The Eighth National Black Writers Conference

The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College Celebrates 
Black Literature-Expanding Conversations
on Race, Identity, History and Genre

The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College will host The Eighth National Black Writers Conference on Thursday, March 30, 2006 through Sunday, April 2, 2006. Confirmed authors include Marita Golden who will deliver the address on the Conference theme, Haki Madhubuti, Valerie Wilson Wesley, Walter Mosley, Samuel Delany, Walter Dean Myers, Quincy Troupe, Ishmael Reed, Elizabeth Nunez, Willie Perdomo, and Camille Yarborough, among others. Dr. Myrlie Evers-Williams, wife of the late civil rights activist, Medgar Wiley Evers, is the Honorary Conference Chair.

Described by Walter Mosley as "the most significant gathering of black writers in the country," the National Black Writers Conference is the largest gathering of its kind in North America. Initially conceived in 1986 by the late author John Oliver Killens, the Conference has consistently attracted a stellar array of writers and scholars including Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, Alice Walker, and others.

"We are very excited to be able to bring together writers, readers, agents, editors, publishers, and the general public to hear black writers read from a range of genres," said Dr. Brenda Greene, Director of the National Black Writers Conference and Executive Director of the Center for Black Literature. "We hope to raise awareness and consciousness about black literary writers, and examine the ways in which the themes and issues in black literature encourage us to expand our conversations on race, identity, history, and genre."

Other writers in this year's Conference include: Jewell Parker Rhodes, Valerie Boyd, Staceyann Chinn, Tananarive Due, Steven Barnes, Herb Boyd, Christopher John Farley, Sheree Rene Thomas, Abiodun, Jacqueline Woodson, Toni Blackman, Lindamichelle Baron, Obery Hendricks, Carl Hancock Rux, Javaka Steptoe, and Ellease Southerland.

This year's Conference has received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, Independence Community Foundation, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, Barnes and Noble, the New York Times, the Ford Foundation, Con Edison, Personalized Skincare by Marcia, and the College Now program of the CUNY Office of Academic Affairs. The Center for Black Literature is also partnering with the AALBC.com (African American Literature Book Club) and Black Issues Book Review.

For further information about this historic literary event and for conference updates, please call 718 270-4811 or visit the conference website at www.mec.cuny.edu/nbwc.