IMPORTANT UPDATE- March 25, 2020: To ensure everyone’s safety and well-being in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic, we are postponing our 2nd Annual National Antiracist Book Festival until Saturday, April 24, 2021.

The 2nd annual National Antiracist Book Festival, the only book festival of its kind organized around authors writing for racial equity and justice, will be hosted by The Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University’s Washington College of Law on Saturday, April 25. Along with nationally renowned writers, journalists, poets, and scholars who have recently published critically acclaimed books, the festival will include writing workshops for aspiring writers with leading book editors and literary agents.

“We are absolutely thrilled about this powerful, diverse, and influential list of 48 who are confirmed,” said Ibram X. Kendi, center executive director and National Book Award-winning author. “To have all these award-winning and bestselling and critically acclaimed authors under one roof, on one day, in conversation with each other and engaged citizens—again, we are excited. I can’t wait to deepen my knowledge. We can’t wait until April 25th.”
 
Sample of authors in attendance:

#1 New York Times bestselling authors Celeste Ng and Jason Reynolds

National Book Award winners Jacqueline Woodson, Ibram X. Kendi, and Sarah Broom

New York Times bestselling authors Kiley Reid, Chanel Miller, Min Jin Lee, Anand Giridharadas, Bassey Ikpi, Emily Bazelon, and Charles King

National Book Award finalists Kali Fajardo-Anstine, David Treuer, and Albert Woodfox

MSNBC’s Eddie Glaude Jr. and Karine Jean-Pierre

Award-winning poet and Kirkus Prize winner Saeed Jones

Women’s March co-organizer Linda Sarsour

National Book Award long-lister and Princeton professor Keeanga Yamahtta-Taylor

Andrew Carnegie Medal winner Kiese Laymon

Critically acclaimed cultural critic and Rutgers professor Brittney Cooper

The National Antiracist Book Festival provides a unique opportunity for festival attendees to engage with the best writers and thinkers in antiracism. The festival creates a celebratory, thought-provoking and inspiring space for writers and readers of books on racism, and books that are striving for antiracism and racial justice. Attendees have the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the complexities of race and racism. Last year’s event saw the participation of an upwards of 3,000 attendees, and during last year’s event, the hashtag for the event, #AntiracistBookFest, was the number one trending topic on Twitter in D.C.

The National Antiracist Book Festival will be a ticketed event. Ticketed portions will include author panel discussions and workshops for aspiring writers. All proceeds from ticket sales will support the work of The Antiracist Research & Policy Center. The center is based on a vision of change that’s grounded in historical revelation and focused on policy change.  

The National Antiracist Book Festival will be held on AU’s Washington College of Law campus in the neighborhood of Tenleytown, Washington, D.C. Busboys and Poets and Mahogany Books are booksellers for the fest.

Tickets and schedule information: https://antiracismcenter.com/national-antiracist-book-festival/