18th National Black Writers Conference
Wild Seeds Retreat for Writers of Color
Thursday, February 19, 2026 - Sunday, February 22, 2026 Winter 2026 Virtual Retreat
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Writers on Writing with Dr. Brenda M. Greene
Writers on Writing Interview
with Maurice Carlos Ruffin
Dr. Brenda Greene interviews Maurice Carlos Ruffin, award-winning writer and author of The American Daughters, a New York Times Editors Choice. Ruffin’s novel The American Daughters (One World, 2025) introduces the “Daughters,” New Orleans Black women who served as spies in the Civil War. Ruffin, Greene and Ruffin discuss his motivation for writing the novel, his research and writing processes ,and his writing life. Ruffin, a professor of creative writing at Louisiana State University, is the recipient of many awards and the author of The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You and We Cast a Shadow.
Writers on Writing Interview
with Victoria Christopher Murray
Professor Donna Hill, Executive Director for the Center for Black Literature, sits down with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Victoria Christopher Murray to discuss her latest historical novel Harlem Rhapsody. The novel dives into the real life of Jessie Redmon Fauset, considered the mother of the Harlem Renaissance, and the love interest of W.E.B. Dubois. Fauset is responsible for launching the careers of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Ann Petry, and Nella Larsen, to name a few. Christopher Murray discusses her extensive research for this project, the impact it has had on readers and what's next.
About the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY
For 20 years, the programs of the Center for Black Literature (CBL) have had a dynamic impact in the literary field. The highly anticipated author readings and book signings, journals, symposia, conferences, panel discussions, and writing workshops—and the Center’s intellectual and accessible approach to programming—form an integrative approach to programming that sets CBL apart from others. CBL’s events are known for the way they ensure that Black literary scholarship and conversations are valued and sustained.
Contact Us
Center for Black Literature (CBL)
at Medgar Evers College, CUNY
1534 Bedford Avenue | 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, New York 11216
(Click HERE for the Postal Mailing Address)
Main Phone: (718) 804-8884
Main Office: info@centerforblackliterature.org
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To carry out our literary programs and special events, we depend on financial support from the public. Donations are welcome year-round. Please click HERE to donate. Thank you!
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