Black Writers Weekend event celebrates Black storytelling

BY NOAH WASHINGTON

Black Writers Weekend, an event celebrating Black Writers in the Atlanta area and promoting their contributions to the literary world begins Saturday, Aug. 3.

This event began with Tamika Jamison, a writer and event curator who has been amplifying Black voices and stories for over a decade. Jamison's journey as a writer began at a young age when she discovered a talent for storytelling. According to Jamison, by the age of 12 she had completed her first fulllength novel. Her passion for writing only grew stronger with time.

In 2009, Jamison published her book, "The Ultimate No-No," which became a bestseller and earned her a publishing deal with a major content company, Kensington Book Imprint Dafina. However, Jamison’s journey didn’t stop there, recognizing the need for a platform that would not only celebrate her work but also uplift and support other black writers who were often overlooked by mainstream media led Jamison to curate unique literary experiences that brought together a diverse group of artists, including writers, musicians, chefs, and more.

These events paved the way for the formation of Jamison’s next initiative, the African Americans on the move book club (AAMBC). Jamison aimed to create a safe space where Black creators could connect, share their stories, and inspire each other. With Black writers being historically suppressed, Jamison’s mission was to make sure that these narratives were not only heard but celebrated. She recognized that everything starts with the written word, and without writers, there would be no music, no movies, and no progress. Jamison’s dedication to promoting Black storytelling is especially timely during the ongoing writers' strike and the rise of AI technology.

“Nobody was recognizing writers- they needed to be recognized. Everything starts with the written word, right? So without the written word, you wouldn't have music, you wouldn't have movies, you wouldn't have anything. But yet, we were the last people being invited to the party, the last people being invited to the red carpet events, which is ironic how the strike is going on now, because writers want to be respected. Because without us, they wouldn't have anything,” Jamison told The Atlanta Voice.

The Black Writers Weekend features a pitch fest, where aspiring writers can present their manuscripts and concepts to a panel of judges, offering opportunities for mentorship and exposure. Saturday’s event has attracted over 500 attendees who can participate in literary crawls, book signings, art shows, and even a unique "blind book dating" scavenger hunt.

This year, the event is set to include a film fest, where short films by Black filmmakers will be screened, followed by live table reads, allowing actors to showcase their talents in front of an appreciative audience. Most events of the weekend are even free to the public. The weekend will culminate in the AAMBC Literary Awards, an affair that will honor figures Frank Morrison, Kwame Alexander, and the late Tracy Brown, an urban fiction writer.

“It’s the ban on books that we're focusing on this year. Because ironically, my work has been to amplify the black voice, the black stories, the blind creator, but now you have all these other initiatives within the system. The government is trying to shut those voices down or control those voices. You can come in here and you could be anything that you want to be,” Jamison said.

To find out more information visit https:// blackwritersweekend.com/