Harlem Writers Guild 75th Anniversary Celebration

You are invited to the 75th Anniversary Celebration of The Harlem Writers Guild (HWG), the nation’s oldest continuously operating African American writers’ organization.

This milestone celebration will honor Dr. Brenda Greene, Founder and Executive Director Emeritus of the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, with the John Oliver Killens Literary Leadership Award, recognizing her lifelong dedication to advancing Black literature and amplifying underrepresented voices. The evening’s keynote address will be delivered by Kevin Powell, acclaimed poet, author, activist, and Grammy-nominated spoken word artist, whose work explores race, identity, and social justice.

The event theme — “When We Write: We Free the World” — reflects both the transformative power of storytelling and HWG’s enduring mission to inspire, challenge, and liberate through the written word.

EVENING HIGHLIGHTS

A Legacy Remembered A multimedia retrospective on 75 years of HWG excellence

Writers’ Showcase Live readings from Guild members across genres

Keynote by Kevin Powell Insights on writing as a tool for cultural freedom and justice

Award Presentation Honoring Dr. Brenda Greene with the John Oliver Killens Award

Reception & Book Signings Connect with writers, enjoy refreshments, and purchase

signed works

Founded in 1950 by John Oliver Killens, Rosa Guy, Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Willard Moore, and Walter Christmas, the Harlem Writers Guild has nurtured and championed some of the most influential Black voices in literature and the arts. Its members have included Dr. Maya Angelou, Audre Lorde, Paul Robeson, Lorraine Hansberry, Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Louise Meriwether, Valerie Wilson Wesley, Terry McMillan, Grace F. Edwards, Alice Childress, Walter Dean Myers, and many others. Today, the Guild continues its legacy by supporting writers across the African Diaspora.

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FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED The event is free and open to all, but due to space constraints registration is requested.

GUESTS Please note that holding seats in the Langston Hughes Auditorium is strictly prohibited and there is no food or drinks allowed anywhere in the Schomburg Center.

ACCESSIBLILITY Accessibility requests can be made by e-mail [email protected].

E-TRANSPORTATION NYPL policy prohibits electric transportation devices (e.g., motorbikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards) from being brought into or stored at library sites for any length of time, as this is the best way to keep our spaces & people safe.

AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING Programs are photographed and recorded by the Schomburg Center and the Harlem Writers Guild. Attending this event indicates your consent to being filmed/photographed and your consent to the use of your recorded image for any all purposes of the New York Public Library and the Harlem Writers Guild.

PRESS Please send all press inquiries (photo, video, interviews, audio-recording, etc) at least 24-hours before the day of the program to Leah Drayton at [email protected].

Please note that personal and professional video recordings are prohibited without expressed consent.

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This year, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding! Join us all year long for a wide array of special events, exhibitions, and more as we celebrate this milestone and continue the legacy of Arturo Schomburg.

Schomburg100 | Exhibition | Special-Edition Library Card | Become a Member

#Schomburg100

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, United States