​A community of Black writers and scholars who write in and about the speculative fiction of the African Diaspora. Our membership includes poets, novelists, essayists and memoirists; published authors, students and award winners; and writers from around California and beyond. Since 2015, we have met regularly to support each other's growth and to share through public readings with the larger community.

A reading by members of the Workshop of original works in the Afrosurreal tradition

Ellen McBarnette is a life-long storyteller whose earliest tales were transcribed by her mother on scrap paper. Ellen’s career has taken her from the halls of the US Congress to boozey poetry slams. Born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens, a second generation Caribbean, she has traveled widely in the US, with a long career in public policy in Washington DC. She lives in Hayward, Ca with her partner and fellow writer, Ben and their cat Java. Ellen is celebrating the publication of her novella "Negrita" this February in Vol 2 of the Midnight and Indigo Speculative Fiction edition, 2022. Available in bookstores, at Barnes and Noble and, if you must, Amazon

Thaddeus Howze is an award winning writer, essayist, author and professional storyteller. Originally from New York, he hails from Hayward. His published works include "Hayward's Reach" and Broken Glass," both are available on Amazon.

​LaMar Mitchel is a cyberpunk/absurdist/slipstream author. Born and raised in Oakland. Currently exploring ways to become a Kardashian-level poet celebrity.”

A.J. Harper, the Oakland based author, educator and artist. A.j. Harper has crafted more than ten YA novels. He specializes in themes addressing the Black experience in novel circumstances. https://urbanhorror.wordpress.com/about/

Born in Brooklyn in '89, a lifelong lover of books, in the written word Gabriel found a window into the often baffling actions and motivations of others, as well as a way to make himself understood. He began writing stories and journal entries early. A Forum-Based Role Playing Games built on the childhood series, Animorphs was pivotal in his development as an author. Empowered by academics, he writes speculative fiction but also nonfiction in the areas of History, Social Theory, Politics, and Race.

Venue: Graffiti Pizza Leg: Two 5:30PM

Beast Crawl Literary Festival created the Reginald Lockett Memorial Open Mic to commemorate the life and contributions of poet Reginald Lockett. Reginald was a founding member of the Black Students Alliance at San Francisco State University. He would later return to teach creative writing there, as well as at City College of San Francisco, Laney College and College of Marin. He was a tenured instructor of Language Arts at San Jose City College for the last 20 years.

A dedicated teacher, Mr. Lockett was best known as a poet. He was also the owner and publisher of Juke Box Press, which published many other poets and raised thousands of dollars for Hurricane Katrina victims with the publication of "Words upon the Water."

Reginald was the author of "Where the Birds Sing Bass," which won a PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Award in 1996, "Good Times & No Bread," "The Party Crashers of Paradise" and "Random History Lessons," published by Creative Arts Books in 2003. (Source)

Where the Birds Sing Bass
SF Gate

This year's host is Nazelah Jamison, a world-class poet and performer based in Oakland. She is a talented and energetic performance poet, actress and vocalist based in Oakland CA. Born in Bamberg, SC, Nazelah had a love of performance from a very early age, taking her first dance lessons at the age of 4.

Nazelah discovered Poetry Slam in 1999 and began to compete, subsequently going to the National Poetry Slam Competition 5 times on various Bay Area teams. She produced the Oakland Poetry Slam & has coached Team Oakland to Nationals. Since 2000, she has been hosting many Bay Area spoken word events as well. (Source.)

Poem: "Last Resort"
Book: Evolutionary Heart

Venue: District Oakland Leg: 2 5:30PM

West Oakland to West Africa connects members of the African diaspora and Africa through the exchange of renshi poetry. Through sharing narratives of the diaspora, we create a safe place for transparent healing and growth. Our readings and books facilitate the Sankofa journey, a return to retrieve what has been forgotten or lost. This year's exchanges included Oakland, Hawaii, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana. https://westoaklandtowestafrica.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/westoakland_westafrica/. Twitter: @WOakland2Africa. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WO2W

WO2WA (West Oakland to West Africa) is happy to represent both the East and West sides at the 2022 Beast Crawl. Reading selections from our upcoming book Black Rootedness: 54 Poets from Africa to America. This year WO2WA partnered with Patrice Lumumba Writing Collective, located at Eastside Arts Alliance, Cultural Intellectual Association in Lagos, Nigeria and Kistrech Poetry Festival in Kisii, Kenya. Poets exchanged writing on themes of identity, connections to the ancestors and experimented with forms such as narrative and renshi poetry.

Venue: The Damel Leg: Two 5:30PM

Venue: Summer Lounge Leg: Two 5:30PM

Colossus Press is focused on gathering artists and writers in the spirit of resistance, mobilizing and giving voice to our passion for social justice. We create virtual and concrete spaces where we combine activism and art. We take the direct actions of publicizing pressing issues and making monetary donations to local organizations working on the ground. 
-Colossus: Published in 2017 and focused on the immigration crisis, included the work of 13 writers on the theme of immigration, proceeds from readings and book sales were donated to Freedom for Immigrants.
-Colossus:Home, published in 2019, included the voices of 68 writers on the theme of Home and donated all funds collected from sales of this book and from readings are donated to Moms 4 Housing.
 -Colossus:Freedom will be published in the summer of 2022. This anthology includes the writing and visual art of 48 individuals responding to the theme "freedom". This anthology includes the voices of currently incarcerated people, their family members, and victims of crime. We have also included writers who haven’t experienced a direct impact from crime or incarceration. All funds collected from sales of this book will be donated to support California Coalition of Women Prisoners.

Home:Free is a reading featuring Tony Aldarondo, Elisa Salasin, Poet E. Spoken, Georgina Marie and Fred Dodsworth. These fantastic spoken work artists will read their powerful work and poems from Colossus:Home and our latest anthology Colossus:Freedom. Join us and celebrate the unstoppable combination of poetry and social justice.

Venue: Chapter 510 Leg: Two 5:30PM