Kalela Williams is the Director of Writing of Mighty Writers, a Philadelphia organization that teaches kids to write with clarity, and the founder of Black History Maven, a gathering community that honors all diverse pasts and affirms Black culture and pride. An MFA graduate of Goddard College, her writing has appeared in literary magazines, been featured on a BBC 4 Radio program, and commissioned by historical and artistic organizations.
Project Description: Kalela is working on a YA novel, The Rosebine Papers, which tells the story of a teenager navigating her identity as the descendent of an enslaved ancestor who built the very house she lives in; the histories this former plantation “big house” holds; her place in a Southern town with a turbulent, racist past; and an ever-widening rift between her and her mother.