Forty-six Fellows selected for Rooted & Written 2023 at the Renowned Writers Grotto in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, October 12, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- This Fall, the Writers Grotto in San Francisco, California will again host the award-winning Rooted & Written, the first fully-funded, tuition-free professional writing conference for writers of color in the country.

Forty-six Rooted & Written Fellows will attend the in-person conference based in San Francisco at the Writers Grotto from November 4-12, 2023. All Fellows are awarded full scholarships for the entire week-long conference.

"This is an unprecedented opportunity for talented, emerging writers of color in the San Francisco Bay Area to access invaluable mentoring and professional development, and to begin building their body of work in a supportive literary community," remarked Rooted & Written co-founder Susan Ito. "The conference not only includes workshops for the Fellows in the craft of writing, but also discussion panels of seasoned editors and agents to assist these emerging writers in advancing their careers. Indeed, many alumni have progressed to achieve publication contracts and national awards for their work.”

Rooted & Written Director, Sabina Khan-Ibarra, is a successful alumna. "Rooted & Written has been a transformative journey, from my participation as a Fellow in 2020 to now serving as the 2023 Director. The program fostered me as a writer and as an individual, guided by the wisdom and support of many other talented writers of color. It also led me to the Writers Grotto, a renowned collaborative writing community (one of the first writing cooperatives in the country), and an invaluable resource. Now, as Director, I carry forward our mantra, 'Your Words Matter.'”

Khan-Ibarra also cited the critical need for such a conference: “In a literary landscape often draped in uniformity, we champion diversity. The literary landscape should reflect our diverse nation, where 40% of the population are people of color. We're committed to ensuring our stories are heard, breaking down barriers and building a vibrant tapestry of voices."

The popular, much-anticipated 2023 Rooted & Written Keynotes are open to the general public, taking place virtually at times and dates specified on the conference website. Featured literary luminaries include Ingrid Rojas Contreras, author of the 2022 memoir "The Man Who Could Move Clouds" (a Pulitzer Prize finalist, California Book Awards Nonfiction Medalist, National Book Award finalist, National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, and Carnegie Medal long-listed work, recognized as a "Best Book of the Year" by TIME, People, NPR, Vanity Fair, and the Boston Globe, among others). Also featured are Dominic Lim, a Rooted & Written alumnus, acclaimed for his debut novel "All the Right Notes" (praised by USA Today, SF Chronicle, Goodreads, BookRiot, Library Journal, Buzzfeed, and Entertainment Weekly as a "swoony, joyful rom-com"), and Tonya Foster, author of “A Swarm of Bees in High Court,” and an award-winning poet, essayist, editor, and Black feminist scholar.

Throughout the week, Fellows will participate in craft classes spanning Fiction, Poetry, Memoir/Essay/Creative Nonfiction, and Screenwriting, as well as attend valuable panels led by agents and editors of color for professional development. The public also is invited to join the conference Keynote talks at dates and times specified on the conference website.

The conference week concludes on Sunday, November 12, 2023, with the "Words of Color" literary reading featuring all forty-six Rooted & Written Fellows. The event—a public debut for many of the Fellows—will be open to the public via Zoom https://zoom.us/my/rooted.written.

“The Rooted & Written Fellowship program greatly empowers emerging Writers of Color. With mentorship from established peers, Fellows hone their craft, connect with industry professionals, share their work, and participate in the conference free of charge, removing financial barriers,” stated Director Khan-Ibarra.

Rooted & Written was first conceptualized and founded in 2019 by Salvadoran writer Roberto Lovato as a free conference by the Writers Grotto for Bay Area-based BIPOC writers, and has since evolved into a full-blown writing conference and curriculum featuring internationally renowned speakers, faculty, and seasoned professionals in the literary industry.

Sabina Khan-Ibarra
Rooted & Written
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2022 ROOTED & WRITTEN KEYNOTE SPEAKER AWARD-WINNING POET & AUTHOR VICTORIA CHANG