Lord, Ross and Newland to speak at the Black Speculative Writing Festival

Writers Karen Lord, Leone Ross and Courttia Newland will be speaking at the Black Speculative Writing Festival, held at Goldsmiths University, London, from the second to 2nd-4th February 2024. 

The festival, founded by Kadija Sesay, will celebrate Black British and international speculative writers from the US, Caribbean, Africa and Europe. The aim is to provide writers with resources to "develop excellence in this genre" and to encourage new readers through discussions, workshops for writers, readings and networking.

Invited international guests include Reynaldo Anderson, co-founder of the Black Speculative Arts Movement and professor at Temple University, US, Yvonne Apiyo Brändle-Amolo, as well as Gerald and Steven Vreden. 

Panel sessions will be held throughout the weekend with postgraduate researchers of speculative fiction, one of whom has graduated from the MA in Black British Literature at Goldsmiths. Current and alumni students of the MA in Black British Literature will run bookclubs to introduce readers to the genre. 

The festival includes readings from Black speculative writers around the globe, including from Glimpse (Peepal Tree Press)—the first Black British speculative fiction anthology edited by Leone Ross—The Cuckoo Cage (Comma Press), and the winners of The Caine Prize for African Writing 2023, Mame Bougouma Diene and Woppa Diallo.

The festival includes a one-day online festival on 4th February, with priority bookings for people who cannot attend an in-person festival due to distance or disability. 

Spread The Word, TLC and Comma Press are partners of the festival, as are Peepal Tree Press, Yaram Arts, New Writing South and Writing East Midlands. It is funded by Arts Council England, with the support of Professor Deirdre Osborne and the department of English and Creative Writing at Goldsmiths University.