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Kweli Journal, Manhattan, NY (2025)

01/07/2025

🎉 Starts TODAY!

writers, join us for the first 2025 cycle of The Art of the Short Story Workshop and start the new year with sharper storytelling skills and a community of like-minded people behind you!

👉🏿 REGISTER: https://www.kwelijournal.org/the-art-of-the-short-story-workshop-january-2025

Kweli’s comprehensive six-week intensive for short story writers and novelists of color with Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Laura Pegram, features in-class writing exercises, close study of acclaimed works by authors, detailed peer review, and in-depth instructor feedback.

Most importantly, the workshop offers a safer space for all people of color, including Black, Indigenous, SWANA, AAPI, and Latine writers at all levels to write, learn, and gather.

SWIPE to read what past workshop participants have to say about the experience.

🗓️ DATES: 1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11
🕰️ TIME: 6:30PM EST - 8:30PM EST
👩🏾‍💻 FORMAT: Online

REGISTER on our website 👇🏽👇🏾👇🏿
https://www.kwelijournal.org/the-art-of-the-short-story-workshop-january-2025

Lit fam, please SHARE to get the word out to your people who need to gather more than ever in the new year!

01/02/2025

⏰There's still time to join us NEXT WEEK!

Part writing bootcamp, part in-depth craft analysis class, The Art of the Short Story Workshop is a six-week online intensive for writers of adult fiction, led by Kweli Journal Founding Editor/Publisher Laura Pegram.

LEARN MORE➤ https://www.kwelijournal.org/the-art-of-the-short-story-workshop-january-2025

12/19/2024

🎉 Writers of color, JOIN US for the first 2025 cycle of The Art of the Short Story Workshop and start the new year with sharper storytelling skills and a community of like-minded people behind you!

👉🏿 REGISTER: https://www.kwelijournal.org/the-art-of-the-short-story-workshop-january-2025

Kweli’s comprehensive six-week intensive for short story writers and novelists of color with Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Laura Pegram, features in-class writing exercises, close study of acclaimed works by authors, detailed peer review, and in-depth instructor feedback.

Most importantly, the workshop offers a safer space for all people of color, including Black, Indigenous, SWANA, AAPI, and Latine writers at all levels to write, learn, and gather.

SWIPE to read what past workshop participants have to say about the experience.

🗓️ DATES: 1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11
🕰️ TIME: 6:30PM EST - 8:30PM EST
👩🏾‍💻 FORMAT: Online

REGISTER on our website 👇🏽👇🏾👇🏿
https://www.kwelijournal.org/the-art-of-the-short-story-workshop-january-2025

Lit fam, please SHARE to get the word out to your people who need to gather more than ever in the new year!

12/10/2024

LAST CHANCE!

As the year wraps, don’t miss out on the current issue of Kweli Journal.

It's been our honor to publish and showcase writers the world so deeply needs right now. Read the current issue before our final issue of the year drops!

👉🏽👉🏾👉🏿http://kwelijournal.org/currentissue

ART: “Clymenza” by Lisa Teasley (lisateas)

FICTION
"Love Is Out of Choice" by Iman Adam
“Leon Abramovich Runs the Mile” by Josie Abugov (josiieabugov)

NONFICTION
“Tomorrow’s Forests” by Mubanga Kalimamukwento

POETRY
“Sunlight” by Alexis Pauline Gumbs (Alexis Pauline Gumbs)
“Nearly 5000” by Raina León (Raina León)

12/06/2024

🎉 Make 2025 the year you write your novel.

JOIN US for an online Master Class, Saturday, December 7, 1-4PM EST, with award-winning debut novelist, Alejandro Heredia, to get started ahead of the new year.

𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 👉🏿👉🏾👉🏽 https://www.kwelijournal.org/starting-a-novel-master-class-with-alejandro-heredia-december-2024

⚡️INSTRUCTOR BIO

Alejandro Heredia is a writer from The Bronx. He has received fellowships from LAMBDA Literary, Dominican Studies Institute, UNLV’s Black Mountain Institute, and elsewhere. He received an MFA from Hunter College. His debut novel LOCA will be out February 2025 from Simon & Schuster.

It has been our privilege to witness and support Alejandro’s writing career from emerging writer to soon-to-be debut novelist—it is our goal that this class and other Kweli programs can be a similar stepping stone for you.

👉🏾 SWIPE to learn more about Alejandro’s Kweli journey, and join us THIS Saturday.

Register on our website (link above) and SHARE to let your people know!

12/03/2024

💥 THIS SATURDAY!

Make 2025 the year you write your novel.

JOIN US for an online Master Class, Saturday, December 7, 1-4PM EST, with award-winning debut novelist, Alejandro Heredia, to get started ahead of the new year.

𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 👉🏿👉🏾👉🏽 https://www.kwelijournal.org/starting-a-novel-master-class-with-alejandro-heredia-december-2024

⚡️INSTRUCTOR BIO

Alejandro Heredia is a writer from The Bronx. He has received fellowships from LAMBDA Literary, Dominican Studies Institute, UNLV’s Black Mountain Institute, and elsewhere. He received an MFA from Hunter College. His debut novel LOCA will be out February 2025 from Simon & Schuster.

It has been our privilege to witness and support Alejandro’s writing career from emerging writer to soon-to-be debut novelist—it is our goal that this class and other Kweli programs can be a similar stepping stone for you.

👉🏾 SWIPE to learn more about Alejandro’s Kweli journey, and join us this Saturday.

Register on our website (link above) and SHARE to let your people know!

12/03/2024

We're now on Bluesky! Follow us for regular updates on upcoming workshops, programs, events, and journal: https://bsky.app/profile/kwelijournal.bsky.social

If you haven't already, FOLLOW us for regular posts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kweli.journal/

And SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter for craft advice, news, and more: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/3d88aco

12/03/2024

⏰There's still time to join us TOMORROW, DEC 3!

Part writing bootcamp, part in-depth craft analysis class, The Art of the Short Story Workshop is a six-week online intensive for writers of adult fiction, led by Kweli Journal Founding Editor/Publisher Laura Pegram.

LEARN MORE➤ https://www.kwelijournal.org/the-art-of-the-short-story-workshop-december-2024

11/20/2024

“Writing is one of the ways I participate in transformation.”
― Toni Cade Bambara

Writers of color, JOIN US for the final 2024 cycle of The Art of the Short Story Workshop and head into the new year with sharper skills and a community of like-minded people behind you!

👉🏿 REGISTER: https://www.kwelijournal.org/the-art-of-the-short-story-workshop-december-2024

Kweli’s comprehensive six-week online intensive for short story writers and novelists of color with Kweli Journal Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Laura Pegram, features in-class writing exercises, close study of acclaimed works by authors, detailed peer review, and in-depth instructor feedback.

Most importantly, the workshop offers a safer space for all people of color, including Black, Indigenous, SWANA, AAPI, and Latine writers at all levels to write, learn, and gather.

SWIPE to read what past workshop participants have to say about the experience.

🗓️ DATES: 12/3, 12/10, 12/17, 1/7, 1/14, 1/21
🕰️ TIME: 6:30PM EST - 8:30PM EST
👩🏾‍💻 FORMAT: Online

REGISTER at
https://www.kwelijournal.org/the-art-of-the-short-story-workshop-december-2024

11/12/2024

The 2025 Kweli Fellowship Program application for BIPOC writers closes in ONE week!

╚» 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐘 https://www.kwelijournal.org/kweli-fellowship-program

Are you…

👉🏿 an early-career writer of adult literary fiction, creative non-fiction, or poetry who is Black, Indigenous, or a person of color
👉🏾 living in NYC
👉🏽 not enrolled in a degree-granting program
👉🏼 not yet contracted to publish a book

All of the above? You’re eligible to apply for Kweli’s fellowship feat:

✨ 10 months of editorial support from Kweli Journal editors to prepare a piece for publication in the magazine

✨ $2,000 stipend

✨ 3 professionally-led writing workshops

✨ participation in 4 public readings

✨ admission-free enrollment for Kweli International Literary Festival, inclusive of pitch sessions with literary agents and editor

✨ optional admission-free enrollment for Kweli Color of Children Literature Conference

✨ publication in Kweli Journal

✨ all-expense paid writing retreat at Akwaaba Mansion, Poconos, PA

Fellow Li Sian Goh said of this year’s retreat:

“𝘐’𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘐 (𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴) 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘯. 𝘐𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.”

Come join the next cohort of brilliant writers of color for a year of learning and community 💫

🗓️ Application is open on kwelijournal.submittable.com/submit 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟗-𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒. Learn more & apply above!

🔁 Please SHARE & TAG a writer of color in your community seeking an opportunity like this!

10/30/2024

⏰ THERE’S STILL TIME TO JOIN!

Due to instructor scheduling change, the next Art of the Short Story Workshop has been pushed back ONE WEEK. The online class now starts on NOV 4.

So writers, there’s still time to join us to write new worlds together!

Join The Art of the Short Story Workshop—a safer space for all writers, including Black, Indigenous, SWANA, AAPI, Latine, LGBTQiA+ writers at all levels, led by Kweli Founding Editor and Publisher Laura Pegram.

⚡️Craft seminars
⚡️ In-class writing
⚡️ Masterworks study
⚡️ Peer reviews

It’s all here and it starts NOV 4!

LEARN MORE 👉🏿 https://www.kwelijournal.org/the-art-of-the-short-story-workshop-october-2024-1-1

10/29/2024

📌 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

The Kweli Fellowship Program provides emerging writers of adult fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, an 11-month fellowship that includes:

★ $2000 Stipend
★ Editorial Support
★ Enrollment in writing workshops
★ Participation in Kweli’s annual literary festival
★ Paid Writing Retreat
+ MORE

Apply OCT 29 to NOV 19

LEARN MORE about full program details on our website
➤ https://www.kwelijournal.org/kweli-fellowship-program

PHOTOS are snapshots from our recent October retreat with 2024 Kweli Fellows, led by the one and only Edward P. Jones!

10/15/2024

✍🏽✍🏾✍🏿 Join Lambda Literary Award-winner Nicole Dennis-Benn in a masterclass writing workshop!

Just in time for , this writing workshop will help you navigate the vast terrain of the novel. Through in-class readings, writing exercises, and group discussions, you'll explore how to craft a novel that's a unified and compelling whole.

LEARN MORE 👉🏿 https://www.kwelijournal.org/the-art-of-the-novel-master-class-with-nicole-dennis-benn-october-2024

09/24/2024

Join us to explore being alone together with Edwidge Danticat as she closes Kweli’s summer-long literary festival with a reading, conversation, and an original dance interpretation of her profound new essay collection, WE’RE ALONE.

The LA Times writes of the essays that make up this collection, “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 [𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵’𝘴] 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯…” As our hearts remain with the people of Lebanon and Palestine, and across the Global South, we invite you to join us for the resolve and hope that can be found in art and community.

This closing keynote event is FREE and OPEN TO ALL! 𝐑𝐒𝐕𝐏 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬@𝐤𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥.𝐨𝐫𝐠 📩

WE’RE ALONE (Graywolf Press) joins Edwidge’s long list of acclaimed books, including EVERYTHING INSIDE, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in fiction, and BROTHER, I’M DYING, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography, among many accolades.

Edwidge will be in conversation w/ the great Dr. Farah Jasmine Griffin (farahjgriffinbooks), Guggenheim Fellow, acclaimed author and Columbia University Professor of English and Comparative Literature.

The evening will also feature our final literary dance adaption, a multimedia genre we’ve been privileged to cocreate. We’ve been profoundly moved all summer by these original pieces by our collaborators, choreographer Rodney Hamilton and dancer Bria Vainqueur, and can’t wait to see what they create next.

ICYMI: Our penultimate multimedia event featuring the haunting new novel by Crystal Hana Kim (crystalhanak), THE STONE HOME, which “bear[s] witness to lessons that must not be forgotten,” will also be held TOMORROW at akwaabainns.

Please join us if you’re in NYC!

09/19/2024

📌 NEXT WEDNESDAY 9/25

Join us for a reading + craft conversation + original dance interpretation from THE STONE HOME, the critically acclaimed new novel by award-winning author 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐦 (Crystal Hana Kim)!

𝐑𝐒𝐕𝐏 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 > 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬@𝐤𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥.𝐨𝐫𝐠!

This is one of the final events of , which are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC so don’t miss it!

Crystal’s 2018 debut novel, IF YOU LEAVE ME, was named a best book the year by over a dozen publications, and she is the recipient of the 2022 National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 Award and is a 2017 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize winner.

Her much-anticipated second novel published this year, THE STONE HOME, has been named a Best Book of the Year by Elle and Real Simple, and earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, in addition to rave reviews from publications around the country.

A hauntingly poetic family drama and coming-of-age story that reveals a dark corner of South Korean history through the eyes of a small community living in a reformatory center, The Washington Post says of novel: “Some fiction is both story and testimonial — a bearing witness to lessons that must not be forgotten. Haunting and elegiac, THE STONE HOME is fearless in its clear-eyed recounting.”

A necessary novel for our times, Crystal will be in conversation with fellow Korean American writer, 𝐆𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠 (ginathechung), author of acclaimed debut novel SEA CHANGE, which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, among other honors.

The evening will feature Kweli’s signature original dance interpretation adapted from the novel, choreographed by our longtime partner, Ballet Hispanico’s 𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧 and performed by the stunning dancer, 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐕𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐮𝐫 (briatheballerina), at the intimate venue akwaabainns in Brooklyn!

NYC, come join us, and bring your people ✨

09/12/2024

🎉 ANNOUNCEMENT: Nicole Dennis-Benn joins Kweli Journal as Senior Fiction Editor!

A note from Laura Pegram, Editor-in-Chief:

I’m overjoyed to welcome award-winning novelist and longtime Kweli community member to Kweli’s editorial team!

A story: the photo of Nicole in this post was taken by Kweli Board Member, Ozier Muhammad, during an interview I did with her in 2016 at the Red Rooster in NYC. When Ozier sent us this headshot, I joked with Nicole that the gold plate in the background spoke to all the awards in her future. She laughed. When she was nominated for multiple awards for her debut novel, HERE COMES THE SUN, we returned to this conversation. This photo brings back many memories.

I’ve had the pleasure to know Nicole and her wife Emma since 2012. Nicole attended Kweli’s very first mini half-day conference in East Harlem. Shortly after, she submitted a short story to Kweli, which became part of her award-winning debut. We had the honor to welcome her back to our conference space to deliver the keynote address at at the NYT Conference Center. Four years later, when Nicole moderated a conversation with Mecca Jamilah Sullivan at Barnard during our first hybrid festival, Emma and their boys were there.

I often speak of how I envisioned Kweli to be a family who helps each other, and this is what I mean. It has been the joy of my life to help support BIPOC writers like Nicole at the start of their literary journeys for over 15 years. It is a dream realized when these writers return to share their gifts with new writers. I asked Nicole to join us in keeping with my recent promise to bolster Kweli’s editorial process, and needless to say, I’m beyond grateful that she accepted and for the diversity of editorial perspective that she brings. Every time I speak with Nicole, I learn from her. Swipe to see craft gems and insight into Nicole’s literary philosophy from our interview, and stay tuned for more exciting news to come!

👉🏿 READ the full interview on our website:
https://www.kwelijournal.org/interviews-1/tag/Nicole+Dennis+Benn

09/10/2024

NEW START DATE: Oct 2

Join The Art of the Short Story Workshop—a safer space for all writers, including Black, Indigenous, SWANA, AAPI, Latine, LGBTQiA+ writers at all levels, led by Kweli Founding Editor and Publisher Laura Pegram.

⭐️ Craft seminars
⭐️ In-class writing
⭐️ Masterworks study
⭐️ Peer reviews

It’s all here and it starts Sep 25!

LEARN MORE 👉🏿 https://www.kwelijournal.org/the-art-of-the-short-story-workshop-august-2024-1-1

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