Tuesday, November 10, 1-3 p.m.

Red Rooster Harlem, 310 Lenox Avenue, NYC

Early Bird Pricing (through October 23): $85 for WMG members | $115 for non-members
Regular Pricing (after October 23): $100 for WMG members | $125 for non-members

Three-course lunch included

A Legacy in Storytelling Luncheon: Celebrating Marie Dutton Brown is a premier literary gathering honoring the legacy of publishing pioneer Marie Dutton Brown. Inspired by her decades-long commitment to championing authors of color and expanding whose stories are heard, the series brings together leading voices, visionary thinkers, and influential creators to celebrate literature, spark meaningful connection, and help shape a more equitable future for publishing.

This event marks the exciting debut of Stories She Championed, Women’s Media Group’s new literary series celebrating the stories, books, and lasting legacy of literary trailblazer Marie Dutton Brown. The series launches at Red Rooster Harlem, a celebrated restaurant in the heart of Harlem known for its food, music, and deep ties to the neighborhood’s cultural history.

Marie Dutton Brown is an iconic editor and literary agent, who has been called a living legend who paved the way for marginalized writers and editors. President of her eponymous literary agency in Harlem’s Sugar Hill community, she also devotes her time and expertise to many nonprofit Boards, including Faith Ringgold’s Anyone Can Fly Foundation and the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art and Storytelling. Marie is the recipient of WMG’s Media Trailblazer Award, given to a woman or female-focused organization that has broken ground and blazed a trail for other women in the media industry.

Panelists:

Malaika Adero is an accomplished writer, book editor, and literary agent. She is the founder of Adero’s Literary Tribe, a decades-old boutique book and author development agency. Her award-winning career as a book publishing executive began in the mid-1980s at Simon & Schuster with the acquisition of Miles: The Autobiography by music legend Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe. In the early 1990s she was hired by the founder of Amistad Press to launch the then-independent company, where she served as an executive editor who signed the most successful title on the company’s list, In the Spirit by Susan L. Taylor. Malaika currently works as an executive editor-at-large with AUWA Books, an imprint of Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Anita Kopacz is the author of the Simon & Schuster novels Shallow Waters, The Wind on Her Tongue, and A Taste of Honey. All three were released through Charlamagne tha God’s imprint, Black Privilege Publishing. Anita is the former editor-in-chief of Heart & Soul Magazine and managing editor of BeautyCents Magazine. She is an award-winning writer, a spiritual psychologist, and a certified tantra coach with a passion to see people thrive.

Christine Pride is a writer, editor, and long-time publishing veteran. She has held editorial posts at various Big Five imprints and published many bestselling and critically acclaimed novels and memoirs during her 20-year career. She is the author of three novels: two with Jo Piazza entitled We Are Not Like Them (a Good Morning America Book Club pick) and You Were Always Mine, as well as her solo debut, All The Men I’ve Loved Again, which was an instant USA Today bestseller. In addition to writing, she does select editorial work, proposal/content development, and teaching and coaching.

Moderator:

Abby West is the VP, Editorial Director for Amistad, an imprint at HarperCollins. She drives the editorial direction of the 40-year-old imprint, which includes Pulitzer Prize-winner The Known World and all of Zora Neale Hurston’s books. Abby was previously Director of Inclusive Content Programming at Audible and co-founded the Black Employee Network, an Audible ERG. She is a recovering journalist, whose years at prominent media organizations such as Essence, Entertainment Weekly, and People gave her a love of stories that explore, empower, and celebrate the narratives that often go untold.

Refunds available up to 72 hours before the event. No refunds for cancellations made within 72 hours of the event.