Torch's annual retreat for Black women writers with works-in-progress across poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and script. Fellows enjoy a week-long stay at the Colton House Hotel in Austin, TX where they can write, rest, and dream. 2027 Torch Retreat July 18 - 25, Austin, TX Torch Literary Arts is proud to provide our annual creative writing retreat. We welcome applications from Black women writers with major works-in-progress across poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction (memoir or lyric essays), and script (plays or screenplays). The Torch Retreat will return in 2027. We invite everyone to A Gathering of Flames: Celebrating 20 Years of Torch Literary Arts on September 25-27, 2026. Applications Are Closed Amplifying Black Women Writers Since 2006 Dedicated Writing Time Fellows receive plenty of time for dedicated writing devoted to their works-in-progress. We gently support you in your writing goals for the week by providing group check-ins and the opportunity to share your progress in a nurturing environment. Comfortable Accommodations Your comfort matters. The Colton House Hotel was carefully selected as the property for the Torch retreat to provide fellows with a plush environment where they may dream and write freely. Financial Support There is no fee to apply or attend the retreat. Each fellow will receive a $1,000 stipend to assist with travel, supplies, childcare, or anything else that helps make it possible for fellows to attend regardless of financial ability. Your Stay in Austin, TX Retreat fellows will stay at the beautiful Colton House Hotel . Accommodations include a private bedroom and bathroom in a two-bedroom suite with a shared living room and full kitchen. During your week-long retreat, you will receive dedicated writing time, breakfast and lunch provided, and ample time during the afternoons and evenings to rest, recharge, enjoy the hotel amenities, or explore the city. The retreat will also include guest speakers and a public reading by fellows at the end of the week. View photos from past retreats here . 2025 Torch Retreat Fellows 2024 Torch Retreat Fellows 2023 Torch Retreat Fellows

< Back Torch Literary Arts to Celebrate and Amplify Black Women Writers During the 2024 Texas Book Festival Nov 1, 2024 Over two days, Torch will host poet, essayist, and novelist Morgan Parker and Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson, and embark on a literary book crawl showcasing the works of the organization’s previous features. November is LIT-erary gold for Torch Literary Arts (Torch) and the Texas Book Festival (TBF). For the 3rd year in a row, Torch will join TBF as a partnering organization. As part of this partnership, Torch will welcome Morgan Parker and Lynne Thompson to Austin, along with a lineup of incredible Torch Features. In Morgan Parker's You Get What You Pay For and Lynne Thompson's Blue on a Blue Palette , the historical experiences of Black women drive the two writers' explorations. Morgan's essays, deeply intimate, witty, and personal, trace her experience in therapy as a way to examine racial consciousness and how America's cultural history has affected Black women in particular. Thompson's collection of poems, rooted in the jazz tradition and encompassing various shades of blue, traverses the multiplicities within the condition of women throughout history. These writers deconstruct what it means to survive and find joy within landscapes that threaten. You can catch Torch’s three amazing events at the Carver Museum, the Texas Capitol, or Speakeasy in community with other renowned Black women writers sharing their work. Check out our three events below: Friday, November 15 at the Carver Museum: Join us for a free kickoff reception and reading featuring our two Texas Book Festival visitors, Morgan Parker and Lynne Thompson, as they discuss their works and read from them in community with other Black women writers and Torch community members. Learn more and RSVP here . Saturday, November 16 at the Texas Capitol: In partnership with Texas Book Festival, join Morgan Parker and Lynne Thompson at the Texas Capitol as they discuss their literary works. We’ll delve into their backgrounds, the inspiration behind their writing, and much more. Learn more about the conversation online here . Saturday, November 16 at the Speakeasy: In partnership with Texas Book Festival, join us at 8pm for an inspiring evening of poetry and memoir by award-winning authors Amina Gautier, Lynne Thompson, Morgan Parker, Anastacia-Renee, and Amanda Johnston (host). Learn more about the Lit Crawl online here . Texas Book Festival is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating the culture of literacy and ideas. This is the Texas Book Festival’s 29th year hosting the festival and is one of the largest book festivals in the nation. The festival plans to have 275 acclaimed authors at events in and around the Texas Capitol and neighboring streets and venues. For more information about Torch Literary Arts, please visit https://www.torchliteraryarts.org/ or follow @torchliteraryarts on Instagram. For more information about the Texas Book Festival, including the free event schedule, please visit www.texasbookfestival.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 Morgan Parker Morgan Parker is a poet, essayist, and novelist. She is the author of the young adult novel Who Put This Song On?; and the poetry collections Other People’s Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night , There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé , and Magical Negro , which won the 2019 National Book Critics Circle Award. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, winner of a Pushcart Prize, and has been hailed by The New York Times as “a dynamic craftsperson” of “considerable consequence to American poetry.” Parker’s debut book of nonfiction, You Get What You Pay For , was published in March 2024. About Lynne Thompson Lynne Thompson served as Los Angeles’ 4th Poet Laureate and received a Poet Laureate Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets. She is the author of four collections of poetry, Beg No Pardon, winner of the Perugia Press Prize and the Great Lakes Colleges New Writers Award; Start With A Small Guitar (What Books Press) ; Fretwork , winner of the 2019 Marsh Hawk Poetry Prize selected by Jane Hirshfield; and,, Blue on a Blue Palette , published by BOA Editions in April 2024. A Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee, Thompson is the recipient of multiple awards including the George Drury Smith Award for Outstanding Achievement in Poetry, an Individual Artist Fellowship from the City of Los Angeles, the Tucson Literary Festival Poetry Prize, and the Steven Dunn Poetry Prize, as well as fellowships from the Summer Literary Series (Kenya) and the Vermont Studio Center. Thompson’s recent work can be found or is forthcoming in the literary journals Best American Poetry 2020, Kenyon Review, Georgia Review,, Copper Nickel , and Gulf Coast, as well as the anthology Dear Yusef: Essays, Letters, and Poems For and About One Mr. Komunyakaa , among others. About Amina Guatier Amina Gautier is the author of four award-winning short story collections, At-Risk, Now We Will Be Happy, The Loss of All Lost Things , and The Best That You Can Do . More than one hundred fifty of her short stories have been published in literary journals and anthologies. She is a recipient of the Blackwell Prize, Chicago Public Library Foundation’s 21st Century Award, the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, and International Latino Book Award, along with many other honors. For her body of work, she has been awarded the Pen/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, she now lives in Chicago and Miami. About Anastacia-Reneé Anastacia-Reneé is an award-winning cross-genre queer writer, educator, interdisciplinary artist, TEDX speaker and former Seattle Civic Poet. She is the author of Side Notes from the Archivist , (v.) , and Forget It . Her mixed media art has been exhibited at the Fry Art Museum and her installation, “Don’t Be Absurd (Alice in Parts),” was chosen by NBC as one of the “Queer Artist of Color Must See LGBTQ Arts Shows.” She has received fellowships and residencies from Cave Canem, Hedgebrook, VONA, Artist Trust, Ragdale, Mineral School and others. Renee’’s poetry, fiction and nonfiction has been anthologized and published widely. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. About Texas Book Festival The Texas Book Festival, the largest book event in Texas and one of the premier literary Festivals in the nation, returns for its 29th year on November 16–17 in downtown Austin! Free and open to all, attendees can look forward to a star-studded lineup of more than 250 authors, engaging programming for all ages, book signings, food trucks, cooking demonstrations, and a Saturday night Lit Crawl in East Austin. Learn more at www.texasbookfestival.org . Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next

< Back Website Updates: New Transparency Documents, Including Three-Year Strategic Plan Brittany Heckard Mar 22, 2024 Torch Literary Arts updates website to include transparency documents including IRS Form 990s, Annual Reports, and the 2024-2026 Strategic Plan. Being a nonprofit requires securing funding to continue operating into the future. This means that building trust and transparency is necessary for foundational support, individual donors, partners, and friends. We feel that clear, accessible information about Torch’s plans, review of yearly programmatic impact, and financial reporting to the IRS are important ways to show our community that we are committed to amplifying Black women writers. As a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, Torch wants to ensure all of our donors and friends know how much their contributions make an impact in the lives of the Black women writers we support. The easiest way is to remain transparent by making our financials and planning documents available to the public. You can now view Torch’s transparency documents by visiting torchliteraryarts.org/reports . How is Torch ensuring sustainable progress and setting measurable goals for the future? Starting last fall, Torch began a strategic planning process to envision detailed and measurable progress toward the mission to amplify Black women writers. The plan details priorities for the board, leadership and team, and community members. The three-year plan ends with the 20-year celebration of Torch in 2026 – a milestone for a community that will only continue to grow. View our strategic plan here . How is Torch keeping track of its impact? 2022 was Torch’s first year as a nonprofit organization. It’s also the first year of recording our programmatic impact – the many free workshops we’ve held, the amount of Friday Features we’ve published, and our financial statement. While annual reports aren’t required by law, we want to give you an inside look at Torch’s first year as a nonprofit. Celebrate the growth of Torch Literary Arts, our award-winning and globally recognized programs, and our partners and donors by viewing our 2022 annual report here . How is Torch keeping it really, real? We have the necessary Internal Revenue Service documentation to back it up. Our 2022 Form 990 is the necessary document all nonprofits must file to maintain their nonprofit status. If you want to take a deeper look into Torch’s financials including revenues, expenses, programmatic costs, etc. You can view our 2022 IRS Form 990 here . We hope that you review each of our documents and continue supporting Torch Literary Arts in the future. Be on the lookout for more transparency documents like our 2023 IRS Form 990 and 2023 annual report coming later this year! ### 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 Kicking Off 20 Years with the Spring 2026 Season Jan 29, 2026 Torch’s Spring 2026 Season builds on the history we've made in our 20 years of strengthening the literary community of Black women writers. To celebrate 20 years of literary excellence and community, we’re building on our programmatic foundation and adding more exciting collaborations. With the opening of the Torch Center, our space will be a literary paradise for new and long-time community members to gather and support each other. Our recurring events include the Writing Circle, which occurs twice a month on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings. You can sign up to write virtually with the global Torch community here . Our annual Torch Retreat will return in 2027 so that we can all gather in celebration at the 20th Anniversary event “ A Gathering of Flames . ” This three-day event celebrates Black women writers, supporters, features, fellows, and distinguished guests. Our special events this season include: Torch x AFS: Daughters of the Dust on February 17, 21, 22 Torch Literary Arts is a proud promotional partner of Austin Film Society (AFS). Join us for this special screening of Daughters of the Dust , written and directed by Julie Dash! Writers Across the Diaspora, San Marcos featuring Dr. Malika Booker on February 18 Join Torch Literary Arts, in partnership with the Texas State University English Department, and The Wittliff Collections, for Writers Across the Diaspora featuring award-winning British poet, Dr. Malika Booker! This is part of an annual partnership with Texas State, and the event is free and open to the public. Writers Across the Diaspora, Austin featuring Dr. Malika Booker on February 19 Returning to the George Washington Carver Museum in Austin, Torch is proud to present British poet Dr. Malika Booker for a reading and conversation with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the reading and conversation starting at 7:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Torch x AFS: Compensation on February 24, 28 Torch Literary Arts is a proud promotional partner of Austin Film Society (AFS). Join us for this special screening of Compensation , written by Marc Arthur Chéry, directed by Zeinabu irene Davis! Writing as Oath: Personal Truth-Telling in Memoir and Essay on February 28 This workshop comes directly from Torch Fellow, Star Davis’s own practice as a memoirist. Attendees will focus on personal truth-telling in memoir and personal essays. Participants are invited to bring a short excerpt from a current personal essay or memoir in progress for guided discussion and optional workshopping. The emphasis will be on craft, precision, and sustaining yourself as a writer while telling the truth of your life. AWP Conference Panel & Reading Celebrating 20 Years of Torch Literary Arts on March 5 This year, Torch Literary Arts will celebrate 20 years of publishing, promoting, and supporting Black women writers across the diaspora. Join us for this special anniversary panel and reading at the 2026 AWP Conference in Baltimore with Torch features Saida Agostini, Teri Ellen Cross Davis, Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Ph.D., and executive director Amanda Johnston. Welcome Table Talk on March 31 Wintergreen Women Writers Collective and Torch Literary Arts are returning March 31 for the intergenerational three-year project for Black women writers called Welcome Table Talks . The virtual discussions will cover various topics related to organization building, literary freedom, legacy, and more. The virtual discussions are free and open to all. More details to come! Wildfire Reading Series featuring Chiagoziem Jideofor on April 12 This is the first collaboration event presented by Host Publications and Torch Literary Arts. Join us for the launch of local remedies ! The event will include a reading and conversation with Jideofor, followed by a book signing. Light refreshments provided. Colored People’s Time (CPT) is Real Time is Real: Afrofuturism, the Speculative, the Surreal & the Fantastic on April 18 Afrofuturist theorist Rasheedah Phillips asserts that Colored People’s Time (CPT) is “a temporal technology, survival mechanism and harkening back to ancestral ways of observing and experiencing space-time.” How can we use time to explore the possibilities of Afrofuturism and surrealism in screenwriting? Writing exercises will foster experimentation across genres as we explore what makes an afro-futuristic, speculative, sci-fi story come to life. The Writer-as-Artisan: Writing as a Living Practice on May 23 It’s not unusual for a writer to feel a deep urge to write, yet lack a clear subject. So we sit around paralyzed, waiting for a ‘big idea’ to strike. But what if writing is not an arrival but a series of ongoings? In this workshop, we adopt the figure of the writer-as-artisan: someone for whom writing is a functional craft, a sustained practice, something not performed in the isolation of a room, but an attentive and communal posture towards the world. Carrying the Torch on June 20 Join Torch Literary Arts for the 4th Annual Carrying the Torch: A Reading and Remembrance for the Future . This special event acknowledges the historical significance of Juneteenth and celebrates the accomplishments of the African American community. Poets, writers, and guest speakers will share original work to acknowledge the federal holiday and celebrate the future of African Americans in Texas. Check out more details for specific events by visiting torchliteraryarts.org/events . We can’t wait to see 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 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. For more information about Torch Literary Arts, please visit https://www.torchliteraryarts.org/ or follow @torchliteraryarts on Instagram. Help Torch continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today. About Austin Film Society (AFS) 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. About Malika Booker Malika Booker is a lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, a British poet of Guyanese and Grenadian Parentage, and co-founder of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen (A writer’s collective). The Anthology - Two Young, Two Black, Too Different, Poems from Malika’s Poetry Kitchen was recently published to celebrate Malika Poetry Kitchen’s twenty-year anniversary . Her pamphlet Breadfruit , (flippedeye, 2007) received a Poetry Society recommendation, and her poetry collection Pepper Seed (Peepal Tree Press, 2013) was shortlisted for the OCM Bocas prize and the Seamus Heaney Centre 2014 prize for first full collection. She is published with the Poets Sharon Olds and Warsan Shire in The Penguin Modern Poet Series 3: Your Family: Your Body (2017 ). Booker and Shara McCallum recently co-edited the issue of Stand Journal curating an anthology of poems by African American, Black British, & Caribbean Women & Identifying Writers. Booker currently hosts and curates Peepal Tree Press’s Literary podcast, New Caribbean Voices. A Cave Canem Fellow, and inaugural Poet in Residence at The Royal Shakespeare Company, Malika was awarded the Cholmondeley Award (2019) for outstanding contribution to poetry and elected a Royal Society of Literature Fellow (2022). Her poem The Little Miracles, commissioned by and published in Magma 75(autumn 2019) won The Forward Prize for Best Single Poem (2020). Her poem Libation, published in Poetry Review (winter 2022) won The Forward Prize for Best Single Poem (2023). About Starr Davis Starr Davis is the author of the forthcoming poetry collection Affidavit (Hanging Loose Press, 2025), winner of the Founders Prize, and the memoir I Am Mostly Bad Blood (Autumn House, 2026), winner of the 2024 Autumn House Nonfiction Prize. Her writing has appeared in The Kenyon Review , Poem-a-Day from the Academy of American Poets, and Palette Poetry , where she was a third-place winner of the 2023 Sappho Prize for Women Poets. She serves as Creative Nonfiction Editor at TriQuarterly , teaches with Brooklyn Poets, and is a Visions After Violence Fellow with the After Violence Project. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, and currently based in Houston, Texas, she holds an MFA from the City College of New York and a BA from the University of Akron, and her work lives at the intersections of motherhood, justice, and survival. About AWP The Associated Writing Programs was established as a nonprofit organization in 1967 by fifteen writers representing thirteen creative writing programs. The new association sought to support the growing presence of literary writers in higher education. At that time, English departments were mainly conservatories of the great literature of the past, and scholars fiercely resisted the establishment of creative writing programs. AWP was created to overcome this resistance, to advocate for new programs, and to provide publishing opportunities for young writers. Today, AWP, now the Association of Writers & Writing Programs, supports colleges and universities as well as individual writers as members. To this day, AWP continues to expand, offering new programs and services to support members. About Wintergreen Writers Collective The Wintergreen Women Writers Collective is a 501(c)3 organization that gathers Black women writers in a literary community that seeks to publish, document, preserve, and celebrate their creative work. More than 70 women from all over the country have taken part in one or more of the Wintergreen retreats or programs over the last 38 years, coming to a place where they can do the sacred work of literary and cultural production. Wintergreen Women are prefiguring a world where the history and legacy of Black women writers are honored and preserved—a world where Black women writers have access to intergenerational spaces where, in community and mutuality, they can nurture one another and locate resources to support their creative practice. Members of the Collective share their knowledge and creativity as a way of encouraging and engaging one another and their extended literary and scholarly communities. 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 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. About Chiagoziem Jideofor Chiagoziem Jideofor is Queer and Igbo. Her work has appeared in Poetry , Michigan Quarterly Review , South Carolina Review , berlin lit , The Lincoln Review , Passages North , Commonwealth’s ADDA , the Minnesota Review , Sho Poetry Journal , MAYDAY , and elsewhere. She earned an MFA from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, and is currently a PhD student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. About Ashunda Ashunda is Black feminist filmmaker, poet, and photographer whose art centers the complexities of Black {Southern} womxnhood, magical spiritual traditions of Southern Black folk, futuristic maroon expressions, and Black fugitivity. Her art places a critical lens on society’s treatment of the Black female frame and explores the vulnerability of Black womxn and femmes. She has written, directed, and produced several short films, including her most recent multi-award-winning cinematic gesture, MINO: A Diasporic Myth ; now streaming on kweliTV and housed in Indiana University’s Black Film Center Archive. As an inaugural Torch Literary Arts Screenwriting fellow, Ashunda led a table read of her debut feature script Crossed Kalunga By The Stars . A 2021 ARRAY Liberated Territory fellow, Ashunda’s films have screened at festivals across the globe including Kampala, Uganda; Nairobi, Kenya; London, England; Berlin, Germany, and Amsterdam. Her honors include fellowships from Cave Canem, the California Arts Council, Torch Literary Arts, Hurston/Wright Foundation, Brooklyn Poets and Storyknife. Ashunda is the founder of Sibyls Palace; a Black womxn centered art house that produces oppositional cinema & photography. Her art has exhibited in the TRYST Art Fair, OUTMusem and Red Spring’s Afrofuturism Curating the End of the World. Ashunda curates and hosts Sibyls Salon, a monthly writing vanguard & script reading series for Black womxn artists to commune, fellowship & support each other’s work. A proud alumna of Howard University and Paine College, the artist holds MFAs in both Poetry and Screenwriting. Born and raised in the backwoods of Georgia, Ashunda is now a bonafide, citified bitch living and dreaming in Los Angeles. About Idza Luhumyo Idza Luhumyo was born in Mombasa, Kenya. She studied law at the University of Nairobi, earned an MA in Comparative Literature at SOAS—University of London, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Texas State University. Her writing has appeared in various publications, including Transition Magazine , African Arguments , the Masters Review , and the Porter House Review . Her short story, "Five Years Next Sunday," was awarded the 2021 Short Story Day Africa Prize and the 2022 Caine Prize for African Writing. Other awards include the Margaret Busby New Daughters of Africa Award and the Civitella Ranieri Writing Fellowship. She currently lives and works in Austin, TX. Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next

Torch Literary Arts delivers quality programs including the Wildfire Reading Series, creative writing and professional events, an annual retreat for Black women writers with works-in-progress, and special events. Programs To fulfill our mission to create advancement opportunities for Black women writers, Torch Literary Arts offers a variety of impactful programs for emerging and experienced writers. Programs are provided at no or low cost to increase access to literary arts. Torch is a resource and destination for those who value inclusive creative communities and diverse voices in literature. We look forward to seeing you at future events! Torch Retreat An annual retreat for Black women writers with major works-in-progress. Torch's annual, fully funded, week-long retreat welcomes eight creative writing fellows selected by application. Each year in July, writers with projects across poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and script (plays and screenplays) gather in Austin, TX for dedicated writing time and space to imagine, dream, rest, and fellowship with others. A public reading is held at the end of the week to share their developing works with the local Central Texas community. Learn More Wildfire Reading Series Live readings featuring notable authors. Celebrating emerging and established authors, the Wildfire Reading Series promotes books by Black women writers in partnership with independent bookstores. Previous features include Kendra Allen, Crystal Wilkinson, Renée Watson, Kelis Rowe, LaToya Watkins, and others. Workshops Creative & Professional Development Generative workshops to inspire all experience levels. Our creative writing workshops are open to BIPOC women writers and are designed and facilitated by experienced writers and educators. Previous workshop facilitators include Anastacia-Reneé, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, Bev Chukwu, Faylita Hicks, KB Brookins, Victoria Newton Ford, Remica Bingham-Risher, and others. Writers Across the Diaspora Amplifying Black women writers across the diaspora. Torch Literary Arts is a global resource and destination. Writers Across the Diaspora showcases international writers through a week of programs in Central Texas in partnership with Texas State University and local and international partners. Launched in 2024 with support from Culture Ireland and the Consulate General of Ireland - Austin, Torch welcomed Irish poets Nithy Kasa and FELISPEAKS and curated public readings, craft talks, workshops, and networking opportunities. In Conversation Series Industry and craft talks with the experts. Thought-provoking conversations from leaders across the literary landscape on topics that inform and move the culture from page to public media. Torch is proud to partner with the Wintergreen Women Writers Collective for a three-year collaboration as part of the series called the Welcome Table Talks . The virtual discussions will cover various topics related to organization building, literary freedom, legacy, and more. The virtual discussions are free and open to all. Writing Circle Bimonthly writing circle for BIPOC womxn. Join writers from around the world twice a month for dedicated time to write in community with others. Try the prompt provided or work on a writing project. We'll hold the space and time for you! Click here to sign up for the Writing Circle. Torch Magazine The award-winning digital publication of Torch. Torch Magazine publishes emerging and established Black women writers from across the diaspora. Selected features receive $150 and have their work promoted and archived online. We accept submissions of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and script (plays and screenplays) for consideration. Click here to read Torch Magazine and review submission guidelines. Special Events Increasing access to literature for all. Torch works with community partners to deliver exceptional literary events that increase access to literature while amplifying Black women writers. Torch is a proud community partner of the Texas Book Festival and moderates panels and curates readings that highlight notable authors during the festival, which attracts over 50,000 attendees annually. Torch also delivers special events with other community partners, including the Carver Museum, the African American Culture and Heritage Facility, and others.

< 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 Torch Literary Arts Unveils 2024 Spring Season Brittany Heckard Jan 26, 2024 Torch’s 2024 Spring Season is full of workshops, panels, an interactive literary cooking event, and much more to help Black women writers share their unique stories. AUSTIN, Tex., Jan. 26, 2024 – Torch is now 18 years in operation and the quality (and quantity) of events supporting Black women writers is not stopping any time soon. This 2024 season, you can expect to work on perfecting your craft with panels and workshops and attend readings by Torch Features during our Wildfire Reading Series. You can RSVP to Torch’s Spring 2024 events by visiting torchliteraryarts.org/events . Our special events this season include: February 15 In Conversation: Room Swept Home with Remica Bingham-Risher , Lisa D. Cain , and Trapeta B. Mayson Torch Literary Arts is proud to present this special reading celebrating the launch of Remica Bingham-Risher’s latest poetry collection, Room Swept Home . Poet Laureate of Philadelphia, Trapeta B. Mayson will moderate the conversation between Bingham-Risher and Lisa B. Cain, the cover artist of Room Swept Home. The conversation is free and registration opens February 1. Learn more here . March 2 Workshop: Write. Publish. Thrive. with Camari Carter Hawkins This immersive event is tailored for aspiring authors and writers who want to learn strategies on how to self-publish and submit their work to literary journals, magazines, contests, and publishers. We will demystify the self-publishing processes by showing you how to independently bring your work to the world, exploring topics such as formatting, cover design, and distribution channels. The workshop is free and registration opens February 10. Learn more here . March 12 Panel: We Got Somthin’: A panel discussion with Charla Lauriston and Monique Moses Torch Literary Arts is proud to present We Got Somthin’: Black Women Writing from Inspiration to Creation featuring Monique Moses & Charla Lauriston. Panelists will discuss the road from ideation to creation, and all of the bumps in between, as Black women writers and creators working across film, television, and web. The panel will be hosted in person at Vuka (5540 N Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78756) with doors opening at 6:30pm and the panel starting at 7pm. Learn more here . April 2 Workshop: “Story First” | Writing Your First Screenplay with Bev Chukwu In this 4-week workshop, Bev Chukwu will first bring students into the core of their script ideas. The first week is all about owning your idea and seeing what resonates with others on an emotional level, followed by the second week where writers learn about formatting, structure, and general screenwriting lingo. The third and fourth weeks of this workshop are dedicated to executing what you’ve learned into a tangible outline and the first act of your very own screenplay. The workshop is free and registration opens March 12. Learn more here . April 3 Wildfire Reading Series: Kelis Rowe Torch Literary Arts joins Bookwoman for this special Wildfire Reading Series featuring Kelis Rowe, author of Finding Jupiter. A Q&A, reception, and book signing will follow the reading. The event is free and will be in person at Bookwoman (5501 N Lamar Blvd. #A -105, Austin, TX 78751) at 7pm. Learn more here . May 1 Interactive Event: Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts by Crystal Wilkinson Torch Literary Arts presents Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks by Crystal Wilkinson. Join us for a delicious evening of storytelling and a cooking demo from a recipe straight from the book. The event is free and will be in person at Wheatsville Food Co-Op (4001 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704) at 7pm. Learn more here . May 16 Wildfire Reading Series: Andrea "Vocab" Sanderson Torch Literary Arts joins Black Pearl Books for this special Wildfire Reading Series featuring Andrea Vocab Sanderson, author of She Lives in Music . A Q&A and book signing will follow the reading. The event is free and will be in person at Black Pearl Books (7112 Burnet Rd., Austin, TX 78757) at 7pm. Learn more here . May 29 Workshop: Improv for Writers with Shannon Stott Improv is about working together to create worlds. In this workshop, we will use Improv techniques to challenge self-imposed, unwritten rules that may be constricting creativity, discover ways to invoke play with the sacred, and how to SHARE the work of creation with the very characters and worlds we are writing. The workshop is free and registration opens May 8. Learn more 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, writing workshops, and retreats. For more information about Torch Literary Arts, please visit https://www.torchliteraryarts.org/ or follow @torchliteraryarts on Instagram. Help Torch continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today. About Remica Bingham-Risher Remica Bingham-Risher, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, is a Cave Canem fellow and Affrilachian Poet. Her work has been published in The New York Times , The Writer’s Chronicle , Callaloo, and Essence . She is the author of Conversion (Lotus, 2006) winner of the Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award, What We Ask of Flesh (Etruscan, 2013) shortlisted for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and Starlight & Error (Diode, 2017) winner of the Diode Editions Book Award and finalist for the Library of Virginia Book Award. Her next book of poems, Room Swept Home , is forthcoming from Wesleyan University Press in 2024. Her memoir, Soul Culture: Black Poets, Books and Questions That Grew Me Up , was published by Beacon Press. She is the Director of Quality Enhancement Plan Initiatives at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, where she resides with her husband and children. About Trapeta B. Mayson A native of Liberia who grew up in Philadelphia, Trapeta B. Mayson was the 2020-2021 Philadelphia Poet Laureate and is the founder of the Healing Verse Poetry Line. She is a recipient of an Academy of American Poets Laureate fellow. Mayson is also a Pew and Cave Canem fellow and Leeway Transformation Awardee, among others. A widely published poet, educator, and teaching artist, Mayson facilitates workshops nationally in schools, institutions, and community venues. A licensed clinical social worker working in the mental health field, Mayson is a member of several local organizations where she uses the arts to mobilize, build community, and help create change. About Lisa D. Cain, Ph.D. Lisa D. Cain, Ph.D., is a self-taught artist and a memory painter. Her predominant painting style, traditional folk art, acrylic paint on canvas, provides a pictorial history of life in the rural South and in Canton, Mississippi. Her upbringing in Canton, Mississippi forms the basic foundations of her life. The vividly colored traditional acrylic folk art paintings depict the joy of growing up in her hometown community. These paintings contain figures of individuals involved in everyday activities reminiscent of traditional folk artists including Bernice Sims, Clementine Hunter, and Grandma Moses. About Camari Carter Hawkins Camari Carter Hawkins is a poet and writer from South Central, Los Angeles. She is the author of Death by Comb (2016, World Stage Press) and the guided journal Write Back to You . Camari’s works have appeared in Rise: An Anthology of Power and Unity (Vagabond Press), The Best of The Poetry Salon 2013-2018 , The Dillydoun Review , Obsidian , Poets Choice , GenreUrbanArts , and elsewhere. Camari founded Mama’s Kitchen Press ™ in 2021 while in her grandmother’s kitchen. Mama's Kitchen Press dropped into her heart while having a heartfelt conversation with her mother and grandmother. The mission of Mama’s Kitchen Press is to use storytelling to affirm our humanity. About Charla Lauriston Charla Lauriston is a Haitian-American, Vancouver-based comedian, writer, and director. She’s currently a writer for Grand Crew on NBC and has previously written for The Last OG, Ghosted, People of Earth, and Hoops. Her 2021 episodic short, Witchsters, is the official selection of the 2022 Slamdance Film Festival, New Filmmakers Los Angeles, and the 2021 Austin Film Festival and American Black Film Festival. Charla is also the Creator and Lead Mentor of The Werking Writer School, a career-focused online course and community for aspiring screenwriters. About Monique Moses Monique Moses is a Canadian-born writer, director, and actor based in New York and Los Angeles. She was co-Head Writer and a co-Executive Producer for Season 4 of HBO's Emmy-nominated A Black Lady Sketch Show. Additional writing credits include Teenage Euthanasia (Adult Swim / HBO Max), Big Mouth spin-off Human Resources (Netflix), The Kid’s Tonight Show (Peacock), and consulting on projects with Jimmy Fallon (That’s My Jam, NBC Universal), Mike Myers (The Pentaverate, Netflix) and John Mulaney (Sack Lunch Bunch, Netflix). As a member of the black comedy team Astronomy Club, she co-created and starred in 'Astronomy Club The Sketch Show', which premiered on Netflix in 2019 to stellar reviews from Variety , Vulture , and Rotten Tomatoes. About Bev Chukwu Beverly “Bev” Chukwu is a Nigerian American writer, director, and script consultant. Her producing projects have screened at the Women in Horror Film Festival, Cine Las Americas, AGLIFF, and more. Bev’s screenplay, PRINCE OF LAVENDALE STREET, was the feature winner in the 2021 BlueCat Screenplay Competition, and her video essay “Sometimes Black” is now used as educational material at the University of Texas at Austin. She has spent over seven years working in various mental health arenas and nearly a year providing behavior therapy to neurodivergent youth and adults. Bev has received fellowships from the Black List x WIF Episodic Lab, Google’s YouTube Originals Black Voices Creator Program, and the James A. Michener Center for Writers, where she also received an MFA in screenwriting and fiction. Bev continues to advocate for filmmakers as EA to the Head of Film and Creative Media at the Austin Film Society and through her relationships teaching for the Writers League of Texas, Austin Bat Cave, and other local non-profits. About Kelis Rowe Kelis Rowe is a stay-at-home mom and former homeschooler who writes sweeping, classic teen romance novels from the points of view of grounded, self-possessed Black girls and the Black teen boys who just gotta love ‘em. Her debut novel, Finding Jupiter , is a contemporary literary romance about a James Taylor and Beyoncé fan and a champion swimmer bonding through shared grief and falling in love one fateful summer. It incorporates journal pages of art and found poetry from the pages of classic novels including The Great Gatsby and Their Eyes Were Watching God . Kelis writes out of her suburban home near Austin, TX. About Crystal Wilkinson Crystal Wilkinson, a recent fellowship recipient of the Academy of American Poets, is the award-winning author of Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts , a culinary memoir, Perfect Black, a collection of poems , and three works of fiction— The Birds of Opulence, Water Street and Blackberries, Blackberries . She is the recipient of an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Poetry, an O. Henry Prize, a USA Artists Fellowship, and an Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence. She has received recognition from the Yaddo Foundation, Hedgebrook, The Vermont Studio Center for the Arts, The Hermitage Foundation and others. Her short stories, poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including most recently in The Atlantic, The Kenyon Review , STORY , Agni Literary Journal, Emergence , Oxford American and Southern Cultures . She was Poet Laureate of Kentucky from 2021 to 2023. She currently teaches creative writing at the University of Kentucky where she is a Bush-Holbrook Endowed Professor. About Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson Andrea “Vocab Sanderson is the fifth Poet Laureate Emeritus of San Antonio. Her performance style is a soulful fusion of spoken word, hip-hop, and rhythm & blues. She’s the author of She Tastes Like Music ( FlowerSong Press 2020) and an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow. Vocab was voted Best Local Poet 2021 & 2023 by the SA Current and is the recipient of numerous awards including Dream Voice 2018, The Arts and Letters Award 2020, and Impact Award 2023. She enjoys facilitating creative writing workshops throughout the U.S. with her company, Tree of Life. She is an Artist-In-Residence specializing in artistic patient care with the non-profit organization Hearts Needs Art. About Shannon Stott Shannon Stott is the Creator and Director of Improv | On and Off the Stage, an Improv Production Company, producing live and virtual projects that help people connect to themselves and others through Improv. Shannon has been performing, directing, and teaching Improv for over 25 years in the U.S. and internationally. She uses Improv to highlight the importance of communication across cultures and with self. Shannon considers Improv a practice, encouraging people to engage with Improv as a way to discover more about themselves and others to bridge gaps in cultural understanding. Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next

< Back Celebrating 20 Years of Highlighting Black Women in Poetry Apr 2, 2026 Torch is elated to celebrate National Poetry Month and the Black women poets in our community. 20 years ago, Torch was founded by poet Amanda Johnston to celebrate and foster an international community of Black women writers. Torch grew into an ecosystem for Black women across the diaspora to share their stories. For us, National Poetry Month is a full-circle moment celebrating Black women’s words. This April, we’re also celebrating poets like Dr. Malika Booker, who was this year’s visiting writer from our Writers Across the Diaspora series. Now in our third year, we’ve been fortunate to share stories from poets not only in Central Texas but from around the world. April is also International Black Women’s History Month , a time to celebrate Black women across the diaspora and to embrace our achievements, rich history, and bright futures. This year, celebrating International Black Women’s History Month is near and dear to our hearts as we embark on 20 years of consistently and intentionally amplifying Black women writers. You can celebrate National Poetry Month, perfect your craft, and join us on Torch’s journey to celebrate 20 years by attending our events and reading from some groundbreaking poetry below. Events April 6th - Writing Circle April 12th - Wildfire Reading Series with Chiagoziem Jideofor and Host Publications April 18th - Colored People’s Time (CPT) is Real Time: Afrofuturism, the Speculative, the Surreal & the Fantastic Torch Magazine Read our April Feature, Dr. Malika Booker Read poetry by our Friday Features Watch on YouTube Wildfire Reading Series with Ebony Stewart An Evening with Tiana Clark and Donika Kelly Throwback to Jasmine Games Reading for Torch Day at BookPeople! You can also support Torch’s mission to amplify Black women writers and the poets we feature by donating to our organization . Previous Next

< Back Torch Literary Arts Awarded AWP Writing Organization Award Brittany Heckard Mar 27, 2025 This is the first-ever Writing Organization Award by the Association of Writers & Writing Programs, which is awarded to literary organizations based on the legacy of writing organization advocate Kurt Brown. AUSTIN, Tex., March 27, 2025 – Torch Literary Arts (Torch), a nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying Black women writers, is making history! Just announced yesterday, the literary organization was awarded the first-ever Writing Organization Award by the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) . “Being one of the first literary organizations considered for this award is an honor and testament that our work to amplify and build community for Black women writers is necessary,” said Torch founder and executive director, Amanda Johnston. “Winning the award from AWP and being named among other important literary organizations shows Torch’s reach and national impact.” The AWP Writing Organization Award recognizes writing conferences, festivals, centers, and other organizations that serve the writing community. The new award was started to honor the legacy of poet Kurt Brown. Other finalists for the award included Brink Literacy Project and Macondo . The award was announced at the 2025 AWP Conference & Bookfair occurring in Los Angeles from March 26-29, 2025. The conference gathers thousands of writers, teachers, students, publishers, and more. It is also an exciting reunion for Torch community members including Features, Fellows, and workshop attendees. AWP’s mission is to amplify the voices of writers and the academic programs and organizations that serve them. The association is committed to 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 . 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. Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next

Learn more about Torch Literary Arts, our team, our board of directors, and our advisory board. Our Story Torch Literary Arts started as a passion project in August of 2006 by Amanda Johnston to foster a supportive community of Black women writers, emerging and experienced. Fueled by wisdom and writings from other poets, novelists, and screenwriters, the award-winning Torch Magazine emerged to amplify Black women’s voices. After the pandemic, Amanda and Torch’s board of directors realized how critical Black women’s stories are for those facing isolation, grief, and creative rebirth. After much consideration and support, Torch Literary Arts registered as a 501(c)3 nonprofit to sustain the organization and increase impact through exceptional programs that shine a light on Black women writers. In our nearly 20 years of operation, Torch has featured work from poets like Patricia Smith, Yona Harvey, and Toi Derricotte, screenwriters and playwrights like Jonterri Gadson, Charla Lauriston, and Lisa B. Thompson, and novelists like Tayari Jones, Crystal Wilkinson, and Sapphire. Today, Torch Literary Arts is a resource and destination for Black women writers and readers across the diaspora with over 16,000 annual visitors to TorchLiteraryArts.org, over 3,000 in-person and virtual audience members, and over 10,000 followers on social media. What We Do Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by emerging and experienced writers alike. Torch has featured work by Colleen J. McElroy, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, Elizabeth Alexander, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, retreats, and special events. Our Mission To promote the work of Black women by publishing contemporary creative writing by emerging and experienced writers alike, to archive contributors' literary work for posterity and educational purposes, and to provide resources and opportunities for the advancement of Black women through literary arts. We Belie ve We believe that creative writing by Black women is valuable and necessary. We believe in preserving our literary legacy by working across generations. We believe that supporting creative writing adds to the cross-cultural appreciation of the arts. We believe in utilizing current technology to connect our work to a broader audience. We believe in meaningful collaboration based on respect, creativity, and freedom. We believe in the power of community. DEIA State ment Torch Literary Arts centers Black women within their complex, intersecting identities. We provide inclusive and accessible programs to our community at large and we are committed to leveraging our unique platforms to help create positive change.