< Back Torch Announces the 2025 Nominations for the O. Henry Prize Oct 15, 2025 Two Torch Features, Jennifer Coley and Jessica Araújo, are nominated for their respective short fiction stories. The O. Henry Prize is the oldest major prize for short fiction in America. Awarded since 1919, the prize seeks to provide a prominent platform for short story writers from all around the world and at all points in their careers. The winners’ stories are collected and published annually by Anchor Books. Learn more about the prize here . Our Amazing Torch Nominees Include: “ Nosey ” by Jennifer Coley “ Call More Dead ” by Jessica Araújo ### 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 co ntinue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today. About Jennifer Coley Jennifer Coley is a writer from North Carolina. She is a graduate of East Carolina University, where she obtained a BA in Art History and an MA in Communication. She has self-published under the pseudonym Jaxon Z. Carroll on Amazon. Her work has also been published in midnight & indigo: Twenty-two Speculative Stories by Black Women Writers (Issue 4) . She has always had a love for storytelling, and when she is not writing, she is probably thinking about writing. About Jessica Araújo Jessica Araújo (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of English at the Community College of Rhode Island. She has her MA in Literature and MFA in Creative Writing from William Paterson University. Her works have been published in Sad Girl Diaries Literary Magazine, Wingless Dreamer, Cathexis Northwest Press, and Midnight & Indigo. Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next

< Back Shannon Johnson Board Member Shannon Johnson has over 20 years of technology experience in Fortune 100 companies, start-ups, and management consulting. She has led technology teams at Merck, Ernst & Young, Dell, and BigCommerce. In addition, Shannon was recognized as Central Texas Black Business Journal’s Most Influential Technologist for 2021 and 2022. Shannon is passionate about empowering women and mentoring the next generation of young leaders. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for VentureLab and previously served on Girlstart’s Central Texas Council and UT Austin’s WIELD board. Shannon holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems and a Master of Arts in the Human Dimension of Organizations – both from The University of Texas at Austin. She also holds certifications in several areas of expertise including Change Management, Agile, and Project Management. Outside of work, Shannon enjoys supporting local business creatives, writing down thoughts for her next book or screenplay, and traveling with her two daughters.

< Back Dr. Sequoia Maner Board Chair Dr. Sequoia Maner is an Assistant Professor of English at Spelman College where she teaches classes about 20-21st century African American literature and culture. She is the author of the prize-winning poetry chapbook Little Girl Blue (2021, Host Publications) and co-editor of the book Revisiting the Elegy in the Black Lives Matter Era (2020, Routledge). Sequoia’s 33 1/3 book about Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly debuted summer 2022 (Bloomsbury). Her poem “upon reading the autopsy of Sandra Bland” was a finalist for the 2017 Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Prize and her essays, poems, and reviews can be found in venues such as Meridians , Obsidian , The Langston Hughes Review , The Feminist Wire , Auburn Avenue , and elsewhere. She is at work on a poetic memoir about the foster care system in Los Angeles.

< Back Torch Feature Yael Valencia Aldana Receives Pushcart Prize May 31, 2024 For the second year in a row, a Torch Feature has received a Pushcart Prize for their amazing work published in Torch Magazine. AUSTIN, Tex., May 31, 2024 – Torch Literary Arts is thrilled to announce that Yael Valencia Aldana has been awarded the Pushcart Prize for “ Black Person Head Bob ” published June 9, 2023, as a Torch Friday Feature! Her poem will be published in Pushcart Prize XLIX , the 49th edition. Yael Valencia Aldana is a Caribbean Afro-Latinx writer and poet. She is a descendant of the indigenous people of modern-day Colombia. Her work has appeared or is upcoming in Typehouse, South Florida Poetry Journal, Cutbank Journal, and Slag Glass City, among others . She teaches creative writing in South Florida, where she lives with her son and too many pets. You can visit her website and follow her on Instagram and Twitter . This is the second year that a Torch Feature has received a Pushcart Prize. Torch considers all accepted features for external award nominations. We accept submissions of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and script (plays and screenplays) by Black women writers on a rolling basis. You can learn more about our submission guidelines here . ### 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 The Pushcart Prize The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses series, published every year since 1976, is the most honored literary project in America - including Highest Honors from the American Academy of Arts and Letters . Since 1976, hundreds of presses and thousands of writers of short stories, poetry and essays have been represented in our annual collections. Each year most of the writers and many of the presses are new to the series. Every volume contains an index of past selections, plus lists of outstanding presses with addresses. Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next

< 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 Celebrating a New Year with a Growing Community Jan 2, 2026 Taking the time to thank you all for your support in 2025 and share exciting news for 2026. 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! ### 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 Previous Next

< Back Torch Raises over $6,000 during Amplify Austin Campaign Mar 7, 2025 Joining over 700 nonprofits for one of the largest giving days in Central Texas, Torch raised over $6,000 to amplify Black women writers worldwide. Thanks to generous support from the Torch community, Torch raised $6,175 for this Amplify Austin campaign. With support from community organizations, board matches, individual donations, and an open mic celebration, Torch once again proved the power of community and necessary support for Black women storytellers. To help incentivize givers and Instagram followers who shared about our campaign, we garnered support from local small businesses in Austin and around the state. Thanks to their contributions, supporters were eligible for raffle prizes from: ACL Live , Colton House , Jupiter Supper Club , Austin FC , Dallas Wings , Red River Rising / The Moody Center , Austin Symphony Orchestra , Round Rock Express , Kendra Scott , and Soup Peddler . We also want to thank our generous board! Every board member donated to our Amplify Austin campaign, showing true support and belief in our mission to amplify Black women writers, which makes us eligible for more prizes from I Live Here I Give Here’s 100% board support initiative. We also celebrated the end of Amplify Austin’s 24-hour giving period with an open mic celebration, The Turn Up at DAWA HQ . Over 30 people attended to listen to and share original work and communed with each other to celebrate being back together for an unforgettable open mic experience. If you didn’t get a chance to donate, y ou can still support our Amplify Austin campaign! While you won't be entered for any prizes, you will still have the same priceless impact on Black women storytellers worldwide. To donate, please visit amplifyatx.org/organizations/torch-literary-arts . 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 Day I Live Here I Give Here’s signature program, Amplify Austin Day, is the biggest day of giving in Central Texas, raising $112.7 million for the local community since 2013. During a single 24-hour period, from 6 p.m. March 5 to 6 p.m. March 6, residents across a seven-county region will come together to support more than 700 nonprofits by making a donation through the platform AmplifyATX.org . About I Live Here I Give Here I Live Here I Give Here connects individual donors and volunteers with local causes they care about. As a nonprofit, they offer community-wide events and year-round specialty programming for businesses, individuals and the broader nonprofit community to make giving possible for everyone. For more information, visit ILiveHereIGiveHere.org . Previous Next

In the Press

< Back Sheree L. Ross Advisory Board Member Sheree L. Ross is an award-winning writer and Wealth Literacy Activist. She is founder of the popular social media platform Women Filmmakers of Color @womenfilmofcolr with over 18,000 followers on Twitter. Sheree is also the author of Affirming Life - A Daily Meditation and Affirming Business: For Career and Entrepreneurial Excellence. She was a co-writer for the Audible narrative drama, Loops, starring Vivica A. Fox, produced by Migrante Media, and her romantic comedy screenplay, Accidental Hearts, is in development with AdeRisa Productions. Sheree’s passion is around financial and wealth literacy, especially as it pertains to artists of color. She uses her metaphysical practice, business degree, and entrepreneurial background to push thought beyond perceived limitations towards more personal empowerment and success for Black women and queer people of color.

< Back Dalia Azim Board Member Dalia Azim is a writer born in Canada and raised in the United States. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post , The New York Times , American Short Fiction , and Poets & Writers , among other places. Her first novel, Country of Origin , was published in 2022 and received the Discovery Award from the Writers’ League of Texas. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her family and is the COO of the Texas Book Festival.

< Back June is a Celebratory Time for Black Women Writers Jun 1, 2026 This June, we’re celebrating queerness, Black Texans, Caribbean heritage, and lyricists who bring their magic and impact to the Torch community. Every June, Torch is elated to celebrate the intersectionalities of the Black women writers in our community. Every word written and shared by our community members honors parts of their identity that make their unique work so memorable. This June, we’re celebrating Juneteenth, Pride Month, Caribbean Heritage Month, and Black Music Month at Torch. As a Black-led and serving nonprofit organization based in Texas, our celebration of Juneteenth is nothing new. Before Juneteenth was a federal holiday, it was a celebration of freedom, community, and strength for Black Texans everywhere. While we recognize how monumental and important Juneteenth is, we also acknowledge the work we must do together to continue freeing ourselves. Pride Month is also celebrated every June at Torch. We love celebrating our staff, writers, and community members who live their lives fully and proudly, providing readers and supporters a safe space to learn, exist, and expand. Queer Black women and nonbinary writers are critical to challenging us to truly understand radical existence outside of the constructs of gender, love, power, and sexuality. As a nonprofit committed to amplifying work across the Black diaspora, we’re proud to wish a Happy Caribbean Heritage Month to our Caribbean community. Amplifying their voices through our magazine and events highlights the need to learn from each other. Each definitive experience reminds us of how connected and dynamic we are. In celebration of Black Music Month, we want to thank the Black women lyricists who merge their writing with melody and music. Without Black music, and music from Black women in particular, the art form wouldn’t have the full depth and soulfulness that moves us today. Want to celebrate the work we’re doing to amplify Black women writers? Consider becoming a Community Impact Member (CIM) by donating at least $10 a month or $100 annually . Below are a few ways you can celebrate each month with us. Celebrate Juneteenth: Attend These Torch Events June 8th – Torch Writing Circle June 17th – In Conversation with Jacqueline Glover June 19th – Torch x AFS Screening: NATCHEZ Celebrate Pride Month: Read Work from Some of Torch Magazine’s Queer Features May 2026 Torch 20th Anniversary Special Feature Sharon Bridgforth February 2026 Feature Unoma Azuah Chiagoziem Jideofor Joy tabernacle KMT-Battle Mecca M. Miles Celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month: Read Work from Some of Torch Magazine’s Caribbean Features April 2026 Feature Malika Booker November 2025 Feature Myriam J. A. Chancy Puschart Prize Winner Yael Valencia Aldana Chennelle Channer Alana Benoit Celebrate Black Music Month: Read Work from Some of Torch Magazine’s Songwriters August 2024 Feature Andrea Vocab Sanderson January 2022 Feature Shayla Lawson Jae Broderick Alexa Patrick ### 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 Previous Next

< Back Hallie S. Hobson Advisory Board Member Hallie S. Hobson contributes to the vitality and health of philanthropic and nonprofit institutions by developing and implementing innovative planning, fundraising, and patron engagement strategies including: philanthropic strategy development and implementation; capital campaign and strategic planning; individual giving program design; major gift pipeline development; department buildout and optimization-staffing and systems; chief development officer coaching; board development. Clients include Art Basel, Cave Canem Foundation, Destination Crenshaw, The Ford Foundation, The Friends of the High Line, Junebug Productions, The Laundromat Project, the New York Community Trust, and NPower. Prior to launching her consultancy, Hallie served as the Director of Institutional Advancement for the Studio Museum in Harlem and led that organization’s Capital Campaign. Prior to that she was at The Metropolitan Museum of Art where she served as Deputy Chief Development Officer for Individual Giving and the Senior Development Officer at The Museum of Modern Art. She has also held roles at several other cultural institutions including the New York Foundation for the Arts and The House Foundation for the Arts/Meredith Monk and has lectured about her profession at New York University, the Yale World Fellows Program, and Sotheby's Institute of Art. In addition, Hallie is an accomplished poet and playwright. She holds an M.F.A. in Playwriting from UCLA and a B.A. in African-American and Theater Studies from Yale University.