The premier community for Black womxn creative writers in Europe
BWWE aims to provide a platform and resources for Black womxn writers and an inclusive, supportive ecosystem to thrive in their literary pursuits.
We offer online classes, craft discussions, and a weekly writing accountability group throughout the year.
We’re inspired by the rich legacy of Black writer sisterhood and the impact of Black writers on the European artistic landscape.
We exist to create a supportive, empowering and integrative community for Black womxn writers on the European continent. We seek to champion their voices, stories, experiences and creative paths.
Welcome. We’re glad you’re here.
Founders
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Jeannetta Craigwell-Graham is a writer who lives in Copenhagen/Ebeltoft. Communities of Black womxn have nourished and empowered her from birth to adulthood. She hopes that BWWE does the same for the next generation of Black womxn artists. She is one half of the BWWE whole and provides opportunities for comic relief and good trouble every chance she can.
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Joy is a fiction writer, essayist, and journalist based in Toulouse, France. She created the Emerging Writers Community Podcast, where she interviews early career BIPOC creative writers in a roundtable discussion with the audience, and founded the Europe chapter of Women Who Submit, with members from nine European countries, to empower women and non-binary writers to submit work for publication.
As one half of BWWE, Joy combines her reverence for the artistic ancestors who blazed trails in Europe with her passion for creative communities centering Black womxn.
2023 Participants
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Amah Edoh
Wandering cultural anthropologist w/ budding mixed-media practice. Also hosts our “Craft Chats”!
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Carlene Fraser Harris
Server of non-fiction that reads like a novel. No lies told.
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Denise "DeeDee" Mitchell
Budding literary genre agnostic, writing from experiences as an outsider.
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Marly Pierre-Louis
Archeologist of the inner worlds & survival strategies of Blk women. Resident web designer!
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Alison Jones
Server of tales of identity & neurodivergence that are actually funny (and heartbreaking)
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Sharda Sekeran
Conjurer mixing heavy metal, multiethnic folklore, & death mythology. Hosts our weekly writing group!
“The retreat was a highlight of my year and all of my other writing experiences. The level of care and consideration to the work of all the attendees as well as every other aspect of the retreat was truly exceptional. I really feel like BWWE is a special organization filling an important hole in the writing community.”
“I felt so fed through this retreat and haven't been able to shut up about it ever since. You two are definitely onto something special, dreamt of and longed for.”
“This inaugural workshop is just the beginning. Thank you thank you for letting me be a part of something great! Keep going!”
“Life changing experience. The opportunity to center my writing in a safe space surrounded by other Black women writers has completely shifted my perspective on the possibilities that being a writer encompasses.”
Coming Soon:
The 2024 Retreat
Agen, France
September 27-30, 2024
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Celebrate Community
We build a strong, interconnected community of Black womxn writers in Europe which grows and nurtures, connecting and inspiring across borders.
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Celebrate Voices
We elevate the current voices of Black womxn writers, as well as the historical importance of Black womxn writers to the literary landscape in Europe, by promoting the successes of our participants, organizing writing workshops and events, and partnering with like-minded communities to build a stronger network.
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Celebrate Black Craft
Through educational programs, workshops, and mentorship initiatives, we amplify the distinctive craft within Black diasporic writing and nurture the unique narrative voices, styles, and perspectives that emanate from the diverse experiences of Black womxn writers across the diaspora.
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Celebrate Black Womanhood
Our definition of womxn is marginalized genders including women, women-identifying individuals, and non-binary and gender non-conforming people who are comfortable in a space that centers the experiences of women.
We uplift the plurality of Black womxn's experiences in arts and literature, fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of their unique perspectives.