Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative (KBWC)
Celebrating published & aspiring Black writers around the state
Get involved!
The Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative celebrates our state’s Black writers, published and unpublished, through a book club, panels, reading events, and public art projects. We welcome participants from all backgrounds and all people are welcome to attend these events. Members of the KBWC can also participate in Carnegie classes and one-time seminars at no cost through the support of the Chethik family and donors to the Chethik Family Fund.*
At the Carnegie Center, scholarship opportunities are available for all people to participate fully in our programs. Please see our website for scholarship rates and free classes we offer based on financial needs or program goals.
For more information on the KBWC or to register for a class, contact:
Claudia Love Mair, KBWC Coordinator, ClaudiaLove@CarnegieCenterLex.org
or Eugenia Johnson-Smith, KBWC Associate, Eugenia@CarnegieCenterLex.org.
* Not included free of charge are the Author Academy, the Poetry Gauntlet, the Books in Progress Conference, Writer Mentoring, and Manuscript Review. There is separate financial support available to these programs for all people, including KBWC members.
Meet the Staff
KBWC Coordinator
Claudia Love Mair Claudia Love Mair holds an MFA in Writing from the Nasland Mann Graduate School of Writing. She is the author of 13 books, including Mourning Pages: a Soulful Guide to Writing Though Grief (2026) from Broadleaf Books. She has joyfully served as the KBWC Coordinator since it began, and is also a writing instructor and mentor. She lives Frankfort, KY, with a goal to see KBWC members in all corners of the Commonwealth.
KBWC Associate
Eugenia Johnson-Smith is the author of Positive Power 31 Devotions to Help Unleash Your Positive Power. She is a freelance writer with articles appearing in the Kentucky Monthly Magazine, Presbyterians Today Magazine. She is a columnist for The Lextropolis Magazine Lexington’s Urban online magazine. Eugenia was one of the first KBWC members. She is excited to share the amazing benefits of KBWC membership and assist you with joining the collaborative.
