The full title describing Glory Edim nominations would read something like; AAMBC Literary Awards Nominee for, “Literary Activist of the Year” and “Book Club of the Year.” The Awards are being held June 7–10, 2018 in Atlanta, GA.
In August, 2015, Glory started a book club to connect with like-minded women in Brooklyn, beginning with an analysis of Ta-Nehisi Coates, “Between The World And Me.” Last year, I wrote a story about Glory and her book club. “Well Read Black Girl,” (WRBG) which then had over 20,000 followers.
https://enigmainblack.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/glory-edim-shadow-warrior/
Ten months later, WRBG has over 50,000 members and is growing exponentially. The club has an International presence, yet also has monthly meetings and literary events where she hosts black female authors from across the diaspora. Guests have included authors; Naomi Jackson, Yaa Gyasi, Margo Jefferson, Angela Flournoy and Jacqueline Woodson. LaShonda Barnett even invited the group to her home.
On April 20th Glory will receive the, 2017 Innovator of the Year Award from the Los Angeles Times. Carolyn Kellogg, Times Books editor said, “We are delighted that our Innovator’s Award will go to Glory Edim, founder of Well-Read Black Girl. Going from a hashtag to a cultural force, Well-Read Black Girl created a vital new space for literary discussion and engagement.”
In addition to providing a forum for her members, WRBG provides resources to aspiring authors. Every meeting has what Edim calls, “the resource share,” where “we’re talking about things that are happening in the community, or we have announcements about workshops or residencies … or if there’s a conference happening … we’re talking about what everyone’s needs are, what’s happening in the literary space.” Last September she hosted the WRBG Writers Conference and Festival, putting authors in the same room with publishers and literary agents.
As if all this weren’t enough, Glory is currently editing her own book, “Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves.” The AAMBC Journal will provide information about its release. WRBG produces a newsletter, and hosts live Twitter chats. Glory is partnering with “Raising Mothers” to bring monthly reading suggestions for both parent and child. Brooklyn Magazine once called Glory, “The Future of Reading.” They may have underestimated her. Glory Edim, AAMBC Literary Awards nominee for “Literary Activist of the Year,” and, “Book Club of the Year.”
