We’d like to give special thanks to all participants and supporters as well as guest judges Monique Desir, Aditi John, and Breeanna Wright. The results are finally in, and we’re excited to share this year’s voices with you!
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2020 Judging Panel
Monique L. Desir
Monique L. Desir was born and raised in Florida. She’s a full-time reading teacher who hasn’t quite figured out how to escape the Sunshine State and is surviving and thriving within its alligator-infested clutches with her husband and three sons. The daughter of West Indian parents (Haitian father, Jamaican mother), she loves learning about different cultures, languages and people. She binge-watches forensic television shows and Soca dances until she glows, so she can have seconds on cake. Her stories have been published in FIYAH Literary Magazine, Nightlight Podcast, Colorism Healing anthology Volume 2, and Rivière Blanche’s 2019 Dimension Uchronie short story anthology. Find her on Twitter @moniquedesir.
Aditi John
Aditi Precious John is pursuing B.Com from Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi with her first year coming to a successful close. She is aiming to prove herself as a banker in her near future. She started to appreciate poetry and admire poets since her 9th grade and dreamt to be one of them. A page named Secret of Shadows with 6.3k+ followers on Instagram, is being handled by her for the past 2 years. Writing has been her passion since ages. She’s a reader by the day and a writer by the night.
Breeanna Wright
Breeanna Wright is a poet whose work predominantly covers the complexity of love and African American life. Recognizing that the adversity many African Americans experience today stems from the same seed of struggle her ancestors endured inspires her work. She hopes to give the African American community a voice through her words by painting the diverse image of black life, focusing on both the beauty and adversity rooted in blackness.
1st Place Winner: Jaidyn Bryant- “Pious Creole Belle” (Poetry)
Jaidyn Bryant is a freshman Biology pre-med student at Xavier University. A recent graduate of McKinley High School, she has public health aspirations, particularly in Black and Hispanic communities. This poem was written with James Baldwin’s concept of the Alabaster Christ in conjunction with particular southern black family & faith dynamics in mind.
2nd Place Winner: Elizabeth Upshur- “A Letter to Myself if I Ever Forget Who I Am” (Nonfiction Essay)
Elizabeth Upshur describes herself as a Black Southern poet. She holds an MFA from Western Kentucky University and her work can be found in Mistake House, Pomona Valley Review, and Red Mud Review.
3rd Place Winner: Isha Jain- “Mama’s Milk” (Fiction Story)
Editor’s Picks
The following authors will also be featured in the upcoming anthology.
- Delores Almond
- Shainah Andrews
- Alanah Cooper
- Christina Cooper
- Paris Daniels
- Maya Dave
- Nakia Edmond
- Princess Folajin
- Emily Ford
- Vania Frimpong
- Joy Hallare
- Sarah Harawa
- Reign Keezheekoni
- Miah La Rue
- Kiana Livingston
- Vina Lorde
- C Liegh McInnis
- Carson Meyers
- Adolya Moore
- Sienna Morgan
- Dayo Otolorin
- Nicole Ransom
- Samiksha Tulika Ransom
- Shaderica Sibley
- Bobbi Simmons
- Fantisha Singletary
- Kelsie Tillage
- Alexis Ward
- Olivia Wilks
- Tajinnea Wilson