The Hobart Book Village Festival of Women Writers 2017 welcomes

Nancy K. Bereano

Nancy K. Bereano is the former editor and publisher of the groundbreaking, award-winning lesbian and feminist press, Firebrand Books.

During its fifteen-year existence (1985-2000), Firebrand published many significant women authors including Dorothy Allison, Alison Bechdel, Leslie Feinberg, Jewelle Gomez, Judith Katz, Audre Lorde, Minnie Bruce Pratt, and Festival co-organizer and distinguished poet, Cheryl Clarke.

Firebrand Books, established by Nancy K. Bereano, is a feminist and lesbian publishing house and is among many which grew out of the Women’s Press Movement. Firebrand has garnered twelve Lambda Literary Awards (including the Publisher’s Service Award) and four American Library Association Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Book Awards. Nancy K. Bereano retired from Firebrand Books in 1994.

From 1984 to 2000, Firebrand Books published exceptional literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry on lesbian and feminist themes. Publisher Nancy Bereano won the Publisher’s Service Award at the 1996 Lambda Literary Awards. Keeping more than 80 titles in print, including the entire “Dykes to Watch Out For” series, poetry by Audre Lorde, Minnie Bruce Pratt, and Cheryl Clarke, and short stories, novels, and nonfiction from Ruthann Robson, Leslǎ Newman, Mab Segrest, Leslie Feinberg and Judith Katz, Bereano was at the forefront of lesbian and small press publishing for 16 years.

The fact that her prose was published exclusively by small independently owned women’s presses was both a result of the major houses’ narrow perspective and the fact that Audre Lorde’s prose, particularly her myth-shattering essays, was instrumental in framing a changing reality for many women, primarily lesbian women (a readership long dismissed by the mainstream publishing world).   N.K. Bereano

Nancy K. Bereano speaks about Audre Lorde. link here to read the complete essay, “Dismantling the Master’s House on The Feminist Wire http://bit.ly/YYOB7x

Nancy K. Bereano brings her sharp editorial insights and her historical perspective to Festival of Women Writers 2017’s, featured presentation, A Public Conversation on Art and Politics. This panel, including Kathy Engel (moderator), Marianela Medrano and Elana Bell, will discuss the inseparability of artistic and political practice, how writing engages and shapes history and how public performance presents communities with avenues of critique.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!  Go to: www.hobartfestivalofwomenwriters.com

support our Indiegogo fundraising campaign. Go to:

http://bit.ly/2u1lmVD

for SPOTLIGHTS on all of our Participating Writers, go to:

www.hobartfestivalofwomenwriters.blog