Black Creatives Revisions Workshop

Doris Allen (Adult Novel) is an African American publishing professional specializing in bringing attention  to Black authors and Black-owned bookstores across the country and amplifying Black voices in  literature through networking on her Bookstagram account (@OnyxEditions). She conceptualized and  spearheaded “Paint this Cover,” an initiative presenting readers the opportunity to envision book covers  for authors and booksellers, which was inducted into DeKalb County Library (Georgia) programming.  Keeping her ear to the social media streets, in order to find more voices within the African diaspora to  champion, is one of her greatest passions. An army brat, she has lived in Germany, New Mexico,  Missouri, New York, and Philadelphia. She spent her childhood obsessively reading across genres,  writing mandatory book reports for her grandmother about little known Black History (that couldn’t be  used for school), and attending her father’s gospel quartet concerts. A tireless advocate for the special  needs community, parent of a child on the spectrum, and mentor to parents of autistic children. She  currently lives in Queens, New York with her husband and children.

Kibkabe Araya (Young Adult Novel) is a business journalist who covers diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal industry. A graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, she received her master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York. An avid reader, she blogs about diverse books for women at shelit.com. Born in Chicago, she is a former Los Angeles resident who lives in the Washington, D.C. area. 

H.K.R. Brice (Young Adult Novel) was a writer before she even knew to call herself one. As a young girl, of seven or eight years old, living in a community where children were urged to pursue careers in law, engineering, and any other profession that guaranteed social prestige, she did not know that her “little stories” amounted to anything, let alone Lord of the Rings (her definition of writing during those early years). But her strangest and quirkiest characters never left her heart; and the urge to write grew so strong that she often abandoned social gatherings to rush off and document the complex worlds in her mind. Since then, H.K.R. has received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from New York University and was named a 2021 WNDB Walter Grant recipient. Among many other things, she is an actor, storyteller and researcher, with a strong penchant for promoting mental wellness. During her time in this space, she wishes to serve her communities by crafting worlds that illuminate every beautiful, messy, and human part of them.

B.G. Cane (Young Adult Novel) is a vivid storyteller who loves painting worlds with words. Being Black biracial and many shades of queer, they're extremely passionate about reading and crafting stories that feature the cultures and communities they're a part of as well as those they see around them. Having written their first novella at the age of 12, they've spent the following years honing the art of building immersive spaces with captivating characters. They work in special education and advocate for the autonomy of their students. As a CUNY student themself, they’re striving to better the educational landscape for children at any and every intersection. They’re a Capricorn, a Floridian masquerading as a New Yorker, and a lover of dogs and dismantling heteronormativity.

Kariamu Cross (Young Adult Novel) was born and raised in Los Angeles California. She went to undergrad at the  University of California Berkeley where she majored in Legal Studies and graduated a year early  with highest honors. From there, she attended a post baccalaureate program to complete her prerequisites for medical school. Along with becoming an otolaryngologist (ears, nose, and  throat doctor), she also aims to become a novelist who positively impacts representation for  young Black girls through her published works. In her spare time, outside of her obvious enjoyment of reading and writing, she also enjoys Pilates, playing guitar, skateboarding, and  spending time with her nieces.

Hayley Dennings (Young Adult Novel) is a queer, Black woman from the Bay Area, California, and a recent French and English graduate from Loyola Marymount University. She has a YouTube channel, Pages of Hayley, where she discusses books and writing with over 32,000 subscribers. Though writing is her escape, she wants her stories to reflect reality, showing that the world consists of people with unique identities, cultures, and backgrounds. Seeing people like her represented in books encouraged her to write her own books and pursue publishing. She loves every genre, but finds the most joy in fantasy, where she gets lost in the detailed lore and wholly unique worlds outside of existing realities. When Hayley is not working, she is spending time with her dogs and baking.

Mirta Desir (Adult Novel) is a writer and filmmaker in New York City by way of Haiti. As a young immigrant child in the U.S. she consumed books voraciously and films were a critical pathway for her to learn English. At Syracuse University, she fulfilled her passion for literature and art. Soon after she obtained a Juris Doctor from Loyola University.  After graduation, Mirta founded Link Haiti –  a nonprofit that provided short-term solutions, in response to the 2010 earthquake. With a growing interest in writing and film, she started writing while running Smart Coos, a language focused educational startup. Mirta has produced, directed and written several short films, including APRIL 10TH , an award-winning short. Her two current works, AFTER, a film about an undocumented father-daughter duo and MOTHERS, a documentary about migrant mothers, are both in post-production. Mirta’s current novel is based on her experience in Haiti and specifically around the story of three sisters as they navigate the aftermath of an earthquake. When Mirta isn’t reading, writing and rewriting you can find her spending time with her favorite little nugget, her daughter.

K. Onley (Middle Grade) is a mother, entrepreneur and sometimes-preacher living in MetroWest, Massachusetts. She spends her time gathering community, contemplating the possible, discerning truth, and imagining the future—as much as she can in fiction, but oftentimes in real life through her multiple volunteer positions. A native Marylander who has spent her adult life in Massachusetts, K. often sets her stories in New England, but writes them with her Southern cadence and Mid-Atlantic worldview. In her fiction, she seeks to write stories featuring children of color who can traverse many worlds with the savvy to code-switch, challenge, and triumph as they go.

Cheryl Miner (Adult Novel) is a lifelong DC resident who has been active in the writing community for over twenty years.  She holds a BA in Literature from American University and is a DC Commission for the Arts & Humanities grant recipient.  She won second place in the Larry Neale Writers Competition. Cheryl has always been interested in writing stories with marginalized and underrepresented protagonists. She began writing stories at eight years of age to overcome two speech impediments and childhood seizures.  When not writing stories with unconventional characters, she managed to raise three kids, complete a thirty-year career as a US Postal carrier and earn certification in photography from Boston University. She currently lives in DC with her husband.

Originally from Fort Washington, Maryland, Lavell Nero (Young Adult Novel) is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s English Department, where he developed a taste in Afrofuturist novels and 17th century literature. Since 2017, he has been an active participant in New York City's late-night television production scene, and has worked on shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, and The Read with Kid Fury and Crissle. His writing aims to pay homage to the anime he grew up watching while also delving into deep topics relative to people affected by the African diaspora, among them being grief and trauma, mental health, racism, and non-materialistic inheritance, all the while putting Black characters at the forefront of these narratives. When he’s not writing, he’s either playing video games, binging the latest superhero series, or trying to solve a crossword puzzle without running to a dictionary.

Rashah Solun (Adult Novel) (she/they/Rashah) is an interdisciplinary storyteller born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated summa cum laude from Spelman College with a B.A. in Comparative Women’s Studies. Rashah’s work is guided by the red clay that has held her ancestors, the Earth that has held us all, and always Spirit. When Rashah’s not drifted away in her imagination she enjoys being in nature, cracking jokes with her husband/best friend, traveling, reading anything she gets her hands on, preparing herbal remedies, dancing until her body aches, and preparing for her new role as a mother.

Jay Watson (Adult Novel) Though I grew up in the heart of New England, I was born to two Jamaican natives and refuse to be considered anything else. My life’s work is to make the name of Jesus great while giving a platform to minority voices. To that end the past decade of my life has been spent working in public education and healthcare. Although no job could ever compare to being in the kitchen on a Sunday after church, covered in flour, with the laughter of a million family members bouncing off the walls.