Five years ago, Alex Villasante missed connecting with other members of the writing community in person. The COVID pandemic did give birth to some unique literary events, but Villasante felt something was missing. She figured there must be other aspiring creators out there who could make the Latine literary world even richer with the help of their peers – and that’s how the Latinx Storytellers Conference, an offshoot of the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival, came to be.
“Publishing is hard, and it’s even harder for marginalized creators,” Villasante told Latina Media Co. “We asked ourselves, what if we could create an in-person event that could support, encourage pre-published creators (and) give them access, craft, and community?”
Villansante used her background in event planning to co-found the Latinx Storytellers Conference, which will host its second gathering this year on September 12 to 13 in New York City. Last year, more than 300 industry professionals and aspiring storytellers gathered for the two-day event, and organizers expect a similar number this year. This year’s keynote speakers include such literary stars as the author of the classic young adult novel Esperanza Rising Pam Muñoz Ryan and poet, author, and Pulitzer Prize finalist for The Devil’s Highway Luis Alberto Urrea.
A Gap Between Spending Power and Representation
Researching the conference, I was initially surprised to hear that there was a track on the business of publishing. However, it made sense the more I dug into statistics around Latinos and the publishing industry. Only eight percent of publishing industry professionals identify as Latine, according to a 2021 study from the Government Accountability Office.
Meanwhile, Latino readers purchase an average of 24.7 books a year, according to a study of more than 10,000 readers – This was a bit of a shock for me. I definitely don’t buy more than a handful of books each year, but I rent far more than 25 from the local library!
We don’t only read Latine authors, but representation matters, and not just for members of marginalized identities. In this political climate, reading is one of the best ways to learn about other cultures. If our stories aren’t plentiful, then many folks will miss them.
That’s what’s happening now. I glanced at the New York Times bestseller list and could not find any Latine authors on the adult portion. Thank goodness for author R.J. Palacio. This Colombian-American author has the number one middle-grade selection in Wonder. But it was published in 2012, more than ten years ago! Where are the newer Latine authors?
What Real Access Even Looks Like
Latines face barriers of “access and assumptions” in trying to get their stories published, Inés Ayala, communications strategy manager for the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival, told Latina Media Co. Many Latine creators do not already have the relationships needed to publish their works, Ayala said, and when they can make connections, they feel “nudged” toward narratives like immigration or specific traumatic experiences.
“Those expectations can unintentionally flatten the vast range of our voices,” Ayala said. The conference will address these expectations through workshops such as “Latinx Author or Just Author?” and “What Role Does your Identity Play in Publishing?”
“We want Latinx creators to feel empowered to pursue the stories they’re truly passionate about,” Ayala said, “and for the industry to see, in one place, how broad and brilliant that spectrum is.”
Highlighting communities that are marginalized within the Latine community is a priority of conference organizers, Villasante added. The faculty lineup includes Latines of African and Indigenous descent, as well as members of the LGBTQIA and disability communities (plus, quite a few Latina Media Co contributors).
And the Latinx Storytellers Conference is doing all this while Trump is trying to eliminate DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) efforts, corporations are listening, and the U.S. House of Representatives is attempting to ban the word “Latinx” from government communications.
“We don’t know how this climate will affect the publishing world – books being bought now won’t publish for two or even three years,” Villasante said. “But truly, the question of how we can continue to thrive and support each other in this changing landscape will naturally be part of many of our conversations.”
The Latinx Storytellers Conference takes place September 12-13. Visit latinxstorytellersconference.com for more information.
