Author James Baldwin to be celebrated in new Words of Colour arts festival

Twentieth century American author James Baldwin is to be celebrated in a new arts festival curated by Words of Colour this autumn.

The Conversations with Baldwin Festival is described by the organisers as “a new hybrid arts festival exploring the legacy, impact and activism of acclaimed 20th century author and civil rights advocate James Baldwin”, and will run over September and October 2023.

It will feature book clubs, live literature events, virtual salons, film screenings and workshops. The festival is curated in anticipation of 2024, which will commemorate the centenary of Baldwin’s birth with the return of a larger Conversations with Baldwin festival.

Hosted in Bristol and London, 50% of the programme will be virtual for increased accessibility. A hybrid Book Club, which can be attended virtually or in-person, will discuss two of Baldwin’s most popular works: Giovanni’s Room (1956) and Notes of a Native Son (1955). A Conversations with Baldwin Film Club will showcase films and documentaries on his life and work in London and at The Cube in Bristol.

The Salon series will platform virtual panel discussions on Baldwin’s literature while The Creators Space will host virtual and in-person workshops for writers and aspiring change agents. Festival partners include Penguin Classics, Baldwin’s sole UK publisher, international contemporary gallery Arnolfini, live poetry producers Raise the Bar, independent bookstores Libreria and Bookhaus, and Hackney Libraries and Bristol Libraries.

Josephine Greywoode, James Baldwin’s editor and publishing director of Penguin Press, said: “James Baldwin is one of the most important voices of the 20th century, resonating as strongly today as ever. We are so pleased to be celebrating his centenary year – and the immense contribution his writing continues to bring to the world – through this programme, which will bring a new generation of readers to Baldwin’s timeless works.”

Heather Marks, Words of Colour’s creative producer and Conversations with Baldwin festival curator, said: “James Baldwin is one of those writers whose words change your life forever. With the centenary of his birth in 2024, Conversations with Baldwin is an opportunity to share and create that moment between us – whether you’re reading him for the first time, or revisiting an old favourite. It’s a chance to come together and reflect on why his writing – his orature and his activism – still hold so much sway for us today.”

Danny Pandolfi, director of Raise the Bar, added: “We’re so excited to work with Words on Colour to deliver an eclectic poetry event celebrating James Baldwin ahead of the centenary year of his birth. Baldwin’s ambitious themes and searching language still reverberate years later, and echo Raise the Bar’s aim today of using poetry as a tool for radical change and self-expression.”

The full festival lineup will be announced throughout August 2023. Conversations with Baldwin will culminate in a live literature cabaret at Arnolfini, Bristol, in collaboration with live poetry producers Raise the Bar on Saturday 21st October 2023. Conversations with Baldwin is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. More information can be found here.