Griot & Grey Owl Black Southern Writers Conference to debut in Durham November 13-15

Inaugural three-day gathering celebrates the legacy, present and future of Black Southern storytelling

DURHAM, N.C. — August 26, 2026 —The Griot and Grey Owl Black Southern Writers Conference will bring writers, readers, scholars, artists and cultural storytellers together in Durham, North Carolina, November 13–15, 2026, for three days celebrating Black Southern literature, storytelling, cultural memory and creative community.

Now in its third year, the conference will explore this year’s theme, “We Were Never Meant to Survive: Rest, Resilience, and Radical Joy,” celebrating the power of Black storytelling as an expression of survival, resilience, rest and joy. Recognized as the largest Black-focused writers conference in the South, Griot & Grey Owl creates a vital gathering space for Black writers and storytellers across the region and beyond. Award-winning poet and writer Danez Smith will serve as the conference’s keynote speaker. Early-bird registration discounts have been extended through September 7, giving attendees additional time to secure discounted conference passes. 

The conference will take place throughout Hub RTP, the 100-acre downtown district within Research Triangle Park, with programming and activations across several of the district’s signature spaces. Frontier RTP will serve as the primary location for conference events, with additional activations taking place at Boxyard RTP and the Hub RTP Experience Center. As a conference sponsor and community partner, Hub RTP provides a dynamic setting for writers, readers, artists, and cultural storytellers to gather, connect, and celebrate Black Southern storytelling. 

The conference takes its name from two symbols at the heart of its mission: the Griot, rooted in the West African tradition of oral historians, storytellers and keepers of cultural memory, and the Grey Owl, representing wisdom, observation and the ability to see what others may overlook. Together, they reflect the work of writers themselves—to remember the past, witness the present and imagine what comes next. 

“Griot & Grey Owl was founded for writers who may not have an MFA but have always known how to tell a story. We wanted to honor the Black Southern storytelling that has always lived in our kitchens, churches, front porches and communities. This year’s theme, We Were Never 

Meant to Survive: Rest, Resilience, and Radical Joy, asks us to celebrate not only how we’ve endured, but how we continue to create, rest and choose joy,” said Khalisa Rae, founder of the Griot & Grey Owl Black Southern Writers Conference. 

Over three days, the conference will bring together established and emerging voices for workshops, panels, conversations and literary programming, as well as opportunities for creative and professional connection. 

Featured Programming 

• Writing Joy When the World Is Burning, led by Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts 
• Owning a Black Business: Building, Sustaining, and Growing Your Creative Work, led by Dasan Ahanu and Ariel Seay 
• Crafting Black Boy Joy Panel, led by Tyree Daye 
• Hoodoo, Voodoo, and the Stories We Inherit, led by Jo Davis-McElligatt 
• Nasty Work: Liberation, Body, and Desire, led by Erick Hart 

Additional speakers, workshops, panels and conference programming will be announced. 

While rooted in the South, Griot & Grey Owl recognizes the far-reaching influence of Black Southern storytelling across literature, theater, journalism, scholarship, oral traditions and contemporary culture. The conference welcomes published and emerging writers, students, educators, scholars, readers, publishing professionals and cultural workers invested in the preservation and future of Black storytelling. 

Durham provides a fitting home for the gathering, with its rich Black history, literary and artistic communities, and longstanding traditions of cultural and intellectual exchange. 

Early-bird registration discounts are available through September 7, 2026. Registration and additional conference information are available at griotandgreyowl.org/ggo-2026. 

ABOUT GRIOT & GREY OWL

The Griot & Grey Owl Black Southern Writers Conference is a three-day literary gathering dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and advancing Black Southern storytelling. Rooted in literary excellence, cultural memory and community, the conference brings writers, readers, scholars and cultural workers together to honor the stories that came before us while supporting the voices shaping what comes next. 

The story continues with us. 

MEDIA CONTACT 

For interview requests, press credentials, high-resolution images or additional information, members of the media are encouraged to contact the conference communications team.