WORKSHOPS
Catch up on past publishing-focused workshops led by agents, editors and authors who are all focused on promoting marginalized voices to publication.
These workshops are brought free of charge to promote wide access to publishing knowledge. The Word is a nonprofit organization and we rely on community support to run our writing and publishing programs in support of writers from marginalized backgrounds, including workshops, community-building opportunities, our [margins.] publishing and writing conference, mentorship opportunities, and more. If you are able to support our events with a donation you ensure that we can provide access to groups and individuals who have been denied.
PUBLISHING TALKS
Writing Paths: Author + Agent Chat
with Olivia Abtahi and Jim McCarthy
Join us for a chat between debut YA author Olivia Abtahi and her rockstar agent Jim McCarthy about their path to connecting and the path of Olivia’s first published novel, Perfectly Parvin - a BuzzFeed Highly Anticipated 2021 Release.
Writing Paths is a workshop series promoting marginalized voices to publication.
Check out extra tips from Jim and Olivia on our blog.
[margins.] community programming:
Q&A with St. Martin's Press Editor Sylvan Creekmore
A chat between Bunmi Ishola of The Word and Sylvan Creekmore, editor at St. Martin's Press (and one of our mentors from our annual Editor-Writer mentorship program!)
The Lit Agency & You:
Q&A with Angie Hodapp and Hannah VanVels
A Q&A on all things lit agency: querying, working with an agent, what to expect in the pub process,
featuring Angie Hodapp (Director of Literary Development at Nelson Literary) and Hannah VanVels (Literary Agent, Corvisiero Literary).
Writing Paths:
Traditional Publishing 101 with Sandhya Menon
Join NYT-bestselling author Sandhya Menon as she answers the question: I finished my manuscript, now what do I do? Writing Paths is a workshop series supporting marginalized voices to publication.
CRAFT TALKS
#MarginsBookselling Presents:
The Importance of Bookselling
2022 Joy Ambassador Angeline Boulley (FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER) in conversation with Calvin Crosby of The King's English Bookshop, 2022 BIPOC Bookseller Award Winner in Leadership
#MarginsBookselling Presents:
Investing in Storytelling
Who are the storytellers we support? What are the stories we fund? As we navigate questions about diversity and representation in stories, what are the economic implications of who we choose to financially support? From publishing to philanthropy to the sales floor how do we decide which stories and which storytellers to support and how does this shape the future of storytelling? A discussion with Elizabeth Méndez Berry, Senior Vice President + Executive Editor at One World, and Viniyanka Prasad, Founder + Executive Director of The Word.
THE FAMILY IZQUIERDO: A reading and conversation with Rubén Degollado + Nneoma Amadi-obi
THE FAMILY IZQUIERDO: A reading and conversation with Rubén Degollado + Nneoma Amadi-obi
Rubén Degollado is an educator from Texas and the author of The Family Izquierdo: A Novel and the young adult novel Throw. His fiction has appeared in Beloit Fiction Journal, Gulf Coast, Hayden’s Ferry Review, and Image.
Twitter: @ruben_degollado
Instagram: @ruben_degollado
NNEOMA AMADI-OBI is an Assistant Editor at W.W. Norton where she publishes literary fiction and nonfiction. Before joining Norton, she was a bookseller at Politics and Prose, Duende District, and WORD Bookstores.
Hosted by Duende District in partnership with The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary.
Grab a copy of the book here:
https://www.duendedistrict.com/
THE WOMEN COULD FLY:
Megan Giddings in conversation with Jamie Figueroa
Megan Giddings in conversation with Jamie Figueroa to celebrate The Women Could Fly!
Hosted by Duende District in partnership with The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary.
Grab a copy of the book here:
https://www.duendedistrict.com/
The Tree of Hope: A Conversation and Reading with Anna Orenstein-Cardona
The Tree of Hope: A Conversation and Reading with Anna Orenstein-Cardona, feat. Juan Manuel Moreno, Pedro J. Morales, and José J. Álamo. Hosted by Duende District in partnership with The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary.
Grab a copy of the book here: https://www.duendedistrict.com/
[margins.] meets:
Mark Travis Rivera and Landon Smith
[margins.] was created by and for people on the margins, promoting the inclusive representation of experiences in literature for communities who have historically been excluded. The first of its kind, [margins.] is a biannual conference, bookfair, and literary festival happening in Denver and online August 5 – 7, 2022. [margins.] brings together writers, storytellers, and wordsmiths at all levels of experience to explore emerging trends in literature and the many approaches to storytelling, visioning and creating, education, inclusion, advocacy, organizing, and building community. To learn more about how to get involved, visit www.thewordfordiversity.org/margins
[margins.] meets:
Ashia Ajani and Janae Johnson
[margins.] was created by and for people on the margins, promoting the inclusive representation of experiences in literature for communities who have historically been excluded. The first of its kind, [margins.] is a biannual conference, bookfair, and literary festival happening in Denver and online August 5 – 7, 2022. [margins.] brings together writers, storytellers, and wordsmiths at all levels of experience to explore emerging trends in literature and the many approaches to storytelling, visioning and creating, education, inclusion, advocacy, organizing, and building community. To learn more about how to get involved, visit www.thewordfordiversity.org/margins
Raquel Gutiérrez in conversation with Myriam Gurba: BROWN NEON
Host: Duende District and The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary
[margins.] meets:
Tongo Eisen-Martin and Nathan Ybanez
[margins.] was created by and for people on the margins, promoting the inclusive representation of experiences in literature for communities who have historically been excluded. The first of its kind, [margins.] is a biannual conference, bookfair, and literary festival happening in Denver and online August 5 – 7, 2022. [margins.] brings together writers, storytellers, and wordsmiths at all levels of experience to explore emerging trends in literature and the many approaches to storytelling, visioning and creating, education, inclusion, advocacy, organizing, and building community. To learn more about how to get involved, visit www.thewordfordiversity.org/margins
[margins.] meets:
Ariana Brown & Roya Marsh
[margins.] was created by and for people on the margins, promoting the inclusive representation of experiences in literature for communities who have historically been excluded. The first of its kind, [margins.] is a biannual conference, bookfair, and literary festival happening in Denver and online August 5 – 7, 2022. [margins.] brings together writers, storytellers, and wordsmiths at all levels of experience to explore emerging trends in literature and the many approaches to storytelling, visioning and creating, education, inclusion, advocacy, organizing, and building community. To learn more about how to get involved, visit www.thewordfordiversity.org/margins
[margins.] meets:
Bobby LeFebre & Tanaya Winder
[margins.] was created by and for people on the margins, promoting the inclusive representation of experiences in literature for communities who have historically been excluded. The first of its kind, [margins.] is a biannual conference, bookfair, and literary festival happening in Denver and online August 5 – 7, 2022. [margins.] brings together writers, storytellers, and wordsmiths at all levels of experience to explore emerging trends in literature and the many approaches to storytelling, visioning and creating, education, inclusion, advocacy, organizing, and building community. To learn more about how to get involved, visit www.thewordfordiversity.org/margins
Natalia Sylvester (BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN) & Lupita Aquino (Lupita Reads)
Host: Duende District and The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary
[margins.] meets:
Vogue M. Robinson, Darius Simpson, and Ebony Stewart
[margins.] was created by and for people on the margins, promoting the inclusive representation of experiences in literature for communities who have historically been excluded. The first of its kind, [margins.] is a biannual conference, bookfair, and literary festival happening in Denver and online August 5 – 7, 2022. [margins.] brings together writers, storytellers, and wordsmiths at all levels of experience to explore emerging trends in literature and the many approaches to storytelling, visioning and creating, education, inclusion, advocacy, organizing, and building community. To learn more about how to get involved, visit www.thewordfordiversity.org/margins
[margins.] meets:
Manuel Aragon and Carleen Brice, Fiction in Real Life
[margins.] was created by and for people on the margins, promoting the inclusive representation of experiences in literature for communities who have historically been excluded. The first of its kind, [margins.] is a biannual conference, bookfair, and literary festival happening in Denver and online August 5 – 7, 2022. [margins.] brings together writers, storytellers, and wordsmiths at all levels of experience to explore emerging trends in literature and the many approaches to storytelling, visioning and creating, education, inclusion, advocacy, organizing, and building community. To learn more about how to get involved, visit www.thewordfordiversity.org/margins
[5 Year Anniversary Celebration of Duende District! With Angela Maria Spring, Daisy Hernández, + surprise guests!
Duende District is a collaborative pop-up and boutique bookstore, for and by people of color—where all are welcome. Duende District specializes in curating the best new trade adult and children's books in English and Spanish. We serve BIPOC communities across the nation, from Washington, D.C., to Albuquerque, N.M. Each Duende District pop-up, boutique bookstore, and event series focuses on engaging our Black and brown communities, while also inviting all people to participate in the resulting conversation and experience.
[margins.] meets Alejandro Jimenez, Jessica Helen Lopez, and Rowie Shebala
Brought to you by The Word, [margins.] was created by and for people on the margins, promoting the inclusive representation of experiences in literature for communities who have historically been excluded. The first of its kind, [margins.] is a biannual conference, bookfair, and literary festival happening in Denver and online August 5 – 7, 2022. [margins.] brings together writers, storytellers, and wordsmiths at all levels of experience to explore emerging trends in literature and the many approaches to storytelling, visioning and creating, education, inclusion, advocacy, organizing, and building community. To learn more about how to get involved, visit www.thewordfordiversity.org/margins
Christopher Gonzalez in conversation with Yohanca Delgado
Christopher Gonzalez in conversation with Yohanca Delgado, hosted by Duende District and The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary
[margins.] meets Steven Dunn, Sean Avery Medlin, and Alyesha Wise!
Brought to you by The Word, [margins.] was created by and for people on the margins, promoting the inclusive representation of experiences in literature for communities who have historically been excluded. The first of its kind, [margins.] is a biannual conference, bookfair, and literary festival happening in Denver and online August 5 – 7, 2022. [margins.] brings together writers, storytellers, and wordsmiths at all levels of experience to explore emerging trends in literature and the many approaches to storytelling, visioning and creating, education, inclusion, advocacy, organizing, and building community. To learn more about how to get involved, visit www.thewordfordiversity.org/margins
[margins.] meets D.L. Cordero, M. McDonough, and Addie Tsai!
Brought to you by The Word, [margins.] was created by and for people on the margins, promoting the inclusive representation of experiences in literature for communities who have historically been excluded. The first of its kind, [margins.] is a biannual conference, bookfair, and literary festival happening in Denver and online August 5 – 7, 2022. [margins.] brings together writers, storytellers, and wordsmiths at all levels of experience to explore emerging trends in literature and the many approaches to storytelling, visioning and creating, education, inclusion, advocacy, organizing, and building community. To learn more about how to get involved, visit www.thewordfordiversity.org/margins
Angela María Spring and Paulette Piñero in conversation with Ashley K. Stoyanov for JEFA IN TRAINING
Check out Ashley K. Stoyanov, author of Jefa In Training: The Business Startup Toolkit for Entrepreneurial and Creative Women, in a special conversation with Angela María Spring of Duende District in Washington, DC and Albuquerque, NM and Paulette Piñero. Join us as they discuss lessons learned while building their businesses!
STEPMOTHERLAND: Darrel Alejandro Holnes’s debut poetry collection, with readings from Jenise Miller and Roberto Harrison
STEPMOTHERLAND: Darrel Alejandro Holnes’s debut poetry collection, with readings from Jenise Miller and Roberto Harrison Host: Duende District and The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary
[margins.] meets: A.E. Rooks, Author of The Black Joke
A.E. Rooks, author of THE BLACK JOKE: The True Story of One Ship's Battle Against the Slave Trade A reading & discussion moderated by Suzi Q. Smith A.E. Rooks hopes to always be a student of history, which hasn’t stopped her from studying everything else. While her debut, The Black Joke: The True Story of One Ship's Battle Against the Slave Trade, explores a little discussed facet of the transatlantic slave trade, previous writing credits include the column Between the Briefs, for which she won two national awards for sex positive journalism. A two-time Jeopardy! champion whose schooling spans theatre, law, library and information science, education, human sexuality, Rooks' literary passions are united by what the past can teach us about the present, how history shapes our future, and above all, really interesting stories.
[margins.]meets: Rachel Wiley & Siaara Freeman, A Reading & Conversation
Brought to you by The Word, [margins.] was created by and for people on the margins, promoting the inclusive representation of experiences in literature for communities who have historically been excluded. The first of its kind, [margins.] is a biannual conference, bookfair, and literary festival happening in Denver and online August 5 – 7, 2022. [margins.] brings together writers, storytellers, and wordsmiths at all levels of experience to explore emerging trends in literature and the many approaches to storytelling, visioning and creating, education, inclusion, advocacy, organizing, and building community. To learn more about how to get involved, visit www.thewordfordiversity.org/margins
Edgar Gomez, Natalie Lima, Natassja Schiel, & Minda Honey: Readings
Edgar Gomez, author of HIGH-RISK HOMOSEXUAL, joined by Natalie Lima, Natassja Schiel, and Minda Honey
In partnership with Duende District
Rajika Bhandari (America Calling) in conversation with Vinod Busjeet (Silent Winds, Dry Seas)
In partnership with Duende District
A Reading and Conversation with Leticia Urieta (Las Criaturas) and jo reyes-boitel (Michael + Josephine)
In partnership with Duende District
Michelle Zauner (CRYING IN H-MART) in conversation with Denise Chávez
Michelle Zauner (CRYING IN H-MART: winner of the #MarginsBookstores Month Healer Award) in conversation with Denise Chávez, winner of the 2021 BIPOC Bookseller Award in Activism, owner of Casa Camino Real Bookstore and Art Gallery
Melissa Lozada-Oliva (Dreaming of You: A Novel in Verse) in conversation w/ Yesika Salgado (Hermosa)
In partnership with Duende District
A reading and conversation with Tomás Morín, Ananda Lima, Raina León, and Roberto Carlos Garcia, in partnership with Duende District
This event is part of #MarginsBookstores Month.
R.O. Kwon, ed. KINK: Stories (Winner of the #MarginsBookstores Joy Award), in conversation with author and KINK contributor Zeyn Joukhadar
R.O. Kwon, ed. KINK: Stories (Winner of the #MarginsBookstores Joy Award), in conversation with author and KINK contributor Zeyn Joukhadar
The Joy Award celebrates what is pure and vibrant: this award is for a read that showcases and spreads joy in our communities.
This event is part of #MarginsBookstores Month.
Mariame Kaba, author of WE DO THIS 'TIL WE FREE US, #MarginsBookstores Month Activating Read Winner!
Our [margins.] conference director, Suzi Q. Smith, hosts Mariame Kaba in discussing WE DO THIS 'TIL WE FREE US: ABOLITIONIST ORGANIZING AND TRANSFORMING JUSTICE, the winner of our Activating Read #MarginsBookstores Month Choice Award!
More about #MarginsBookstores Month HERE
Author Lorraine Monteagut, Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color, in conversation with Valeria Ruelas + the opening of the first annual #MarginsBookstores Month!
#MarginsBookstores Opener:
Viniyanka Prasad, Angela Maria Spring, Aida Lilly, and Lorraine Monteagut open the month with a chat about the importance of these bookstores, plus a poem reading (Joy Harjo, read by Angela), and Lorraine reads the opening blessing.
Lorraine Monteagut is the author of Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color.
Valeria Ruelas (identifies as gay; pronouns she/her) is the author of two witchcraft books: Cosmopolitan Love Potions and The Mexican Witch Lifestyle (pubbing in 2022). She also writes for Cosmopolitan Magazine. She is an expert in spells and the tarot and enjoys making ASMR videos, pick-a-card videos, and sexy content for her followers. Valeria has an open door policy for questions and enjoys teaching and guiding people on their witchy journeys. She invites people to add her on SnapChat to communicate directly! @themexicanwitch
Hosted by Duende District Bookstore with The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary
Author Talk: Ana Castillo in conversation with Lupita Aquino
Multi-award winner Ana Castillo is a celebrated and distinguished poet, novelist, short story writer, essayist, editor, playwright, translator and independent scholar. Castillo was born and raised in Chicago. She has contributed to periodicals and on-line venues (Salon and Oxygen) and national magazines, including More and the Sunday New York Times. Castillo’s writings have been the subject of numerous scholarly investigations and publications.
Lupita Aquino--better known as Lupita Reads--is the co-founder and moderator for LIT on H St Book Club hosted at Solid State Books and is a passionate reader active in both the local and online book community through her Instagram blog- @Lupita.Reads. She is also a book curator for BESE media and a columnist for the Washington Independent Review of Books.
Hosted by Duende District Bookstore with The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary
Author Talk: Rafia Zakaria in conversation with Ruby Hamad
Rafia Zakaria, author of AGAINST WHITE FEMINISM, in conversation with Ruby Hamad, author of WHITE TEARS/BROWN SCARS: HOW WHITE FEMINISM BETRAYS WOMEN OF COLOR. Rafia Zakaria gives a reading and explains the term “white feminism.” AGAINST WHITE FEMINISM focuses on racial hierarchy and feminism in the mainstream conversation, noting that racism perpetuates because norms are not challenged (and whiteness is allowed to remain as status quo).
Brought to you in partnership with Duende District.
Marisel Vera in conversation with Ivelisse Rodriguez
Join us for an hour of celebration and conversation between Marisel Vera, The Taste of Sugar, & Ivelisse Rodriguez, Love War Stories, on love and language in writing Puerto Rico. Marisel Vera reads from THE TASTE OF SUGAR, plus talks the importance of agriculture to the lives of people in Puerto Rico, the historical significance of an enclave we don’t usually see in fiction, stories Marisel would like to hear in fiction, plus seeking joy through community and family.
About The Taste of Sugar: Marisel Vera emerges as a major new voice in contemporary fiction with this "capacious" (The New Yorker) novel set in Puerto Rico on the eve of the Spanish-American War. Up in the mountainous region of Utuado, Vicente Vega and Valentina Sanchez labor to keep their coffee farm from the creditors. When the great San Ciriaco hurricane of 1899 brings devastating upheaval, the young couple is lured along with thousands of other puertorriquenos to the sugar plantations of Hawaii, where they are confronted by the hollowness of America's promises of prosperity. Depicting the roots of Puerto Rican alienation and exodus, which resonates especially today, The Taste of Sugar is "a gorgeous feat of storytelling" (Tayari Jones).
About Love War Stories: Puerto Rican girls are brought up to want one thing: true love. Yet they are raised by women whose lives are marked by broken promises, grief, and betrayal. While some believe that they'll be the ones to finally make it work, others swear not to repeat cycles of violence. This collection documents how these "love wars" break out across generations as individuals find themselves caught in the crosshairs of romance, expectations, and community.
WHITE SPACE featuring Jennifer De Leon
in conversation with Lupita Aquino
A reading from essay collection WHITE SPACE, plus Jenn and Lupita talk about immigration, identity, language, fitting in, and existing in white spaces (in the world, in publishing, and the white space of a page).
Jennifer De Leon is author of Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From and the essay collection, White Space: Essays on Culture, Race, & Writing. An Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Framingham State University and a faculty member in the MFA in Creative Nonfiction program at Bay Path University, she has published prose in dozens of literary journals such as Iowa Review, Brevity, Guernica, and more, and is a GrubStreet instructor and board member. To learn more about her work, visit: www.jenniferdeleonauthor.com or follow her @jdeleonwriter.
Lupita Aquino--better known as Lupita Reads--is the co-founder and moderator for LIT on H St Book Club hosted at Solid State Books and is a passionate reader active in both the local and online book community through her Instagram blog- @Lupita.Reads. She is also a book curator for BESE media and a columnist for the Washington Independent Review of Books.
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Every Day We Get More Illegal:
Poet and Critic Vanessa Angélica Villarreal & award-winning former U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera in conversation
Two of the great voices of Chicanx poetry celebrate rich and vibrant cultures while talking EVERY DAY WE GET MORE ILLEGAL, colonial erasure, documents, records, and archives.
Hosted by Duende District in partnership with The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary
Mining the Modern Gothic with Elisabeth Thomas, author of CATHERINE HOUSE
A conversation with Elisabeth Thomas, author of Catherine House, and Angela Marie Spring of Duende District Bookstore about reading, the writing process, and inspiration.
Lit & Film, a discussion with authors
Steven Dunn and Olivia Abtahi
In our Denver Debuts In-conversation series:
Lit & Film, a discussion with Steven Dunn, author of Potted Meat, with debut Olivia Abtahi, author of the upcoming Perfectly Parvin. Watch to hear Steven chat about the transformation of his words to screen with Olivia, a filmmaker whose storytelling crosses mediums.
Denver Debuts In-Conversation:
Diana Khoi Nguyen & Deborah Jang
Join The Word and slant'd for a conversation with Diana Khoi Nguyen (Colorado Book Award winning author of Ghost Of) and debut Deborah Jang, author of Float True. They chat family history, immigrant stories, justice, nature and reflection, and the Asian-American experience in the US.
Denver Debuts In-conversation:
Bobby LeFebre with debut author
César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández
Colorado Poet Laureate Bobby LeFebre chats with César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández about his book Migrating to Prison: America’s Obsession with Locking Up Immigrants,
the intersection of academia and social justice, and how immigration prisons recently became a feature of how the US enforces immigration laws. Plus César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández talks writing process and gives a reading.
Buy MIGRATING TO PRISON
