Welcome back to the Pond, friends, and also a warm welcome to another Black History Month series at the Pond. Last year in 2021, we ran our first ever Black History Month at the Pond, and we had so much fun putting it together. Though we won’t be having as many guests like we have had in previous years, we are excited to celebrate Black History Month once more, and we have some awesome interviews with wonderful Black authors and book recommendation posts lined up.
In case you are not familiar, Black History Month is celebrated during the month of February. Like most history or heritage months, this month is an opportunity to learn, educate, and celebrate the achievements and contributions made by Black people. For The Quiet Pond, although we celebrate Black literature every other day and month of the year, our Black History Month guest series this month is an opportunity for us to spotlight and rave about the awesome books and work done by Black authors in the community.
Lastly, we recognise that Black History Month is celebrated during February in the U.S. and is celebrated during October in the U.K., Ireland, and Netherlands. We have invited some Black authors from the U.K. for our guest series this February, and also recognise that Black authors from the U.K. and U.S. have distinct experiences. However, because Latine Heritage Month also falls in October, we opted to celebrate Black authors and literature specifically in February.
Introducing: Black History Month at the Pond!
An official and warm welcome to Black History Month at the Pond, friends! Today’s post marks the beginning of our month-long guest series, where we will be visited by our author friends, sharing some book recommendation posts with you (and if you are participating in our Pondathon readathon, we have some book recommendations for you!), and also a few book reviews of Black books.
To kick us off, I invite you all to have a read through past Our Friend is Here! posts that feature Black authors and content creators from last year:
- A Tour through the Eerie Village of Bethel from The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
- Interview with Camryn Garrett, Author of Off the Record; On Inspirations, Researching HIV, and Authentic Teen Experiences
- An Interview with Chrystal D. Giles, Author of Take Back the Block; On Writing Gentrification, Activism, and Cool Protagonists
- An Interview with Alyssa Cole, On Writing Different Genres, Balancing Power and Romance, and Her New Graphic Novel
- An Interview with L.L. McKinney, Author of A Blade So Black; On Writing Retellings, Missing Parents in YA, and Her Top Three Anime
The Quiet Pond 