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< Back Torch Announces New Community Impact Member Donation Initiative Brittany Heckard May 28, 2025 The Community Impact Membership (CIM) program provides Torch’s monthly donors of at least $10 and annual donors of at least $100 with exclusive items and updates. At Torch, our mission is to uplift Black women writers through building a community where they are seen and heard. Our community, like our impact, is large and intentional. It is filled with emerging and experienced writers, lovers of authentic storytelling, and our supporters. A special group of supporters we want to acknowledge moving forward is our individual donors who give monthly and annually to fuel our mission. Individual giving strengthens our revenue stream with direct, unrestricted contributions. According to Giving USA’s 2024 Annual Report , individual donors accounted for 67% of total charitable donations in 2023. To say thank you to our individual donors, we’re introducing our Community Impact Membership (CIM) program for donors who give at least $10 monthly or $100 annually. CIMs will also receive various benefits depending on their sustainer level, including gifts like Torch stickers, T-shirts, event benefits, and more! You can check out our Community Impact Sustainer Levels and their benefits below. Community Impact Member Sustainer Levels Torch Community – $10 Monthly or $120 Annually Torch Sticker Monthly Newsletter Invitation to the Torch End of Year Celebration Invitation to Special Events Acknowledgment on our Website and in the Annual Report Torch Friend – $25 Monthly or $300 Annually Firestarter: Collection of Torch Writing Prompts (downloadable) Plus, all Community Member Benefits Torch Ally – $50 Monthly or $600 Annually Invitation to Torch Mixers Classic Torch Shirt Plus, all Community & Friend Member Benefits Torch Advocate – $100 Monthly or $1,200 Annually Limited Edition Broadside (high-quality print) Plus, all Community, Friend & Ally Member Benefits Torch Sustainer – $210 Monthly or $2,500 Annually Reserved Premium Seating Invitation to Exclusive Author Receptions Plus, all Community, Friend, Ally, and Advocate Member Benefits Torch Champion – $425 Monthly or $5,000 Annually Event Program Recognition Wall Recognition Plus, all Community, Friend, Ally, Advocate, and Sustainer Member Benefits All of the CIM donations are 100% tax-deductible. You can become a CIM by choosing one of the sustainer levels on our donation page at torchliteraryarts.org/donate . ### 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. Previous Next

< Back Austin Film Society Joins Torch Literary Arts as New Community Partners Feb 5, 2026 The two organizations will amplify a series of film screenings showcasing Black women screenwriters, directors, and films that reflect Black culture. Austin Film Society (AFS) and Torch Literary Arts (Torch) are partnering to amplify diversity in film at AFS Cinema. These film screenings will be mission-aligned with both organizations and start this month with screenings of Daughters of the Dust and Compensation . Daughters of the Dust (1991), written and directed by Julie Dash, is an intergenerational film about three Gullah women and their lives in the South Carolina islands in 1902. The film won Best Cinematography at Sundance in 1991, Grand Jury Prize Nominee at Sundance in 1991, and was featured at many film festivals, including Mill Valley, BFI London, New Orleans, and Chicago. The first screening is on February 17th. You can purchase tickets for a screening here . Compensation (1999), directed by Zeinabu irene Davis, is a film highlighting the lives of two deaf women living almost a century apart from each other, one living in 1900 and the other in 1990. The film will have ASL interpretation. The film won the Gordon Parks Directing Award from the Independent Feature Project. The first screening is on February 24th. You can purchase tickets for a screening here . “This partnership highlights screenwriters and filmmakers we love to support,” said Amanda Johnston, founder and executive director of Torch Literary Arts. “Producing events that amplify voices of Black women while also enjoying their work on screen is the type of intentional community building we strive for.” AFS and Torch are just steps away from each other at The LINC in the historic St. Johns area, allowing a collaborative partnership that is accessible and convenient for attendees. The partnership highlights the need for representation of Black women writers in cinema and an in-depth look at powerful stories that resonate with any audience. If you are a Torch Feature, Fellow, or CIM Member, please email us for a discount code for these two screenings before you purchase your ticket. You can learn more about Austin Film Society by visiting their website at austinfilmsociety.org . ### 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 Magazine has featured work by Toi Derricotte, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats. About Austin Film Society Founded in 1985 by filmmaker Richard Linklater, AFS creates life-changing opportunities for filmmakers, catalyzes Austin and Texas as a creative hub, and brings the community together around great film. AFS supports filmmakers towards career leaps, encouraging exceptional artistic projects with grants and support services. AFS operates Austin Studios, a 20-acre production facility, to attract and grow the creative media ecosystem. Austin Public, a space for our city’s diverse mediamakers to train and collaborate, provides many points of access to filmmaking and film careers. The AFS Cinema is an ambitiously programmed repertory and first run arthouse with broad community engagement. By hosting premieres, local and international industry events, and the Texas Film Awards, AFS shines the national spotlight on Texas filmmakers while connecting Austin and Texas to the wider film community. AFS is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next

< Back Torch Announces First Ever Nominations for Best New Poets Anthology Apr 29, 2026 Two Torch Features, Tiezst "Tie" Taylor and Mecca M. Miles, are Torch’s inaugural nominees for their outstanding poems. In celebrating National Poetry Month and of 20 years of creating space for Black women writers, Torch is excited to nominate two poems from Torch Magazine to the Best New Poets Anthology. This is the first time Torch has nominated poets, and is excited to add another national recognition to the many nominations Torch Features can be considered for. Other prizes Torch nominates its writers for include Best of the Net, the Pushcart Prize, and O. Henry Prize. “Nominating Torch Features for awards is one of the best parts of being Associate Editor for Torch Magazine,” said associate editor Jae Nichelle. “In this literary landscape where Black women writers have so many barriers to entry, nominating our features gives us one more way to spotlight the incredible writers in our community.” Created in 2005, the Best New Poets Anthology focuses on highlighting 50 poems from emerging writers across the United States and Canada. Nominations can come from literary magazines, annual writing competitions, and graduate-level programs. You can learn more about the Best New Poets Anthology here . Our Two Torch Nominees Are: " High John [a duplex] " by Tiezst "Tie" Taylor " God Whispers on Leyland Drive " by Mecca M. Miles ### 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. About Tiezst "Tie" Taylor Tiezst “Tie” Taylor is a Disabled Black femme who is non-binary trans. They are a radical educator, artist-activist, poet, and storyteller. They have earned degrees in education (B.A. in the individualized major of Teaching for Social Justice, New York University & M.S.Ed in Elementary Education, University of Pennsylvania), and are a proponent of disability justice and abolitionist frameworks. Their work explores their experiences in surviving: Disability and severe mental illness; intergenerational trauma and poverty; and intersecting forms of oppression. They use their art and research to educate, heal, nurture, radicalize, and catalyze change for all marginalized peoples. Tiezst is an Emerge 2025 Fellow with San Francisco State University’s Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability, where they are working on an essay for publication on the criminalization of mental illness as it intersects with Black woman / femme identity. They were a Spring 2024 Brooklyn Poets Fellow and a past awardee of the NYSCA/NYFA Artists with Disabilities Grant. Tie’s work appears or is upcoming in Lucky Jefferson , Querencia Press , Midway Journal , Shō Poetry Journal , and ANMLY . Follow Tiezst on Instagram @tiezst. About Mecca M. Miles Mecca M. Miles is a Black, queer writer and spoken word poet from San Antonio, Texas. Her work has appeared in such publications as Wellspringwords Literary Anthology , The San Antonio Review , Texas Bards Anthology , When the River Speaks , Voices de la Luna , Voices Along the River , and has been featured on Best of Button Poetry . She has competed nationwide, taking 8th in Florida at the Exit 36 Slam in 2023 and 8th in Dallas, TX at the Right to Write Slam in 2024. She has featured at a number of local venues and is the 2024/2025 Poetry Grand Slam Champion of San Antonio, TX. Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next

< Back Welcoming the New Year with Love and Community Brittany Heckard Jan 3, 2025 Taking the time to thank you all for your support in 2024 and share exciting news for 2025 Happy New Year! We made it to another year of celebrating Black women writers. Thanks to Torch community members like you, we surpassed our 2024 individual giving goal of $35,000 by raising $41,716. We’re excited to see how much more we can accomplish with our 2025 individual giving goal of $40,000 ! These unrestricted contributions help us with programming, sustaining the organization, paying Torch features, and much more. In 2024, we: Hosted over 80 events including free workshops, our Wildfire Reading Series, monthly open mics, virtual writing circles, and more. Paid over $80,000 to Torch Magazine Features, Retreat Fellows, authors, artists, and independent contractors. Hosted our inaugural Writers Across the Diaspora Program with support from Texas State University, Culture Ireland, and the Consul General of Ireland. Supported writers from Illinois; California; Texas; Nevada, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, and Lagos, Nigeria during our 2nd annual Torch Retreat. Received the Pushcart Prize Best of the Small Presses award for the second consecutive year. Interested in learning more about what we have in store for 2025? 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 Torch Literary Arts's impact on their lives (including some amazing readings by special guests Evie Shockley, avery r. young, and more!). You can watch the live webinar here using this passcode: EH+hXN8d . We’ll also start our Community Impact Member (CIM) program this year. When you donate to Torch, you’ll get exclusive access as a CIM. More information about CIM benefits and events will be coming soon! We can’t wait to see what we accomplish this year with you all! Previous Next

< Back Dana Weekes Board Treasurer Dana Tenille Weekes is the Founder and Principal of Thrive Architects, a public policy and professional development firm in Washington, DC. Before launching Thrive Architects, Dana worked for two AM Law 100 firms as a nationally recognized lawyer and policy strategist for nearly 15 years. Since she was a child, Dana has been fascinated by voice—when it is used, when it is silent, and when it is silenced. Her fascination (and now understanding of the “whys”) have led her to co-create platforms with directly impacted communities so that they can center their voices and wield the necessary influence for overdue conversations and change, whether in the worlds of policy, politics, or poetry. In 2021, Dana began writing poetry, which helped guide her to a year of rest in 2022. Her works have been published in Torch Magazine , Obsidian , Rhino Poetry , Apogee , The Elevation Review , and elsewhere

< Back Celebrating Torch and Black Philanthropy Month All August Long Aug 1, 2025 Torch is celebrating 19 years of community and impact with CIM goals, new updates, and more! In August of 2006, Torch was founded as a communal space to support Black women writers from all over the world. 19 years later, we’ve grown to a community of thousands and publish weekly and monthly paid features in Torch Magazine , which has received multiple Pushcart Prizes, hosted three Torch Retreats and supported 22 fellows, deliver creative and professional development workshops to hundreds of BIPOC participants, and over 7,000 followers enjoy Torch content on social media. None of this could be possible without your support. This Birthday Month, we have one wish: We want to gain 30 new Community Impact Members (CIMs) in August . Our CIMs are dedicated individual donors and small businesses who support Torch’s mission through annual and monthly donations of at least $10 a month or $100 annually. You can learn more about the program here . August is also Black Philanthropy Month , an international time of giving supporting Black-led nonprofits. Between our birthday and celebrating the network of other Black-led nonprofits, there’s so much to celebrate, and there’s no better time to become a CIM than now. If you’re interested in the work and impact of Black-led literary nonprofits like Torch, check out Magnitude and Bond , a field study on Black-led literary arts organizations. Here are a few ways you can support Torch this month: Ways to Celebrate Torch’s 19th Birthday Help us gain 30 new CIMs by donating here . Want to personalize a happy birthday message? Submit one here . August 11th – Join our Writing Circle Sign up for our newsletter here . We also have a few surprises coming up this month that we can’t wait to share and celebrate with you all. Stay tuned! ### 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. About Black Philanthropy Month Dr. Jacqueline Bouvier Copeland of Pan-African Women's Philanthropy Network and The WISE Fund established the month of August as Black Philanthropy Month in 2011 with recognition by the United Nations as part of its 2011 Declaration of the International Year for People of African Descent and its 2015-2024 Declaration of the International Decade for People of African Descent. The month-long observance invites all people of African ancestry and allied brothers and sisters to take August and beyond to promote the power of giving to transform lives. Learn more here . Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next

< Back Amanda Johnston Founder / Executive Director Amanda Johnston is a writer, visual artist, and the 61st Poet Laureate of Texas. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine. She is the author of two chapbooks, GUAP and Lock & Key , as well as the full-length collection Another Way to Say Enter. She is also the editor of the anthology Praisesong for the People: Poems from the Heart and Soul of Texas . Her work has appeared in numerous online and print publications, among them Callaloo , Poetry Magazine , The Moth Radio Hour, Bill Moyers, The Rumpus , and elsewhere. She has received fellowships, grants, and awards from Cave Canem, Hedgebrook, Tasajillo, the Kentucky Foundation for Women, The Watermill Center, American Short Fiction, and the Academy of American Poets. She is a former Board President of the Cave Canem Foundation and the founder of Torch Literary Arts.

< Back Help Torch Raise $10,000 during Amplify Austin’s 2025 Giving Campaign! Feb 10, 2025 For the third year in a row, Torch is participating in Austin’s metro-wide giving day to merge the Black women literary community with the wider Austin giving community. Torch is joining over 700 nonprofit local Austin organizations raise funds for their mission to amplify Black women writers. Merging the Torch community with the Austin philanthropist community, Torch sets a goal to raise $10,000. Amplify Austin’s official 24-hour giving day starts on March 5 at 6 p.m. CST and ends March 6 at 6 p.m. CST. Our fundraising page is open for early giving now! Donate today by visiting this link . Here are a few ways you can show your support during Amplify Austin: Donate directly to our Amplify Austin Campaign. To help us meet our fundraising goal, you can donate directly to our Amplify Austin page! This year, when you donate to Torch, you’ll also be included in raffles for some amazing prizes, thanks to community supporters like ACL Live, Colton House, Moody Center, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin FC, Dallas Wings, Kendra Scott, Round Rock Express, Soup Peddler, and Jupiter Supper Club. Utilize our Amplify Austin Toolkit. If you don't know exactly how to put into words Torch's impact on your life, that's okay! We have plenty of prompts, ideas, and graphics in our Amplify Austin toolkit that you can use. Click here to access the toolkit . Amplify our Instagram post. Sharing our information with your peers is another great way to reach future supporters and community members for free! When you follow the directions on our pinned Instagram post, you’ll also be entered into the raffle prizes from our community supporters. Create a fundraising page in support. How has Torch impacted your life? You can create a fundraising page sharing your personal Torch testimony and invite your friends and family directly to your fundraising page to show others how important Torch is to community members like you. Celebrate our impact on Amplify Austin Day. We’ll celebrate Amplify Austin Day in person on March 6 at DAWA HQ at 7 p.m . Celebrate by hearing words from the Torch team, open mic, and more! For more details about Amplify Austin, visit amplifyatx.org . ### About Torch Literary Arts Torch Literary Arts (TORCH) 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, writing workshops, and retreats. Help TORCH continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today. About Amplify Austin Amplify Austin Day is the biggest giving event in Central Texas. For 24-hours, residents across our seven-county region are invited to participate by giving back to the local nonprofits that do so much good for our community! Since 2013, Amplify Austin Day has proudly raised $112.7 Million for 1,507 nonprofits. This online giving event is organized by the nonprofit, I Live Here I Give Here and supported by amazing partners. Previous Next

< Back Austin Community Foundation Announces Torch Literary Arts as one of The Black Fund Grant Partners Brittany Heckard Jan 30, 2024 The Black Fund’s recognition of Torch Literary Arts as a grant partner allows Torch to continue hosting special events for Black women writers in the Austin community. AUSTIN, Tex., January 30, 2024 – Torch Literary Arts (Torch) was recently granted a semifinalist grant partner award from Austin Community Foundation’s The Black Fund. Torch is one of five arts, culture, and preservation impact area nonprofits to receive a grant from the fund. The grant will be used to fund Torch’s in-person special events supporting Black women writers in Austin. “ Funding Black-led and serving organizations is one of many critical steps needed to preserve Black culture in Austin,” said Amanda Johnston, founder and executive director of Torch. “Organizations like Torch, and the many others receiving a grant from The Black Fund, exist as safe-havens for Black people looking for their community.” Institutionally, funding for Black-led and serving organizations is scarce as these organizations are often neglected by larger foundations compared to other nonprofits. According to the Black Nonprofit Fundraising Guide , philanthropic racial bias leads to Black communities being underfunded by $2 billion. The Stanford Social Innovation Review found that Black-led organizations’ revenue is 45% smaller than white-led organizations despite focusing on the same work. Austin Community Foundation launched The Black Fund in 2022 with the purpose of addressing the systemic racial inequities present in Austin. Over three years, the fund will invest over $1 million dollars to Black-led and Black-serving nonprofit organizations in the Central Texas region. The Black Fund invests in the following impact areas: arts, culture, and preservation; education; health and wellness; power building, organizing, and advocacy; and wealth building. Austin Community Foundation was established in 1977 with the goal of meeting community needs in Central Texas. To date, the foundation has given over $500 million to over 1300 nonprofits across Central Texas. Their vision of advancing economic mobility is mobilized through their programs like The Black Fund, Hispanic Impact Fund, Women’s Fund, and FundATX. For more information about Torch Literary Arts, please visit https://www.torchliteraryarts.org/ or follow @torchliteraryarts on Instagram. ### About Torch Literary Arts Torch Literary Arts (Torch) 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, writing workshops, and retreats. Help Torch continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today. About Austin Community Foundation Austin Community Foundation was created through the generosity of one woman, Fannie Gray Files Leo . She wanted a way to provide for her favorite charities and upon her death, she earmarked five percent of her estate ($30,000) to create Austin Community Foundation. In 1977, a group of business leaders, led by Fannie Gray’s bank trust officer, officially founded Austin Community Foundation. In creating the foundation, Austin followed the example of hundreds of cities across the country with the goal to meet community needs and inspire local philanthropists to create endowments to generate earnings and distribute grants. Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next

< Back Ending the Year Strong with Community Impact and Growth Brittany Heckard Dec 29, 2025 Taking time to thank you all for your support in 2025 and share plans to end the year strong. We made it to the end of another year of celebrating Black women writers. Thanks to Torch community members like you, we’re almost to our 2025 individual giving goal of $40,000. We need $9,089 by the end of the year to reach our goal ! These unrestricted contributions help us with programming, sustaining the organization, paying Torch features, and much more. In 2025, we: Hosted over 50 events, including free workshops, our Wildfire Reading Series, virtual writing circles, the Torch Retreat, and more. Paid over $51,000 to Torch Magazine Features, Retreat Fellows, authors, artists, and independent contractors. Continued our Writers Across the Diaspora Program with support from the Consulate General of Ireland - Austin . Started a new program , Welcome Table Talk , in collaboration with the Wintergreen Women Writers Collective . Supported 8 fellows from Iowa, California, Texas, and Michigan during our 3rd Annual Torch Retreat . Received the inaugural AWP Writing Organization Award . Started construction on The Torch Center, set to open in January . Grew our Instagram following to 11k+ followers. With your help, we can reach our individual giving goal to start the year strong! Your donation helps support Black women writers and empowers storytelling from emerging and experienced writers around the world. 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 live webinar here using this passcode: We!rL4%Y We can’t wait to see what we accomplish next year with you! ### 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 notable authors such as Toi Derricotte, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, and Sapphire, among 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 Previous Next

< Back Torch Returns to the 2026 AWP Conference in Baltimore Mar 3, 2026 For four days, Torch will join other writing organizations, writers, publishers, students, and more at the largest literary conference in the country. Just one year after being awarded the inaugural Writing Organization Award by the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) , Torch is returning to the conference to highlight Black women writers. Events include a 20th Anniversary panel, Torch Feature & Fellow book signings, a Torch community photo, and more. Our Book Fair location will be booth #1264 . AWP recognizes writing conferences, festivals, centers, and other organizations that serve the writing community. AWP’s mission is to amplify the voices of writers and the academic programs and organizations that serve them. The association is committed to its members and the literary community, preserving writers’ intellectual property and their staff. The nonprofit was established in 1967 by fifteen writers across thirteen creative writing programs. You can learn more about AWP at awpwriter.org . We are excited to reunite with Torch community members, including Features, Fellows, workshop attendees, readers, and supporters! Don’t miss our programs: Thursday, March 5: 11:00 a.m. - Torch Fellow m. mick powell , author of Dead Girl Cameo , will be at our booth at 11 a.m. for a book signing. 12:15 p.m . - Attend our Torch 20th Anniversary Reading featuring Saida Agostini, Teri Ellen Cross Davis, Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Ph.D., and Amanda Johnston in Room 318-319, Level 300, Baltimore Convention Center (Session Code: T164). Friday, March 6: 11:00 a.m. - Torch Feature by Khalisa Rae , author of Ghost in a Black Girl’s Throat , will be at our booth for a book signing. Saturday, March 7: 11:00 a.m. - Join the Torch community at Torch booth #1264for a group photo! About Torch Literary Arts Torch Literary Arts (Torch) 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, writing workshops, and retreats. Help Torch continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today. About AWP AWP is a professional association of creative writers and writing programs. AWP provides support, advocacy, resources, and community to nearly 50,000 writers, 550 college and university creative writing programs, and 150 writers’ conferences and centers. The AWP Conference & Bookfair is the annual destination for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers of contemporary creative writing. It includes thousands of attendees, hundreds of events and bookfair exhibitors, and four days of essential literary conversation and celebration. About m. mick powell m. mick powell is a queer Black Cape Verdean femme, an artist, an Aries, and the author of the chapbook threesome in the last Toyota Celica (Host Publications, 2023). Their debut full-length collection, DEAD GIRL CAMEO , is forthcoming from One World Books/Random House in Summer 2025. An assistant professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Connecticut and a 2023 Tin House Resident, mick enjoys chasing waterfalls and being in love. Keep up with them at www.mickpowellpoet.com or @ mickmakesmagic.art on IG. About Saida Agostini Saida Agostini is a queer Afro-Guyanese poet, and author of the full-length collection, let the dead in (Alan Squire Publishing, 2022). A Cave Canem Graduate Fellow, she has been awarded residencies at Saltonstall, VCCA and Blue Mountain Center, amongst others. About Teri Ellen Cross Davis Teri Ellen Cross Davis is the author of a more perfect Union and Haint . Her fellowships and awards include The Journal/Charles B. Wheeler Poetry Prize, the Ohioana Book Award for Poetry, and a Maryland Individual Artist Award. She curated the O.B. Poetry Series at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C. About Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Ph.D. Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Ph.D., is the author of three books: Big Girl , a New York Times Editors’ Choice and winner of the Balcones Fiction Prize and the Next Generation Indie Book Award for First Novel; T he Poetics of Difference: Queer Feminist Forms in the African Diaspora , winner of the William Sanders Scarborough Prize from the MLA; and the short story collection, Blue Talk and Love , winner of the Judith Markowitz Award from Lambda Literary. She has earned honors from Bread Loaf, the Institute for Citizens and Scholars, the Mellon Foundation, the Center for Fiction, the NEA, and others. Originally from Harlem, NY, she is Professor of English at Georgetown University in Washington DC. About Khalisa Rae Khalisa Rae is an award-winning poet, educator, and journalist in Durham, NC. She is the author of the debut poetry collection, Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat (Red Hen Press 2021), and Contributing Writer for Kindred . Her essays are featured in Autostraddle , Catapult , LitHub , as well as articles in Jezebel , Blavity , B*tch Media , NBC-BLK, and others. Her poetry appears in Southern Humanities Review , Gravy , Frontier Poetry , Florida Review , Rust & Moth , PANK , HOBART , among countless others. She is the winner of the Appy Award, Vulgar Genius, Bright Wings Poetry contest, the Furious Flower Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Prize, among other prizes. Currently, she serves as Publications Coordinator for Split This Rock and EIC of Think in Ink BIPOC collective. Her YA novel in verse, Unlearning Eden , is forthcoming. Follow Khalisa on her website and on Instagram . About Amanda Johnston Amanda Johnston is a writer, visual artist, and the 61st Poet Laureate of Texas. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine. She is the author of two chapbooks, GUAP and Lock & Key , as well as the full-length collection Another Way to Say Enter. She is also the editor of the anthology Praisesong for the People: Poems from the Heart and Soul of Texas . Her work has appeared in numerous online and print publications, among them Callaloo , Poetry Magazine , The Moth Radio Hour, Bill Moyers, The Rumpus , and elsewhere. She has received fellowships, grants, and awards from Cave Canem, Hedgebrook, Tasajillo, the Kentucky Foundation for Women, The Watermill Center, American Short Fiction, and the Academy of American Poets. She is a former Board President of the Cave Canem Foundation and the founder of Torch Literary Arts. Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next

< Back Celebrate Torch’s 18th Birthday & Our Mission to Amplify Black Women Writers Brittany Heckard Aug 2, 2024 Our wish this August is to gain 18 new monthly recurring Torch supporters & more! Find out how to celebrate our birthday with events, well wishes, and donations. Do you know what this month is? It’s Torch’s Anniversary. Can you believe that we’re celebrating our 18th year of operations? We can! Mainly because since our inception in 2006, our community has been full of supportive, uplifting, and dedicated people who see and understand the importance of Black women writers. This Birthday Month, we want to turn it up a notch. After all, what 18th birthday isn’t full of fun? To celebrate our 18th birthday, our one birthday wish is to gain 18 new recurring monthly donors and one-time donations of $18 from our loving community. Growing our recurring givers helps us ensure that we are meeting our fundraising goals to provide the necessary support we offer Black women writers all over the world. Since our start in 2006, we’ve grown significantly, thanks to our Torch community! We’ve grown our staff to include part-time positions like associate editor, communications associate, programs associate, content fellow, programs fellow, and hopefully more. Our spring and fall seasons are filled with free workshops, readings, writing circles, monthly open mics, and special events and partnership. None of this could be possible without your support. August is also Black Philanthropy Month , an international giving day supporting Black-led nonprofits. Between our birthday and celebrating the network of other Black-led nonprofits, there’s so much to celebrate! Here are a few ways you can support Torch this month: Ways to Celebrate Torch’s 18th Birthday Help us gain 18 new recurring donors by donating here and “make it monthly!” Give a one-time donation of $18 or more here ! Want to personalize a happy birthday message? Submit one here . August 20th – Meet us at The Salon August 26th – Join our Writing Circle August 29th – Torch Virtual Panel (details coming soon) We can’t wait to celebrate this joyous month with you all! ### 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. About Black Philanthropy Month Dr. Jacqueline Bouvier Copeland of Pan-African Women's Philanthropy Network and The WISE Fund established the month of August as Black Philanthropy Month in 2011 with recognition by the United Nations as part of its 2011 Declaration of the International Year for People of African Descent and its 2015-2024 Declaration of the International Decade for People of African Descent. The month-long observance invites all people of African ancestry and allied brothers and sisters to take August and beyond to promote the power of giving to transform lives. Learn more here . Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next