BWiF

Black women in Fantasy is a podcast I started (and stopped when I was having too many technical difficulties with my program) that was intended to discuss literally Black women in the fantasy and sci fi space in various forms of media and publishing. Aside from the technical issues, I realized that my content wasn’t specialized enough about the stated topic. While knowing that Black women are grossly underrepresented in fantasy and sci fi as well as the publishing industry in general, I don’t know how to discuss these issues in meaningful ways.

I want to see more Black women occupying space in fantasy and sci fi. I want Black women in all levels of publishing, creating a safe space for our work to receive treatment and consideration on par with our white peers. Controversies surrounding publishers like St. Martin’s Press, and the stats regarding authors who get published and authors who don’t, show that traditional publishing does not want to make space for and is not welcoming to diverse voices and diverse, non-white writers. Meaning we have to create space for ourselves in order to thrive.

It’s those parts of the journey that I want to look at. How we go from asking, asking, asking to creating a world and economy that allows our authentic stories to be told regardless of their appeal to the “wider audience.”

Black Women in Fantasy is meant to discuss the trials and triumphs of Black women in the spaces of fantasy, sci fi, and publishing. As well as, hype up Black women indie authors who, like myself, are doing what we can to get where we want to be in our careers.

While I revamp the podcast to be more in the direction where I want it go, please, enjoy the episodes I recorded early in the year. If you are a Black women in the fantasy/sci fi or publishing space and have ideas or a story about the industry you’d like to share, let me know. (Email: The Archer at Nadi Abdi . Space)