Happy New Year! We made it to another year of celebrating Black women writers. Thanks to Torch community members like you, we raised $37,000 in individual giving support in 2025. We’re excited to see how much more we can accomplish in 2026. These unrestricted contributions help us with programming, sustaining the organization, paying Torch features, and much more.

In 2026, we’re excited to:

• Open the Torch Center: Opening in February 2026, the Torch Center is our first physical location dedicated to Black women writers and doubling as a literary community and creative space for writers, creatives, and other community organizations.

• Hire a New Torch Team Member: Torch is hiring for an Administrative Associate position to work part-time at the Torch Center! You can find out more about the position here.

• Celebrate 20 years at A Gathering of Flames: Torch is celebrating 20 years of community with an intentional and transformative weekend full of programming for writers, lovers of the literary arts, and supporters of Torch’s mission from September 25-27. Sign up here for updates.

• Host our First Writing Circle of the Year: We know that one of your resolutions this year is to finish that project. Come write in community by joining us for the first Writing Circle of the year on January 12. Sign up here.

Interested in learning more about what we have in store for 2026? You can watch our “Fueling Torch’s Flame” webinar online now! You’ll hear board members, staff, and community members talk about the importance of supporting Black women writers and the impact Torch Literary Arts has made on their lives. You can watch the webinar here using this passcode: We!rL4%Y.

This year, we're celebrating our community, from our first Torch Feature to our newest newsletter subscriber. We're excited to keep growing our community with intention and love. Here's to 2026!

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About Torch Literary Arts

Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit established with love and intention in 2006 to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. Torch has featured work by Toi Derricotte, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, Elizabeth Alexander, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, workshops, an annual retreat, and special events. 

Help Torch continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today.

Media Contact Information:

Brittany Heckard

Communications Associate

bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org 

(512) 641-9251