Have books, will travel: events that bring authors and readers together are a new front in the evolution of the black book market

Black Issues Book Review, July-August, 2005 by Evelyn Palfrey

Pack your bags and hit the road--or the high seas. Readers are gathering in hotels, in secluded resorts and on cruise ships for weekend or weeklong vacations that include their favorite authors--and there's one that is perfect for you. Reader retreats are the latest turn in our literary evolution.

In the last decade or so lifelong readers have been treated to, and new readers have been brought into, another renaissance in black writing. First came a proliferation of book signings, fueled in part by an increase in the number of black bookstores. At still-popular events, readers gather to hear an author talk about their book and the writing life, purchase books and get them autographed.

Next came the blossoming of book clubs, formed around friendship, church or workplace groups, where readers meet in homes, restaurants and bookstores to discuss one book. Some are formally structured with predetermined questions, while others are free-form.

Now reader retreats are dotting the landscape, combining the best features of book signings and book-club meetings. Reader retreats usually include formal presentations by authors--either individually or on a panel--but also allow time and opportunity for more personal interactions between the writers and the readers. All include good food and libations--and, of course, time for girl talk. (We found one gathering for men.)

"Retreats allow me to reconnect with old friends that I met either at another book function or via Internet book clubs," says Sharon McCalop, a reader from Dallas. "It's also a chance to see several of my favorite authors in one place, over a two- to three-day period. Unlike bookstore signings where there is just one author for a couple of hours, a retreat gives you a whole weekend with the authors, more interaction, more hands on."

Romance Slam Jam (RSI), which celebrated its 10th anniversary in Dallas earlier this year, is probably the mother of all reader retreats. Emma Rodgers, owner of Black Images Bookstore in Dallas, and author Francis Ray hosted the first one in 1995. Although Dallas is its home, RSJ has traveled to Orlando. Durham, Atlanta, New York City and aboard two cruise ships. Participation has grown steadily over the decade, sometimes reaching 200 readers and writers.

Just Pick One

Which one is right for you? Some reader retreats are genre-specific. Romance Slam Jam focuses on romance, of course. Others, like the African American Book Club Summit at Sea and AmiGals, include writers of different fiction genres, as well as nonfiction. Still others, like AtlanticBookPost by Ruth Bridges, have a different focus for each retreat. Her Empowerment Weekend in Monterey, California, in May, focused on spirituality. The GRITS Gathering and the RAWSISTAZ Affair grew out of active online reader groups whose members wanted to meet face-to-face. Both welcome readers who are not a part of the online group. "The RAWSISTAZ Affair is given to not only celebrate African American authors, but to serve as a 'reunion' and a getting-to-know-our-members type of function," explains Tee Royal, coordinator of RAWSISTAZ. "Since we are an online group and spread across the U.S. and abroad, the once a year anniversary event allows us to meet, greet, share our love of reading and writing, and continue support and promote AA literature."

GRITS recently celebrated its 2nd anniversary. "Some of our members talked about how wonderful it would be for us to meet and have a real celebration where we finally get to connect faces to all those e-mail addresses and online monikers that we use," recalls Marlive Harris, coordinator of GRITS on-line book club. "But most of all, they wanted to be able to share their love and passion for books in a face-to-face setting."

Still, other retreats are sponsored by authors, such as Rochelle Alers's retreat last year in Florida. Both Zane and Brenda Jackson hosted cruises in April, and Tajuana "TJ" Butler's cruise sails in August. Beverly Jenkins's Pajama Party and Evelyn Palfrey's Marvelously Mature Romance Weekend are held in the fall on alternate years. "The reason I'm having the cruise is to celebrate my tenth anniversary as a writer with my readers," says Jackson, a multipublished romance author.

"Initially I hadn't thought about having another one, but from the feedback I'm getting the readers want another one," says Jackson. "So I'm thinking about doing it again in 2007, not as an anniversary celebration but as a retreat to cruise somewhere and have fun with my readers."

Brother2Brother is thought to be one of the only events geared toward black male readers. It was founded in 2002 by Vincent R. Alexandria, an independent author (Postal Blues, Shankrys Publishing, March 2001; and If Walls Could Talk, We Must X-L Publishing; reissue edition, May 2004.) Every year, African American male authors, literacy teachers and trainers, and publishing consultants convene in a chosen place (Atlanta, Brooklyn, New York, and Kansas City in past years) to address literary issues, particularly for teenagers and men, through panel discussions, author presentations, book signings and workshops.