The word SPEAKERS in bold yellow text is displayed against a black background with abstract book-like shapes.
  • Woman with braided hair, wearing a white sweater and jeans, sitting on a white surface against a minimalistic, light background. She has a calm expression and her hands are gently clasped.

    Aaliyah Bilal

    Aaliyah Bilal was born and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland. She has degrees from Oberlin College and the University of London School of Oriental and African…

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  • Man in a denim shirt and cap sitting in front of a colorful geometric mural featuring an expressive painting of a person covering their mouth.

    Abdullah Elhan

    Born in Afghanistan during the Civil War, Abdullah honed his artistic skills in Pakistan, learning painting, calligraphy, and Persian Miniatures. After returning to Kabul for higher education,…

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  • A person with a bald head is wearing a blue button-up shirt and looking at the camera. The background is dark gray, highlighting the persons face.

    Adam Haslett

    Adam Haslett is the author of the story collection You Are Not a Stranger Here and the novels Union Atlantic and Imagine Me Gone. He has twice…

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  • A person with curly hair and hoop earrings smiles slightly, wearing a pinstripe blazer and a white shirt. They are standing in front of a wrought iron fence.

    Adriana Trigiani

    Adriana Trigiani is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one books of fiction and nonfiction, including The Good Left Undone, The Shoemaker’s Wife and Lucia, Lucia.…

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  • A man with curly gray hair and glasses stands with his arms crossed, wearing a beige suit and navy polka dot tie. He is looking up slightly, in front of a dark wall with graffiti.

    Amitava Kumar

    Amitava Kumar is the author of several works of nonfiction and four novels. His novel Immigrant, Montana was on the best of the year lists at The…

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  • A man in a black shirt sits in front of a bookshelf filled with books. He is resting his arm on his knee and looking at the camera with a neutral expression. The photo is in black and white.

    Anderson Tepper

    Anderson Tepper is co-chair of the international committee of the Brooklyn Book Festival and curator of international literature at the City of Asylum in Pittsburgh. He was…

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  • Black and white portrait of an older person with a beard and short hair, wearing a dark ribbed sweater. They are looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression against a plain background.

    André Aciman

    André Aciman was born in Alexandria, Egypt and is an American memoirist, essayist, novelist, and scholar. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Call Me…

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  • Person with short dark hair sits outdoors, wearing a white sweater and dark pants, with hands clasped around their knees. They appear thoughtful, looking slightly to the side, with a light, blurred background.

    Anna Nemzer

    Anna Nemzer is a journalist, writer and documentary filmmaker studying the historical memory of wars in the post-Soviet space. She is a presenter on TV Dozhd (aka…

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  • Person with short hair and glasses, wearing a black and white striped shirt and a chain necklace, smiles against a dark background.

    Annelise Finegan

    Annelise Finegan is a clinical associate professor of translation and directs the graduate program in translation and interpreting at NYU. Her translations from Chinese include novels, plays, short…

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  • A person with curly hair and a beard is wearing a black shirt and looking directly at the camera against a dark background.

    Anouar Rahmani

    Anouar Rahmani is an Algerian novelist, journalist, and human rights defender whose literary work boldly challenges societal norms and advocates for freedom of expression, LGBTQ+ rights, and…

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  • A woman with curly hair and black glasses smiles outdoors. She wears a black sleeveless top, showcasing her tattooed arms. She has hoop earrings, bracelets, and a cross necklace, standing with arms crossed in a lush, green setting.

    Ariel Gore

    Ariel Gore is a LAMBDA Literary Award-winning author of 13 books of fiction and nonfiction including We Were Witches, The End of Eve, Hexing the Patriarchy, and…

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  • A person with long braided hair sits in a relaxed pose, resting their chin on their hand. They are wearing a gray, textured outfit and large silver earrings, against a light stone wall background.

    Ava DuVernay

    Ava DuVernay is an Academy Award nominee and winner of Emmy, BAFTA, Sundance, Image and Peabody Awards. Her films include Selma, the first film directed by an…

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  • A person with curly hair and red glasses wearing a black top, against a plain background.

    Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

    Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and teacher working to help create the best possible climate future. She co-founded and leads Urban…

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  • A person with short hair in a black suit and white shirt smiles slightly while looking into the camera. They are standing in front of a blurred brick wall background.

    Ben Rhodes

    Ben Rhodes is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, co-host of Pod Save the World, a contributor to MSNBC, and the author of two…

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  • An older man with glasses smiles softly against a gray background. He is wearing a dark sweater over a light shirt.

    Bernhard Schlink

    Bernhard Schlink was born in Germany in 1944. A professor emeritus of law at Humboldt University, Berlin, and Cardozo Law School, New York, he is the author…

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  • A person with long dark hair sits on a stone ledge in a lush, green outdoor setting. They are wearing a black sleeveless dress, with a tattoo on their upper arm and sunglasses on their head, looking towards the camera with a relaxed expression.

    Bishakh Som

    Bishakh Som is an Indian-American trans femme visual artist and author. Her work has appeared in many publications including The New Yorker, MoMA.org, Autostraddle, The Strumpet, The…

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