Author Chat with Kadeem Locke feat. Dr. Umniya Najaer & Natasha Kane
About this Event
This event will begin with introductions from the speakers that will speak about the work they are currently doing in publishing. Then, author Kadeem Locke will speak about his love for fantasy and the creation process of Demonology as well as how the genre of fantasy connects to poetry. He will then read a short excerpt from his first book, Demonology: The Bond, to give readers a sample of his newest novel. Afterwards, Dr. Umniya Najaer will read her work, followed by Natasha Kane. The event will end with a Q & A session where we’ll engage with the audience on topics regarding different scope items like, publication, the publishing industry, freelancing, education and anything else that will assist the group. We want to make this event as beneficial for the audience and supporters as it is for myself and guest speakers.
We encourage everyone to prepurchase their books before the event as we cannot guarantee book availability without prepurchase.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Nexus was tired of doing the same thing every day, day in, day out.
Wake up. Work at the gym. Go home, have a quick meal, sit in front of a show and write.
Sure, he wanted things to be more interesting, maybe switch up his gym routine, or get his career as a writer off the ground, but discovering that he shared his heart with a demon was not at all the type of interesting he’d had in mind.
This demon, Nyx, shows up in his life after a near death experience as a cute black cat that packs a lot of power. If that wasn’t enough, it turns out there’s a whole host of demons that want the both of them dead.
While the supernatural aspect of his life is heating up, his friend Alekka offers him a once in a lifetime opportunity to have his unpublished novel read by some major bigwigs.
On the one hand, this writing competition could very well be the opportunity he’s been waiting for his whole life. On the other hand, if he isn’t careful, whatever it is lurking in the depths of the night might K*ll him before he even has a chance to submit his draft.
Interesting? Very. Dangerous? Absolutely. Maybe it wasn’t in the outline, but Nexus is finally living a story worth writing about.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kadeem Loren Locke is a Jamaican-American writer, born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. He is an avid anime watcher, video game player, reader, and slew of other things that take up his time with writing being the number one culprit. As a previous featured speaker at Cover-to-Cover, AWP, Fresno State, and the University of North Florida, Kadeem is passionate about sharing his love for fantasy and character development. He graduated from UNF where he received his Bachelors in English with a Minor in Creative Writing and now teaches creative workshops at the Lighthouse Writer's Workshop. Kadeem is the author of his debut novel DEMONOLOGY: THE BOND. He has also been published by Coffin Bell and other journals.
ABOUT THE GUEST SPEAKERS
Natasha Kane is a writer, editor, and educator. She is the associate editor of Trio House Press, and her work in publishing has been recognized in BookCAMP’s 40 Under 40 in Publishing. As a book designer, she collaborates with Beloit Poetry Journal and CavanKerry Press, and she was a 2024 judge for the Banyan Review Poetry Prize. She is the former editor-in-chief of The Talon Review and currently serves as their marketing faculty advisor, while teaching at the University of North Florida as a visiting instructor. Her recent thoughts on marketing poetry collections can be found in AWP's The Writer's Chronicle.
Umniya Najaer (PhD, Stanford University) is an interdisciplinary Black Studies scholar who draws on Black Studies theories in conjunction with literary, archival, and social science methodologies to illuminate urgent socio-political issues. One thread of Dr. Najaer’s critical and creative work asks: how do we make sense of the fact that our species has reached a point of astonishing intellectual aptitude—including, but not limited to, technological, scientific, and humanistic advancements—while continuing to perpetuate forms of brute violence, the irreversible annihilation of life, and staggering disparities in resource distribution and quality of life? Grounded in the thought of Jamaican philosopher Sylvia Wynter, Dr. Najaer’s current book project investigates alternate epistemologies and non-homogenizing metanarratives of the human. Her in-progress manuscript, Sylvia Wynter and Black Study: Experiments in Metasystemic Inquiry and Transcalar Reworlding, offers a conceptual toolkit for future scholars to engage Wynterian philosophy.
EVENT SCHEDULE
6:00pm Doors
6:15pm Welcome to MATTER
6:20pm Fantasy & Poetry Reading
7:20pm Audience Q&A
8:45pm Book signing and informal conversation
ACCESSIBILITY
Parking: Metered street parking is available (parallel parking) on Market St. Paid lots are available within a few blocks. The closest one is on 21st and Market St.
Entrance Access: Our front door is at street level and manually operated, accessible for wheelchairs and mobility aids. The rest of the block has sidewalks raised by five steps; however, the bike lane offers a step-free route down the block with minimal car traffic.
Restrooms: All-gender restrooms. Just like at home.
Communication: All staff on site speak English. There will be one Spanish speaking staff member. We welcome communication via translation apps (Google Translate is available). While we do not use ASL, we’re happy to communicate through apps or other tools that work for you.
Alcohol Policy: No alcohol will be served or permitted at this event.
Questions or Requests: Please contact us at [email protected] with any accessibility needs or questions.
We encourage everyone to prepurchase their books before the event as we cannot guarantee book availability without prepurchase.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00 to USD 17.79
