Author’s Journey Panel, Saturday

Myah Ariel is the author of debut contemporary romance When I Think of You. Her early love of movies led her from Arkansas to New York City where she earned a BA in cinema studies from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She also holds an MA in specialized journalism for the arts from USC Annenberg. For several years Myah worked across multiple roles in the film and entertainment industry before pivoting to work in academia. As a medical mom and a hopeless romantic, Myah is passionate about inclusive love stories.

First Ten Pages, Saturday

Author and music industry executive Ashley M. Coleman bridges the creative worlds of literature and music with over a decade of experience nurturing voices from marginalized communities. Her debut novel GOOD MORNING, LOVE (Simon & Schuster, 2022) garnered attention from Joy the Baker and Katie Couric Media, earning a spot on Bustle's "Most Anticipated Books of June 2022" list.

Saturday, Publishing Pathways

Monica Fernandez graduated from the University of California, Irvine cum laude with a BA in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing, and from City University London with a MA in Creative Writing and Publishing. She has had several short fiction and creative nonfiction pieces published in The Chaffey Review, Rind Literary Magazine, Scribendi, The Left Coast Review, Creepy Gnome, and Pure Slush Magazine’s Envy anthology. She is Filipina-American and a huge film and theatre enthusiast.

Monica manages the media and publicity for all Red Hen’s books. She arranges our participation in literary events across the country, promotes book news, reviews, and press publicity across our social media networks and contacts, connects authors with media and interview opportunities, liaises with journalists for media coverage, and liaises with Foreign Rights and Film Rights agents for prospective sale of language and film rights. Her dream is to help Red Hen Press become a worldwide household name. Also, a few book-to-screen adaptations would be pretty cool.

Story Work Workshop, Sunday @ 8am PT

GG Renee Hill is an author, creative coach, and workshop facilitator whose work centers writing as a tool for healing, self-discovery, and creative expression. Her mission is to help others enrich their lives and communities through the transformative power of the written word. She is the author of Self-Care Check-In: A Guided Journal to Build Healthy Habits and Devote Time to You (2020) and A Year of Self-Reflection Journal: 365 Days of Guided Prompts to Slow Down, Tune In, and Grow (2021). Her most recent book, Story Work: Field Notes on Self-Discovery and Reclaiming Your Narrative was published by Broadleaf Books in November 2025. When she’s not writing, GG facilitates writing workshops for a diverse list of corporate and non-profit clients and literary organizations. 

Author’s Journey Panel, Saturday

Hawa Jalloh is a dedicated librarian in Maryland where she's passionate about fostering a love for reading. Beyond her work in libraries, she's a vibrant presence on Bookstagram, where she shines a spotlight on Black-authored books. Follow her journey and discover her favorite reads on Instagram at @hawa.reads. 

Joél Leon, author of the 2025 Gotham Book Prize-nominated “Everything and Nothing At Once: A Black Man's Reimagined Soundtrack For the Future” is a Bronx-born girl dad, poet, performer and cultural critic who writes and tells stories for Black people.

His TED talk on co-parenting has over 1.6M views, and his work has been featured in the New York Times, The Boston Globe, ABC NEWS, and others.

He is a Creative Collective NYC Creative Class alumni, winner of the BCA Bronx Recognizes Its Own Award in Poetry, member of the Top 50 Waymaker Class of 2025 and author "Things I Will Tell My Daughter", and "God Wears Durags, Too" (Bottlecap Press). He is currently a Creative Director at the New York Times' T Brand Studios. Joél is currently repped by Folio Literary. 

Publishing Pathways, Saturday

After experiencing a job loss in 2023, R’Chelle found herself passing the time and escaping what felt like an impossible search by rediscovering her love for reading. The more she read, the more she longed to discover new authors, explore genres, and highlight diverse stories.

Somewhere along the way, she found an interest in the publishing industry and supporting independent authors. It only made sense to take her background in brand management and create a career pathway on her terms. As a result, Highly Lit, a full-service, solo-let agency, exists to help authors plan smarter, launch stronger, and build engaged communities of loyal readers and fans.

When she’s not managing publishing timelines or reading a book you can find her exploring new hobbies or at the closest beach.

Publishing Pathways, Saturday

Kiki Nguyen started in publishing in 2015 with an internship with Wunderkind PR, independent book publishing PR company, working on campaigns with authors such as Ernest Cline. There, she discovered a practical industry for her codependent love of fiction. She joined Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2016 as an intern and is now an agent building her own list.

Kiki represents young adult and adult fiction across genres with a focus on queer and BIPOC authors. She has represented New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times bestsellers, and award winning titles.

Currently, she is most excited for Horror of all kinds to add to her list.

Manuscript Preparation, Saturday

Angela Shanté, is an award-winning author, poet, and educator whose work explores identity, voice, and the power of experimental storytelling. Her debut young adult novel-in-verse, The Unboxing of a Black Girl, was a finalist for the 2024 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and named a 2025 Bank Street Best Book of the Year.

Publishing Pathways, Saturday

L’Oreal Thompson Payton is an award-winning journalist, author, speaker, and founder of Zora’s Place, a Black feminist bookstore and community hub in Evanston, Illinois. She is the author of Stop Waiting for Perfect, the highly-anticipated memoir Infertile Black Girl (Beacon Press, Spring 2027), and the forthcoming children’s books Amanda Gorman: Poet and Activist (December 2025) and Violet Goes Voting (September 2026). Her byline has appeared in outlets such as Essence, Fortune, New York magazine and SELF, and her work centers Black women and girls, mental health, and the power of storytelling. She lives in Evanston with her husband and daughter. Learn more at lorealthompsonpayton.com.