2025 Welcome Table Talk: Building Black Feminist Institutions in Uncertain Times

The Wintergreen Women Writers Collective and Torch Literary Arts are partnering to produce an intergenerational three-year project for Black women writers called Welcome Table Talks —featuring virtual discussions with Black women writers from both communities. Dr. Joanne Gabbin and Amanda Johnston, Executive Directors from both literary organizations discuss the journey of building their respective institutions and the changing needs of leadership. Whether you’re a grassroots organizer or starting a nonprofit, this inaugural talk is perfect for self-starters looking for insight. About Wintergreen Writers Collective The Wintergreen Women Writers Collective is a 501(c)3 organization that gathers Black women writers in a literary community that seeks to publish, document, preserve, and celebrate their creative work. More than 70 women from all over the country have taken part in one or more of the Wintergreen retreats or programs over the last 38 years, coming to a place where they can do the sacred work of literary and cultural production. Wintergreen Women are prefiguring a world where the history and legacy of Black women writers are honored and preserved—a world where Black women writers have access to intergenerational spaces where, in community and mutuality, they can nurture one another and locate resources to support their creative practice. Members of the Collective share their knowledge and creativity as a way of encouraging and engaging one another and their extended literary and scholarly communities. About Torch Literary Arts Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit established with love and intention in 2006 to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. Torch Magazine has featured work by Toi Derricotte, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats. This event was made possible with support from the City of Austin Economic Development Division, the Burdine Johnson Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation.