Kimbilio® means “safe haven” in Swahili. We are a community of writers and scholars committed to developing, empowering and sustaining fiction writers from the African diaspora and their stories. Projects include readings, presentations at professional conferences, social media networking, book prizes, and an annual summer retreat for fiction writers who are members of the Kimbilio community.
Held annually on the Taos campus of Southern Methodist University, Fellows and Faculty members gather in the Carson National Forest for a week of writing, solitude, and solidarity.
The Kimbilio Mentorship Project matches developing and emerging writers with writers who are further along in their careers and focuses on the mentee’s professional goals.
The Kimbilio National Fiction Prize is a collaborative project with Four Way Books. This program is a celebration and affirmation of the best in contemporary fiction.
As part of Kimbilio’s mission to present and support fiction from diaspora writers, we regularly host readings featuring Kimbilio Faculty, Fellows, and other prominent writers.
… come from across the diaspora and represent a wide range of visions and voices. Among their ranks are people from many generations who have distinguished themselves in an array of professions, and who bring to the community a wealth of knowledge and resources. Some arrive early in their careers; others arrive with impressive publication credentials and prizes already under their belts.
Applications open in January of each year.
Kimbilio is an affiliate of Bookshop, which supports independent booksellers by facilitating the online sale of books by Fellows and Faculty.
You can make an online donation or support our authors by purchasing one of their books from our online store
