Community profiles

This space brings together Fellows, Faculty, and other members of the community in one place, reflecting the breadth of voices and experiences that shape Kimbilio’s work. Writers in the directory represent many stages of career, genres, and creative paths, all connected through a shared commitment to fiction from the African diaspora.

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Jalen Jones

Jalen Giovanni Jones is a Black and Filipino writer from Los Angeles.

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Mary C. Lewis

Mary unearths characters’ footsteps and voices to bring collective fulfillment to as many ancestors and contemporaries as her daily 4 a.m. rising allows.

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Mary Slechta

Mary McLaughlin Slechta’s Mulberry Street Stories (Four Way Books) was the 2021 winner of the Kimbilio National Fiction Prize, a Legacy Award finalist for the Hurston/Wright Foundation and recipient of the Central New York Book Award.