CHARLESTON, S.C. – Registration is open for this year's Black Ink: A Charleston African American Book Festival. The free virtual festival, which will take place Jan. 14-16, 2021 will be focused on amplifying the voices of black authors. The programs for authors and readers include panels and workshops featuring authors, publishing professionals, librarians and more. Topics for writers and readers alike include marketing your writing project, a self-publishing workshop, a discussion on advocating for black voices, a panel on influencer marketing featuring Instagram Influencer Jeanell Marvin and a discussion on how calls for diversity are changing the publishing landscape, featuring New York Times bestselling author Kiley Reid and Breanna McDaniel of We Need Diverse Books.
The festival will also host New York Times bestselling author Kwame Mbalia as its keynote speaker on Jan. 16. Mbalia is a middle-grade writer who authored novel Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky. His sequel Tristan Strong Destroys the World was published in October by Rick Riordan Presents/Disney-Hyperion. He is a graduate of Howard University and currently resides in North Carolina with his wife and children.
For the full program list, visit https://www.blackinkcharleston.org/agenda.
In its fifth year, the annual event will also feature many African American authors, most from the Lowcountry and surrounding areas. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with presenters, chat with other attendees, visit author virtual "tables" and more. Registering for the event is free and easy.
For more information about Black Ink, which is hosted by the Charleston Friends of the Library in partnership with the Charleston County Public Library, the College of Charleston's Avery Research Center, Kindle Direct Publishing and Live 5 News, visit www.blackinkcharleston.org.