Mission statement

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Pan-African visions of black solidarity have been historically rooted in the collective memory of literature and culture. The values and practices connecting continental Africa and the wider black diaspora, surviving through shared historical upheavals, have often been espoused in literary and cultural production, mediating

conversations across time, geography, class, and gender.

As the uneven distribution of the benefits and burdens of globalization continues to have a disproportionately negative effect on black communities worldwide, the need and promise of pan-diasporic cooperation becomes even more relevant. By promoting collective action and collaboration, black solidarity continues to hold potential for the empowerment of people of African descent, and ultimately for a

more equitable and inclusive global community.

The New York Black and African Literature Festival is a contribution in this regard. It continues the work of bringing the collective consciousness of continental and diasporic communities into communication with each other, whilst revisiting and reimagining what progress looks like, in the dialectic spirit of Sankofa.

The three-day festival will hold space for writers, poets, thinkers, artists, and activists - in the psycho-geographic site of the Harlem Renaissance and Black Arts Movement - to reflect, collaborate, and expand existing networks of cultural production and distribution. 

Activities will include a dynamic mix of panel discussions, readings, workshops, community outreaches, and performances, drawing guests from across the global black diaspora and Africa. The festival’s key objectives remain: to pursue radically inclusive spaces, particularly for literary and cultural producers of African descent, and to facilitate the flow of literature and cultural products between the continent and the diaspora, leveraging emergent frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the robust and diverse cultural ecosystem of publishers, agents, festivals, and cultural workers, shapeshifting across forms and disciplines, with stories and ideas stretching across the Atlantic for new audiences.

The expansive universe of African thought has always allowed for multiple ideas to coexist in tender proximity to each other, even when in contradiction. The festival will actively pursue the platforming of new and diverse voices, and create an environment that increases our awareness of today’s issues and inspires

collaborative action.

Details to follow.

Efe Paul-Azino

Festival Director