Review: Black Girl Book Fair and the Magical Girl

Courtesy of Black Girl Book Fair

On Saturday, April 25th, 2026, I had the incredible experience of attending the first-ever virtual Black Girl Book Fair, hosted by the talented author Jacque Aye, known for her works such as "How to Be a Better Adult" and "FCBD 2024 Monster High." The event attracted over 7,800 participants, celebrating Black authors and Black-owned businesses.

The "virtual" doors open at midnight, but the fair officially starts at 11 a.m. CST. Once attendees entered the event, they were treated to a unique flip-book catalog that included interactive elements such as a virtual goodie bag, playlists, live schedules, and links to Instagram live streams. Attendees could easily purchase merchandise and books, which came with discounts (which we took full advantage of). The entire event was a true celebration of Black girl magic.

There were five panels and four activities running from 11 a.m. CT until sometime past 7 p.m. CT. I did my best to attend every single panel because I truly enjoy the work of all the hosts and authors connected to the event. Unfortunately, I missed the opening panel featuring the wonderful Stephanie Williams and her work "Cosmic Harbor" because I got lost in book buying. 

Honestly, that was part of what made the fair so exciting; you'd be surprised at how much there was to do at a virtual book fair. Host Jacque Aye made sure we had plenty to engage with throughout the day, making me feel words can't describe how grateful I was to be part of an event hosted by one of my favorite authors.

At noon, I joined a zine-making workshop hosted by the founder of the zine, Dreamworld Girls, Daphne Bryant, someone who embodies the essence of Blackgirl magic. Creating zines alongside my fellow book lovers in a virtual space was refreshing and uplifting. While working, Daphne reminded us that imperfections are part of the creative process—a lesson I will take with me while creating my own masterpiece.

Courtesy of Black Girl Book Fair

While watching and participating, I felt a sense of community among fellow Black creatives. One of the panels that stood out was about planning magical community events, led by Victoria L. Johnson, also known as Sailor Victoria, who hosts one of my favorite podcasts, Moonies Club for Sailor Moon fans. The discussion was with the founder of Black Girl Book Fest, Kayla Starr, and revolved around envisioning magical girl festivals and how they intersect with anime culture. Listening to them talk was very refreshing. I felt like hearing my friends talk about events they plan on going to or visiting while also talking about books and anime that we love so much.

Another highlight was the panel on "Monsters and Myth," featuring author Ayana Gray and moderated by book content creator Amanda Reads. I love the dynamic between Ayana and Amanda because Amanda, as she describes herself on Instagram, "makes content for those who got excessive talking on the report card," while Ayana is an author who pushes the boundaries of creativity. During the panel,  we discussed the creative process behind  "I, Medusa," Medusa as a character and person, particularly, her transformation into a Black woman within Greek mythology. The conversation emphasized the challenges faced by Black girls and women, highlighting the importance of acknowledging our realities and making space for grief regarding lost innocence. It felt great hearing about the process, the realism of Medusa, and how she embodied Black women everywhere.

The activity "Short Stories Slow Down," hosted by authors Divinity Rae and Briana Lawrence, exceeded my expectations. Each moment felt like reconnecting with an old friend, filled with joy and inspiration. We all had the opportunity to participate in creating a short story masterpiece, and honestly, I wish they would publish the full version of the short story that they created in an hour. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say what happened in the short story, so I'm not going to say anything, but I will say I will pre-order whatever they put out. What I loved about this activity is that it was interactive, with a mix of interviewing with Briana asking bookish and creative questions to Divinity. My favorite thing was when Briana asked what it means to be a creative person, and Divinity said, "Put your feelings into a story and share it with the world." Often, we keep our stories hidden inside for various reasons, and hearing this makes me want to break free of my insecurities about what people will think if I write down what I really want to and explore that creative side of myself. Writing a short story is like writing a memory, a memory that should be shared with all, or whoever your audience is that you want to write for.

As the two explained, the more you write, the more you realize “art is mediocrity polished by the human experience.” Be in your creative sovereign era, own your emotions, and own your words. 

This entire fair felt like being in the presence of greatness, and what I loved was getting to hear author and musician Chuck Lightning talk about their creative process. He gave us a sneak peek at the workings behind The Wondaland Arts Society. Plus, seeing Janelle Monet in the comment section and them sharing their experiences as writers and artists was an experience. I loved hearing them revisit heroes in their books and interpreting the villain. As Chuck explained, sometimes characters can be grey, having resistance and joy, especially Black characters. I felt like the Chuck Lightning interview felt more like those storytelling/ meet and greet event,  where you just sit and are in all by whoever is standing at the top all the interviews were interactive and spot on with the questions and it wasn't intimidating or anything is just made me feel like the beauty of speaking about your life in the world with others and about love was just beautiful and I felt like listening to chuck lightning talking about the projects his band Deep Cotton is doing or hearing about the process of the his up-and-coming graphic novel, The ArchAndroid, based off the 2010 album by and starring Janelle Monet and all the people he met while creating the novel. The panel felt like a meet and greet.

From a meet and greet, we moved to representation and why it matters with author Taylor Cassidy, who has written in. Sharing how she got started on TikTok and teaching Black history in 60 seconds or less why it's important to share Black stories the importance of understanding and knowing your identity and how she saw a lack of Black history me and stories being thought especially around Joy and she just wanted to bring that into the world and that started with TikTok and she said reading is how I gain access to to people to her people growing up understanding and learning about the joy that comes with being Black with with sharing Black history and how you can make history too I think this might have been one my top favorite interview and it was supposed to buy a sailor Victoria. 

As things kind of wind down, you would think that the number of participants would shrink, but no, at 6:00 p.m. Central Time, there were more people than the last. It was time for Baddies who love to read well, more like,  love good books, with the speaker for this segment was writer and artist Sistopher Wallace aka, Maiya the Don, who is so cool and whom I want to be when I grow up. The segment was moderated by Nailz and Novelz.

I had so much fun listening to them talk about books like The Scammer by Tiffany D, and Ricky Wilde Score by Kennedy Ryan. My TBR has grown because of all of their recommendations. I spent more time writing down books than actually listening. I loved hearing more about Maiya's experience as a creative. How she spends her time supporting Black women by purchasing indie books, speaking and moderating events focused on Black women authors, and writing for Black women.

My audience is Black women, so I uplift them in my books.

 -Maiya the Don

I felt like at this time being in a community with Black women and people in general, Black people in general, is a blessing. It felt so powerful laughing and just listening as they talked about the beauty of being Black, a Black author, and loving other Black authors.

The last panel, 'Fashion, Fiction, and Fantasy,' was hosted by none other than the main host, author Jacque Aye, with the special guest being singer and songwriter Rakiyah. The focus was on the diversity of Black women, being Black in different spaces, whether it's singing in Korean, exploring and expressing yourself through different genres like Rock, or just being your authentic self. Her song "Ready or Not" was featured on one of the playlists, the 'Main Character Playlist,' and I loved it. I listened to it on repeat, and that is a testament to Rakiyah as an artist. I love that this is how the book fair ended: just two Black women talking about what they love and why they do what they do.

If I had to sum up the book fair, I would say the book fair was a place of peace, comfort, love, the masterpiece that is Black women, and the magic of people who never want to color inside the lines. I came, I saw, I bought, and I loved everything in a space that doesn't really allow for Black authors, especially Black women. All the interviews, interactive flipbooks, and activities honestly showed what happens when Black women dream, and those dreams become a reality.

Joycelyn Ghansah is a health writer and editor with 10 years of experience creating patient-centered content to empower individuals as they navigate different stages of their healthcare journey. She specializes in chronic conditions, mental health, and sexual health. When she’s not writing, Joycelyn collaborates with femtech companies to enhance visibility for women's health and improve access to clinical care. You can find and follow her at https://authory.com/JoycelynGhansah