Based in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York, the John Oliver Killens Writers Workshop Inc. (JOKWW) is one of the premier workshops for writers of color. JOKWW was founded in 1988 by Carol F. Dixon in memory of her mentor --the late social critic, novelist and teacher, Dr. John Oliver Killens.

 

Dr. Killens believed that writing was a revolutionary act: "...every time I sit down to the typewriter, every line I put to paper, I'm out to change the world." He also believed that it is the reponisiblity of writers of color to tell their own stories in their own voices; to tell, in essence, the other half. To that end, JOKWW's mission is:

• To provide workshops, classes, and writing retreats based upon the priniciples and formats fostered by Dr. Killens, in order to produce literature that conveys positive images of African-Americans in particular, and people of color in general;
• To convene forums and conferences as a means of disseminating information on the craft and business of writing, thereby providing writers of  color with the necessary tools to enter and successfully navigate the publishing world; and
• To introduce new audiences to emerging writers of color, by promoting their work through our public reading series, Other Voices anthologies, and The Other Half: The Magazine of Emerging Writers of Color.