The Conversation Literary Festival
The Conversation Literary Festival will take place in New Orleans from October 20th – October 22nd for a series of conversations all geared to answer the question: Can a Black Mecca exist in the American South? The festival’s aim is to place literary conversations in the living room, to remove the conference hall and give back to the community. Set in houses rented to us in the Upper 9th Ward, The Conversation, with humility & sincere respect, walks into New Orleans to bring the community a series of talks that are free, open to the public & incredibly Black. The following conversations are:
“Archiving Black”
featuring keynote speaker Kiese Laymon & speakers Cornelius Eady & Toi Derricotte
“Teaching in the South”
featuring Derrick Harriell, Caroline Randall Williams & Geffery Davis
Final Fellows Reading
Elizabeth Acevedo
Paul Tran
Cortney Lamar Charleston
Joshua Bennett
Safia Elhillo
“New Orleans”
featuring Jericho Brown & Clint Smith
“Black Mecca & The Possibilities of Land & Generational Wealth”
featuring Charleen McClure, Dr. Nagueyalti Warren, Casey Rocheteau & Ross Gay
“Black Space in Publishing”
featuring Mahognany L. Browne, Chaun Webster, Morgan Parker, Ajay Johnson, & Ariea D. Matthews
“Archiving Black”
featuring Rachel Eliza Griffiths, Parneshia Jones & Erica Hunt
Please RSVP & feel free to contact the organizers at calabashconversation@gmail
