Black women’s book club leader Well-Read Black Girl announced Thursday its partnership with W.W. Norton & Co. imprint Liveright for a series focused on highlighting fiction written by female and nonbinary authors.
Well-Read Black Girl founder Glory Edim made the announcement on Instagram about the WRBG x Liveright series that will debut in 2023 under the goal to publish two books a year. The series will acquire agented manuscript submissions for now from writers who identify as female and nonbinary, particularly focusing on writers of color and underrepresented voices, with the help of Liveright editor Gina Iaquinta.
“I am deeply aware of the deep structural changes occurring in the publishing industry and public education—and the tide of rising dissent that threatens to silence authors of color and queer, non-binary, trans and disabled writers—it is the perfect time to expand our collective work,” Glory writes in the post. “We need equity and diversity in these vital spaces!”
“The word is out! @LiverightPub is collaborating with the fabulous @guidetoglo!” Gina writes in a tweet. “It’s such an honor to be involved in @wellreadblkgirl‘s thrilling new chapter. One million cheers to @CordeliaCalvert @LiverightPub for making this possible.”
Glory’s social media post says more announcements will be coming down the pike soon. Currently, the series is looking for novels, short stories, and unconventional fiction.
Liveright published Glory’s second anthology On Girlhood last October. The book features works by Toni Cade Bambara, Edwidge Danticat, and Zora Neale Hurston.