Featuring Detroit literary anchors from Broadside Lotus Press, Source Booksellers, Mays Printing, and historical fiction and fantasy writer Rita Woods, this dynamic conversation centers the full spectrum of Black literary production-bringing together those who write the stories, publish them, and place them directly into the hands of readers.

This panel uplifts the power of independent and community-rooted literary spaces, exploring how Black stories are nurtured, protected, and circulated outside of traditional gatekeeping structures. Together, we consider what it means to build and sustain our own pathways in storytelling.