OUR STORY

Durham, North Carolina | Every November

Each year, we welcome you to the home of the Griot & Grey Owl Black Southern Writers Conference a powerful gathering of Black Southern voices held annually in the heart of Durham, North Carolina. This celebration of craft, culture, and community explores the rich and layered narratives of home, land, and heritage.

About the Conference

The Griot & Grey Owl Conference brings together Black writers, poets, scholars, and cultural workers whose stories are deeply rooted in Southern soil. Each year’s theme invites attendees to explore complex topics—ranging from identity and place to memory and justice through literature, performance, and communal dialogue.

Attendees experience a weekend of dynamic programming including workshops, keynote addresses, live performances, book talks, and community conversations. Whether you’re a writer, artist, scholar, or supporter of the arts, this space is built for engagement, reflection, and joy.

Past Griots

We’ve been honored to host some of the most celebrated thinkers and artists in Black Southern literature and culture, including:

• Nikki Finney – National Book Award–winning poet known for her fierce commitment to history, justice, and Black Southern legacy.

• Terrance Hayes – MacArthur Fellow and National Book Award winner whose poetry redefines form, masculinity, and Black identity.

• Michael Twitty – James Beard Award–winning author and culinary historian exploring food, memory, and the Black Southern experience.

• Alexis Pauline Gumbs – Renowned poet, theorist, and activist blending Black feminist thought with ecological imagination.

• Prentis Hemphill – Writer and somatics practitioner focused on healing, embodiment, and liberation work.

• Tiana Clark – Award-winning poet whose work probes race, grief, belonging, and the haunting beauty of the South.

• Justin Reynolds – Acclaimed YA author known for telling vibrant, hopeful stories centering Black youth and future possibility.

With additional contributions from Phillip B. Williams, Ladee Hubbard, Alicia D. Williams, Khalia Moreau and more.

Themes That Ground Us

Each year’s theme—like Home & Heritage—offers a lens to explore how stories of migration, displacement, celebration, and reclamation shape our collective imagination. From agricultural metaphors and foodways to the geography of the South itself, we highlight the ways land, history, and identity intersect in Black life.

What to Expect

• Workshops: Led by acclaimed authors and poets, designed to challenge and nourish your craft.

• Panels & Discussions: Centering the intersections of literature, Blackness, Southernness, and justice.

• Live Performances: Including our celebrated Poetry Slam and featured artists from across the South.

• Book Signings: Meet your favorite authors and take their work home with you.

• Community Conversations: Honest, intergenerational dialogue around the future of Black Southern art.

Get Involved

Whether you’re planning to attend or looking to support from afar, there are always ways to connect. Follow us on social media, volunteer, become a sponsor, or simply spread the word—your presence matters.

#GriotGreyOwl #BlackSouthernWriters #WritingInCommunity

WHY WE GATHER

We write alone, but we grow together.

In the wake of the pandemic, writing communities across the South were fragmented. After surveying over 1,000 Black Southern writers, we found that nearly 90% felt creatively isolated. Griot & Grey Owl was created as a remedy—a space where writing thrives in community.

Since our founding, more than 200 Black writers have gathered each year to grow artistically, exchange skills, and celebrate the heritage of the Bull City through workshops, performances, and cultural tours. The connections formed here are meant to last a lifetime.

Our Mission

To unite and uplift Black writers across the South by creating spaces of belonging, skill-building, and artistic exchange. By breaking down barriers to access and opportunity, we are building a future where Black Southern voices are seen, heard, and honored.