DC Public Library is excited to partner with Well-Read Black Girl to bring Glory Edim's legendary book club to D.C. readers! Well-Read Black Girl's goal is to introduce a cohort of diverse writers to future generations - contemporary authors who are non-binary, queer, trans, and disabled and to address inequalities and improve communities through reading and reflecting on the works of Black women. You are invited to be a part of this inclusive community as you build connections through culture!
Upcoming Book Clubs
Dec. 7 | "Pride and Protest" with Nikki Payne
Pride and Protest with Nikki Payne
For our last Well-Read Black Girl discussion of 2023, join us for a conversation with Nikki Payne to discuss Payne's latest book Pride and Protest. In this witty retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, a woman goes head-to-head with the CEO of a corporation threatening to destroy her neighborhood in this fresh and modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice.
Past Book Clubs
June 28 | "A Renaissance of Our Own" and "The Perfect Find" with Rachel E. Cargle and Tia Williams
A Renaissance of Our Own and The Perfect Find with Rachel E. Cargle and Tia Williams
Wednesday, June 28, 7 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Activist, entrepreneur and philanthropic innovator Rachel E. Cargle and award-winning author Tia Williams join Well-Read Black Girl's Glory Edim to discuss their newest releases Cargle's memoir and manifesto, A Renaissance of Our Own and Williams' contemporary romance, The Perfect Find. Both titles show that in both the real world and in fiction, all women hit a point in their lives where they have to find their truest selves. Whether it is your evolution as a queer person that changes the way you see the world and the way the world perceives like Cargle you or William's character Jenna Jones navigating her career and personal life as the world changes faster than she can keep up, these titles are a reminder that at every stage it is important for us to check in with ourselves and find clarity.
July 26 | "Moonrise Over New Jessup" with Jamila Minnicks
Moonrise Over New Jessup with Jamila Minnicks
Wednesday, July 26, 7 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
PEN/Bellwether Prize-winning author Jamila Minnicks joins Well-Read Black Girl's Glory Edim for an enlightening discussion about her novel Moonrise Over New Jessup. The title opens in 1957 and follows Alice Young as she moves to the all-Black town of New Jessup, Alabama, where residents have largely rejected integration as the means for Black social advancement. Instead, they seek to maintain, and fortify, the community they cherish on their “side of the woods.” In this place, Alice falls in love with Raymond Campbell, whose clandestine organizing activities challenge New Jessup’s longstanding status quo and could lead to the young couple’s expulsion—or worse—from the home they both hold dear. But as Raymond continues to push alternatives for enhancing New Jessup’s political power, Alice must find a way to balance her undying support for his underground work with her desire to protect New Jessup from the rising pressure of upheaval from inside, and outside, their side of town.
Aug. 17 | "Nigeria Jones" and "Forgive Me Not" with Ibi Zoboi and Jennifer Baker
Nigeria Jones and Forgive Me Not with Ibi Zoboi and Jennifer Baker
Thursday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Well-Read Black Girl's Glory Edim sits down with National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi and author and podcaster Jennifer Baker to talk about their new YA novels Nigeria Jones and Forgive Me Not (anticipated release on Aug. 15). Perfect for teen, young adult book lovers and educators, the authors will dive into their process of writing for YA, exploring difficult and impactful themes like death and revolution and creating space for the voices of young black women protagonists in the genre.
Sept. 20 | "One Blood" with Denene Millner
One Blood with Denene Millner
Wednesday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
For the September meeting of the Well-Read Black Girl at DC Public Library Book Club, New York Times best-selling author Denene Millner sits down with Glory to explore the lives of three generations of women tied together by love, hope, dreams, ambition...and family secrets in her epic new novel One Blood. Potent, poetic, powerful, told with deep love, and spanning from the Great Migration to the civil unrest of the 1960s to the quest for women’s equality in early 2000s, Denene Millner’s beautifully wrought novel explores three women’s intimate, and often complicated, struggle with what it truly means to be to be family.
Oct. 28 | Well-Read Black Girl Book Club Kickback
Saturday, Oct. 28, Noon | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Enjoy great author talks from the Book Club Kickback with Glory Edim and Well-Read Black Girl. Starting with a book swap at noon hosted in partnership with Pretty Little Bookshelf, we'll move into an afternoon of conversation with Glory, Alexa Patrick, Yasmine Cheyenne, and you!
Nov. 16 | "Company" and "House Gone Quiet" with Shannon Sanders and Kelsey Norris
"Company" and "House Gone Quiet" with Shannon Sanders and Kelsey Norris
Thursday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Glory Edim, founder of Well-Read Black Girl, will be joined by debut writers Shannon Sanders and Kelsey Norris for a conversation on their recent works, "Company" and "House Gone Quiet".
Sanders is the author of Company and Norris is the author of House Gone Quiet. Both short story collections are precise and perceptive, full of voices that move the reader through marvelous worlds. The authors will discuss their powerful array of captivating characters, and resonant themes, ranging from building collectives to reclaiming one's sense of identity.
Read on the Go!
Heading out? Take the library with you with the DC Public Library App and Libby!
DC Public Library App
The DC Library app is your portal to enjoying DC Public Library services on your mobile device. With it, you can quickly search library resources, find information and materials and get full access to your library account -- wherever you are!
Download the App to Your Device Today
Libby by Overdrive
Read or listen to all of the Well-Read Black Girl Book Club titles from your neighborhood library on your device with the Libby App! Libby is the newer library reading app by OverDrive, loved by millions of readers worldwide.
About Glory Edim
Glory Edim is an author, community activist, and the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a nationwide book club turned literary arts non-profit that celebrates the life-changing power of literature.
She has won numerous awards for her work supporting and sustaining literature, including the 2017 Innovator’s Award from the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes and the Madam C.J. Walker Award from the Hurston/Wright Foundation. Her best-selling anthologies, Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves, and On Girlhood, were published in 2018 and 2021, respectively.
Using literature and storytelling as a tool for advocacy; specifically, in the areas of mental health and gender equity, Glory works nationally to shift the narratives of Black girls and women in society. She is currently developing a DC-based youth enrichment program, Camp Joy, for middle school students and working on a memoir that explores the intimate relationship between reading and self-healing. She is an alumna of Howard University and resides in Washington D.C. with her son, Zikomo.
About Well-Read Black Girl
Well-Read Black Girl (WRBG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to amplifying the voices of Black, Brown, and Indigenous writers. Through storytelling, we advocate for social change and equality in our local communities. We advocate for BlPOC women and girls in every sector of society, making room for truth-telling that leads to structural change. Learn more about Well-Read Black Girl.
Well-Read Black Girl at DC Public Library is generously supported by the
