About this Event
SPEC BLK: The Inaugural Convening
THE FUTURE OF BLACK STORYTELLING STARTS HERE.
FEATURING TANANARIVE DUE & STEVEN BARNES
Join us for programming featuring Tananarive Due, award-winning author of The Reformatory and My Soul to Keep, and one of the most influential voices in Black horror and speculative fiction.
Her work has helped redefine the possibilities of Black storytelling, making her an extraordinary voice for the conversations at the heart of SPEC BLK: creative legacy, storytelling across mediums, and the power of building worlds that endure.
Steven Barnes is a New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels spanning science fiction, horror, and suspense. An Image, Endeavor, and CableACE Award-winning writer, his television credits include The Twilight Zone, Stargate SG-1, Andromeda, and an Emmy Award-winning episode of The Outer Limits.
Barnes has taught at UCLA and Seattle University and lectured at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Together, Barnes and Due have also created online courses exploring Afrofuturism, Black horror, and screenwriting.
Their MainStage conversation, The Keeper: A Journey from Page to Screen, will explore the evolution of the original short story into a graphic novel and, most recently, a short film co-written and co-directed by Due and Barnes.
Headliner Guests Include: Rita Woods, Milton Davis, and Nicole Glover.
Featured guests include: Michael A. Kennedy, Eric Pertilla, Ariel Driskell, Eddie Dee Williams, Latrice P. Young, Monique Younger, Ardrie Orie, Chauncey McGlathery, Aaron Rose, Sarah Macklin, Desiree S. Evans, J.P. Gould, Robert Jeffrey II, Nabila Lester, Esme Addison
Guest Content Creators Include: @Alex.da. bibliophile, @bookbaddiejazzy, @whatisqreading, @bookedandfrizzy, @drippedinlit
WHAT TO EXPECT
Conversations That Move the Industry Forward
Explore the evolving relationship between publishing, Hollywood, audio, emerging media, and the next generation of Black intellectual property.
Creative Ownership & Building a Legacy
What does it mean to own your stories, grow your audience, and build a sustainable creative career? We're bringing these questions into the room alongside the people navigating them.
The SPEC BLK Free Market
Connect with independent creators, discover books and original work, meet fellow storytellers, and support the creative community directly.
Community, Connection & Possibility
Meet people who understand your genre, your vision, and your ambition. Make connections across creative disciplines and discover new ways to think about what's possible for your work.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
SPEC BLK is for you if you're:
- A speculative fiction author ready to think beyond publication.
- A screenwriter or filmmaker interested in bold, original Black stories.
- A publisher, editor, agent, or creative professional working with speculative IP.
- An emerging creator looking for knowledge, relationships, and industry perspective.
- A reader or supporter who wants to discover and champion the future of Black speculative storytelling.
Whether you're developing your first story, building a body of work, or just want to listen to your favorite creators, there's a place for you at this convening.
TWO DAYS. ONE EXPANDING UNIVERSE.
Saturday, November 7: 11 AM–6 PM ET
Sunday, November 8: 11 AM–6 PM ET
Attend in person in Atlanta or join virtually from anywhere.
SPEC BLK isn't a fan convention. It's a creator-centered space where artistic vision meets professional possibility and where we invite fans to convene and explore how amazing speculative storytelling is done.
And the November convening is only the beginning. SPEC BLK is building a year-round ecosystem that supports Black speculative storytellers, their stories, and the futures they want to create.
The worlds we imagine deserve the chance to become the worlds we build.
Get your ticket. Find your people. Be part of what comes next.
SPEC BLK: The Inaugural Convening. Our Stories. Our Worlds. Our Future.
Event venue & nearby stays
960 M.L.K. Jr Dr NW, 960 Martin Luther King Junior Drive Northwest, Atlanta, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.