANI KIM EBONYA LIA STEPHANIE MADRID EMERSON MAHONEY YASMIN ADELE MAJEED MEGHA MAJUMDAR DINAW MENGESTU YARI MERCEDES ABHIGNA MOORAKA

See full roster and program schedule at the REGISTRATION link in our bio!

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Photo gallery of faculty at the 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival featuring LAUREN FRANCIS-SHARMA HADDY GASSAMA XOCHITL GONZALEZ ALEJANDRO HEREDIA JP INFANTE YAHDON ISRAEL GENAY JACKSON HONORÉE FANONNE JEFFERS MARTHA S. JONES

See full roster and program schedule at the REGISTRATION link in our bio!

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Photo gallery of faculty at the 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival featuring NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH SARA AZIZA AALIYAH BILAL SASHA BONET AARON JOHN CURTIS EDWIDGE DANTICAT YOHANCA DELGADO NICOLE DENNIS-BENN NAOMI XU ELEGANT kwelijournal.org #KweliLitFest25 New York Law School Akwaaba Bed and Breakfast Inn

See full roster and program schedule at the REGISTRATION link in our bio!

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Registration announcement for Kweli International Literary Festival, featuring the painting “Diaspora Daughter” by Patrick Dougher Text: 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival October 18 - November 18 Festival Opening Weekend: October 18-19, 2025 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN Diaspora Doughter by Patrick Dougher New York Law School AKWAABA Bed and Breakfast Inn

⏰ Registration CLOSES Thurs, Oct 16!

REGISTER NOW for full access to Kweli International Literary Festival, featuring workshops, panels, and MORE with award-winning authors of color and top industry editors and agents!

See full roster and program schedule at REGISTRATION link in our bio!

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💐🧡 Happy Book Birthday to A GUARDIAN AND A THIEF, a finalist for the National Book Award and an Oprah Book Club pick for October, by @meghamaj.bsky.social, who will be giving a keynote at our upcoming Kweli International Literary Festival!

Please SHARE w/ writers of color in your community, particularly new and emerging BIPOC writers who may be seeking a safer space to learn and connect!

🚨 REGISTRATION CLOSES Thurs, October 16!

Program announcement featuring a photo of participating author Aaliyah Bilal. Text: KEYNOTE SPEAKER Aaliyah Bilal 2025 Kwdle International Literary Festival OCTOBER 18 - OCTOBER 28

Program announcement featuring a photo of participating author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. Text: KEYNOTE SPEAKER Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival OCTOBER 18 - OCTOBER 28

Program announcement featuring a photo of participating author Megha Majumdar. Text: KEYNOTE SPEAKER Megha Majumdar 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival OCTOBER 18 - OCTOBER 28

Our 2025 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS include bestselling authors

🌟 Aaliyah Bilal (National Book Award Finalist)
🌟 Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree)
🌟 Megha Majumdar (National Book Award Finalist)

See full faculty roster and schedule on our website at link in bio 👆🏿

The weekend’s program covers novels, essays, memoirs, and short stories, as well as the business of publishing with senior editors from Simon & Schuster + MORE.

Registration also grants access to in-person and virtual festival events, including craft talks and multimedia readings through NOV 18!

🎟️ Get full access to #KweliLitFest25 weekend program OCT 18–19 at New York Law School, feat. master classes, keynotes & convos, led by the most celebrated authors of color working today:

Edwidge Danticat
Nicole Dennis-Benn
Xochitl Gonzalez
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Martha S. Jones
Dinaw Mengestu

Announcement for Kweli International Literary Festival feauting the painting “Diaspora Daughter” by Patrick Dougher. Text: 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival October 18 - October 28 Opening Weekend New York Law School Saturday, October 18 - Sunday, October 19 Closing Multimedia Event Akwaaba BK Tuesday, October 28 NEW YORK LAWSCHOOL AKWAABA BED & BREAKFAST INNS Diaspora Daughter by Patrick Dougher

🎉 Writers of Color, there’s still time to join us!

REGISTER NOW for Kweli International Literary Festival, featuring workshops, panels, and MORE with award-winning authors of color and top industry editors and agents!

REGISTER at link in bio 👆🏿👆🏾👆🏽

The freedom to read is under attack. Let's do something about it. Let Freedom Read Day. Banned Books Week. UniteAgainstBookBans.org/LFRD/ Unite Against Book Bans.

It's #LetFreedomReadDay! Take at least ONE action today to defend the freedom to read. When we all #UniteAgainstBookBans, we can make a difference. All you need is 5 minutes to make an impact! #BannedBooksWeek

🧵 Check out the thread below or UniteAgainstBookBans.org/LFRD/ for some ideas 👇

821 attempts to censor library books and materials in 2024. ALA American Library Association.

2,452 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2024. ALA American Library Association.

2,452 unique titles were targeted for censorship in 2024, the 3rd highest ever recorded by @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social For #BannedBooksWeek & #LetFreedomReadDay, curb censorship by joining #UniteAgainstBookBans to get action opportunities, info & tools/resources: uniteagainstbookbans.org/take-action

Orange background with the Let Freedom Read logo scattered throughout. In the center is a faded white square containing a quote that reads, “We must show our unwavering support for librarians, booksellers, and educators to provide that access to books and help us expand our reading choices. We need to support those who write for a living and encourage them to tell their stories. We need to ban the bans. As individuals, it is understandable that we feel powerless when staring down the multitude of severe obstacles that our country now faces. But we must not abandon hope: resistance is here.” Below, the quote is attributed to Jason Low, Publisher/Co-owner of Lee & Low Books. A photo of Jason sits in the bottom right corner.

📚This #BannedBooksWeek, co-owner/publisher Jason Low reminds us: book bans aren't just about books—they're part of a broader attack on truth, institutions, and democracy itself.

➡️Read his call to action in @ala-booklist.bsky.social: www.booklistonline.com/products/981...

Can you believe I’m still going to be talking about banned books in March 2026?! Yes, because the problem isn’t going to go away at the end of Banned Books Week. This will be an amazing event!

Remember when I said something nice was coming today? Well: I was asked to write the introduction to the new edition of Toni Morrison’s BELOVED! I’m so honored and happy! Here’s the new cover—that’s my name down at the bottom!!!!

We believe that every person, of every age, of every race, of every gender, no matter who they love, or where they live, should have access to books that reflect and expand their worldview. #UniteAgainstBookBans #BannedBooksWeek

💖✨ Our heartfelt gratitude to our festival cover artist Patrick Dougher and to our partners at New York Law School and Akwaaba Brooklyn.

We can’t wait to see y’all!

As always, our program is tailored to meet the challenges that we, who hail from the Global South face, as well as the unique opportunities and stories we have to tell!

Please SHARE w/ writers of color you know, particularly new and emerging #BIPOC writers seeking a safer space by and for us!

Program announcement for KweliLitFest25 featuring photo of participating author Aaliyah Bilal. Text: KEYNOTE SPEAKER Aaliyah Bilal 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival OCTOBER 18 - OCTOBER 28

Program announcement for KweliLitFest25 featuring photo of participating author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. Text: KEYNOTE SPEAKER Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival OCTOBER 18 - OCTOBER 28

Program announcement for KweliLitFest25 featuring photo of participating author Megha Majumdar. Text: KEYNOTE SPEAKER Megha Majumdar 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival OCTOBER 18 - OCTOBER 28

The #KweliLitFest keynote roster this year features beloved authors of color

🌟 Aaliyah Bilal (National Book Award Finalist),
🌟 Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree)
🌟 Megha Majumdar (National Book Award Finalist).

See our full roster at the link in our bio!

KweliLitFest continues through NOV 13 with in-person and virtual workshops and craft talks.

Faculty this year includes:

Edwidge Danticat
Nicole Dennis-Benn
Lauren Francis-Sharma
Xochitl Gonzalez
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Martha S. Jones
Dinaw Mengestu

+ More

Registration announcement featuring the portrait “Diaspora Daughter” by Patrick Dougher. Text: 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival October 18 - October 28 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN Kwelijournal.org #kwelilitfest25 New York Law School Akwaaba Bed and Breakfast Inns

ICYMI:

🎉 Kweli International Literary Festival registration is OPEN! 🎉

Join us in-person for opening weekend OCT 18 - 19 at New York Law School for workshops, keynotes and convos, as well as the year’s best chance for emerging writers of color to connect w/ agents and editors!

The image shows a Little Free Library. This is a non-profit organization that promotes book exchanges in communities. Little Free Libraries are free book-sharing boxes where anyone can borrow a book or share one of their own. The organization's mission is to build community, inspire readers, and expand book access. Little Free Libraries operate on an honor system, and you do not need to share a book to take one. The libraries are maintained by a volunteer "steward". The organization is a trademarked term and has a global network of these book-exchange boxes.

Libraries come in all shapes and sizes. What would we do without them?
#libraries
#booksky 📚💙
#books

Registration announcement featuring the painting “Diaspora Daughter” by Patrick Dougher. Text: 2025 Kweli International Literary Festival October 18 - October 28 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN KWELIJOURNAL.ORG #KWELILITFEST25 New York Law School AKWAABA BED & BREAKFAST INNS

Let’s go!

🎟️ Kweli International Literary Festival registration is OPEN.

Join us opening weekend, Oct 18–19, for keynotes and craft talks, and continuing w/ multimedia events and master classes thru Nov 18.

Connect w/ agents, editors + BIPOC creatives.

LEARN MORE at Link in bio 👆🏿👆🏾👆🏽

Today at 3:00 pm CT.
Find inspiration and ideas for your own advocacy from the students on the front lines of the fight against censorship.
bit.ly/YouthFightingBookBans
#BannedBooksWeek

Telegraph Club is the 4th most banned book in America — Malinda Lo Last week, PEN America released its fourth annual report on the state of book banning and censorship in America, and I learned that Last Night at the Telegraph Club was the fourth most banned book...

Last week, PEN America released its fourth annual report on the state of book banning and censorship in America, and I learned that Last Night at the Telegraph Club was the fourth most banned book in schools during the 2024-25 school year. How do I feel about it? www.malindalo.com/blog/2025/10...

❤️💐 Congratulations to SONG OF MY SOFTENING by Omotara James, whom we were thrilled to have at Kweli’s International Literary Festival in 2022!