Photo Albums of Events We’ve Participated, Covered, or Hosted

The 28th Annual African American Children’s Book Fair took place Saturday, February 1, 2020, from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., at Community College of Philadelphia, in Philadelphia, Pa.

It is the premier of it’s in the country, featuring an impressive number of award winning and critically acclaimed children’s book authors. There were presentation by authors, book giveaways, and perhaps the best collection of children&rsquos;s books available for sales in one place. Many of the books are featured on out popular top children’s book list.

The African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County is an annual celebration of African American culture as expressed through art, music, food and community. Over the past ten Labor Day weekends, the two day festival has connected diverse people and families from across our region with local, national, and international artists, performers, food vendors, area business owners, and our local media outlets. The festival has become Raleigh’s premiere destination for teaching, sharing, and celebrating the distinctive folk and cultural traditions of African Americans here in North Carolina and from around the world.

The F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival is an engaging weekend of entertainment in the forms of film, books, author presentations, focus groups, and of course, good music. Readers merge at F.R.E.S.H. for an opportunity to meet some of their favorite authors, purchase new releases, greet familiar faces, and make new acquaintances.

B.A.R.R. is a two day literary conference that offers readers the opportunity to meet and mingle with new, emerging and nationally recognized African American authors from all writing genres, and offers authors the opportunity to greet old friends, meet new readers and sell their works.

AALBC’s Troy Johnson gave a talk during the 13th Austin African American Book Festival on June 22, 2019. It was a terrific event!

AALBC’s Troy Johnson Joined the Rainbow Book Club VI on June 1, 2019. The club is located on the picturesque island of St. Thomas, USVI. We discussed the popular and critically acclaimed, Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston and Deborah G. Plant. The club’s founder, Colleen Wilson lead a lively discussion and hosted the meeting. Everyone provided a dish. It was a really lovely event, which was highlighted by an impromptu poetry reading by club member Alrick Elliott.

The 2019 celebration was sponsored by Kwame Alexander and Versify Books.
The Black Pack Party is an annual gathering of publishing industry professionals. It is held during Book Expo America. This year’s venue, The Frying Pan, is a ½ mile walk, along the scenic Hudson River, from the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

The Black Pack Party, now in its 13th year, is organized by AALBC.com, Linda Duggins, and One Book One Bronx.

I had the pleasure of attending the Mississippi Book Festival, which is held each August in the state's largest city, Jackson. I was able to see a wide variety of interesting authors including Jon Meacham, Rick Bragg, and the author of one of my favorite books, Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier.

Jackson is a city that is over 80% Black, so I expected to see a significant number of Black authors. While the number of Black authors showcased were in the minority numerically; there were plenty in attendance. I saw writers like; children’s book author and actress, Quvenzhané Wallis; social justice activist, Janet Dewart Bell; former Editor in Chief of the NAACP’s flagship publication, The Crisis, Jabari Asim; and Jackson native and #1 New York Times Bestseller author, Angie Thomas. I even had dinner with award winning children’s book author and illustrator Don Tate. Indie authors were well represented too, and I captured video of a few including, K. Reshay and Regena Hoye.

The 2018 Black Pack Party was held May 30, 2018. It was co-hosted by AALBC, Linda Duggins, Mosaic Literary Magazine, and People of Color in Publishing. Photo Credit: Photos Widevision Photography

The 9th Annual Black Pack Party, was held May 27, 2015

Held during BEA, the Black Pack Party is an annual celebration of book industry professionals, authors, and friends. The 2015 gathering was hosted by AALBC.com, BMP Connect, Linda A. Duggins, and Written Magazine.

Book Industry Professionals and Authors gathered for the 6th Annual Black Pack Party at Harlem’s Iconic Restaurant Londel’s on June 6, 2012.

This year’s party was hosted by AALBC.com, Linda A. Duggins, MosaicBooks.com, Written Magazine, The Book Look.

Book Industry Professionals and Authors gathered for the 6th Annual Black Pack Party at Harlem’s WXYZ Lounge, in the Aloft Hotel, in Harlem, New York on May 25, 2011.

The party was hosted by AALBC.com, Linda A. Duggins, MosaicBooks.com, Written Magazine, Rolling Out Magazine, and Technocolor Radio Show & Urban Literary Review

The 2009 National Book Club Conference was held July 31-Aug. 2 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. The mission of the National Book Club Conference, founded by Curtis Bunn, is to create the world's largest book-club meeting once a year, to promote the value of reading and formulating book clubs among adults and in the nation's public school systems for the purposes of advancing literacy, broadening youths' minds and knowledge through reading and dialogue (read more).

AALBC.com Brownstone Gallery Hosted a fund raiser for Mosaic Literary Magazine on Sunday, June 7, from 2 – 5 p.m. We enjoyed some wine and food as we celebrated the spring and Mosaic Literary Magazine. Proceeds from the fund raiser benefited Mosaic Literary Magazine and its education programs. The celebrtion featuring Poet Cheryl Boyce-Taylor and the photography of Marcia E. Wilson’s Dripping Ink exhibit (read more).

Scenes from the 6th annual African American Pavilion at Book Expo (BEA) and the 3th annual Black Pack Party. The African American Pavilion was founded by Tony Rose, Adrienne Ingrum and Miani Colom. The Black Pack Party is held each year during BEA. This years party and was hosted by AALBC.com, Linda Duggins, Mosaicbook.com and Written Magazine (read more).

The Antigua & Barbuda International Literary Festival, took place November 7-9, 2008 at the Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua, West Indies. The Festival, begun in 2006, is a 3-day celebration of literary arts, with workshops, author readings, book signings and special events in a beautiful tropical setting. The festival features prominent Caribbean, U.S., British and Canadian authors as well as publicists and publishers. While the festival features many authors from the Caribbean Diaspora, it also includes noted writers in a broad range of genres from poetry, photography and non-fiction to performance arts and drama.