On Saturday, November 2, join us at Langston Hughes Library for the 11th Annual Literary Arts Festival! This is an opportunity to meet and hear from prominent and emerging writers, learn more about the publishing industry, and see a performance.

The festival includes a film about Langston Hughes, author Wayétu Moore in discussion with Regina Bernard-Carreño, and a presentation by publishing professional Jennifer Baker. It also features an open mic, a Newtown Literary poets’ panel moderated by Allison Escoto, and a Literature to Life presentation of Junot Diaz’s The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

Queens resident Jennifer Baker says, "As a publishing professional of over 16 years, much of what I've done in my work has been to make connections. Not necessarily in the sense of the sometimes obscure idea of 'networking,' but more so to build relationships, particularly between those in marginalized communities in an industry we're not always visible in."

"My podcast, Minorities in Publishing, is a testament to the work, joys, and experiences marginalized people (including BIPOC--Black, Indigenous, People of Color) have faced within publishing," Baker continues. "In discussing this on Saturday, I want to frame things honestly as well as hopefully. Many of us are here doing this work and we're looking forward to the additional faces to be added to publishing over the years as creators and industry professionals."

The festival’s theme is Raising Consciousness through Literature, and the poets’ panel will discuss writers of color as whole people. Moderator Alison Escoto is the head librarian at the Center for Fiction. 

Read about festival speaker Wayétu Moore in our magazine article from March/April 2019. Moore’s debut novel, She Would Be King, was named a best book of 2018 by Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Entertainment Weekly, and BuzzFeed. She is a 2019 Distinguished Visiting Writer at Syracuse University’s MFA program.

Suggested for ages 13 and up, Literature to Life’s The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Junot Diaz, about an overweight science fiction enthusiast who dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien.

Don't miss this thought-provoking and inspiring day!