Jeff Hobbs

New York Times Best-Selling Author of "The Tourists" & "The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace"

Taylor Mac

Theatre Artist, MacArthur Fellow & Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama

Taylor Mac Is Today's Yankee Doodle Dandy

Kwame Alexander

Poet, Educator, Publisher, Emmy Award Winning Producer & New York Times Bestselling Author Known for "The Crossover"

Light For The World To See: A Thousand Words on Race and Hope

Thomas King

Award-Winning First Nations Writer

James Dashner

Author of Many Children's Fantasy Series and Adult Books, Including "The Maze Runner" Series

Lancelot Schaubert

Novelist of "Bell Hammers," Editor, Performer, Artist Chaplain

Zakiya Dalila Harris

New York Times Best-Selling Author of "The Other Black Girl"

Peter H. Reynolds

Author, Illustrator & Founder of FableVision

Nnedi Okorafor

International Award-Winning Fantasy & Science Fiction Author

Writing for a Broken World: A Conversation with Nnedi Okorafor

Dolores Barclay

Author, Professor at Columbia School of Journalism & Former National Writer and Arts Editor of The Associated Press

Nadifa Mohamed

Award-Winning Novelist; Known for "Black Mamba Boy"

David Whyte

Poet, Author, Naturalist & Organizational Thinker

Julia Alvarez

Award-Winning Poet, Novelist & Essayist

Rainbow Rowell

Author Known for "Landline," "Attachments," "Fangirl," "Eleanor & Park" & "Carry On"

Amanda Lindhout

Executive Director of The Global Enrichment Foundation; Captivity Survivor, Inspirational Speaker & Author of "A House in the Sky"

Abigail Tarttelin

Author of "Golden Boy" and "Flick"

Cassandra Clare

Author of the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal & Publishers Weekly Bestselling "Mortal Instruments" Series

Lesley Hazleton

Author of "The First Muslim," a New Look at the Life of Muhammad

Sherman Alexie

Poet, Short Story Writer, Novelist, and Performer

John Bell

Trailblazing Australian Actor & Director; Founder of The Bell Shakespeare Company

Damon Young

Co-Founder of Very Smart Brothas & Author of "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker"

N.K. Jemisin

Hugo Award-Winning Speculative Fiction Writer

Morgan Jerkins​

Contributing Editor at Catapult & Author of "This Will Be My Undoing"

Stacey Abrams

Political Leader, Voting Rights Activist & New York Times Bestselling Author

Leigh Bardugo

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the "Grisha Trilogy"

Laura Esquivel

Mexican Novelist, Essayist & Screenwriter; Known for Bestselling Novel "Como Agua Para Chocolate"

J. Michael Straczynski

Writer and Producer for TV series, Feature Films, Comicsa & Author of "Becoming Superman"

Becoming Superman Lib/E: My Journey from Poverty to Hollywood

Emma Donoghue

Playwright, Literary Historian & Novelist Known for "Hood" and "Room"

Naomi Novik

Author of the New York Times Bestselling and Critically Acclaimed "Temeraire" Novels

Alice McDermott

Celebrated Author, Pulitzer Prize Finalist & Former Professor For Distinguished Teaching In The Humanities at John Hopkins University