Spelman College - Emerging Student Writers

Join us in the Decatur Library to hear from Emerging Student Writers! These special sessions feature talented student writers from Georgia colleges reading their original work in 45-minute sessions throughout the day. 

The stage will be situated alongside The Book As Art v.14: Ghosted exhibit, creating a vibrant atmosphere where visual art and creative writing come together.

This session will be held on the Fourth Floor of Decatur Library. To reach the Fourth Floor, you'll need to take the elevator on the right (when you're facing the elevators–it's labeled). If the other elevator opens when you call, please take it to the third floor, exit, and press the up button again to call the correct elevator.

This event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required, and seating is first come, first served. Emcee: Ayonna Lonon

About the Spelman College Emerging Student Writers:

Ryley Anthony is a graduating senior from Dallas, Texas, pursuing an English major and Writing minor at Spelman College. A lifelong lover of storytelling, she began her creative journey writing songs and later developed a deep passion for fantasy and dystopian literature. At Spelman, Ryley has studied Black literature with a particular interest in Black womanhood, intersectionality, and their representation across canonical and contemporary forms of writing. She serves as the Arts and Entertainment Editor for The Spelman College Blueprint and competes nationally with the Spelman College Speech and Debate Team, where she has served as both Community Liaison and Speech Captain. Ryley has also interned in the book publishing industry on both the editorial and agency sides. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in publishing and champion imaginative and speculative stories that center Black women and other marginalized communities whose voices have too often been overlooked.

Kalysta BomWillis is a graduating senior from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, originally from Haiti, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and French at Spelman College. Upon graduation, she plans on attending law school, with the goal of specializing in real estate law. Driven by her passion for the French language, she hopes to study internationally as she is currently working on obtaining a DELF certification in the French language. On campus, she is the Co-President and Co-Captain of the Spelman College Mock Trial Association. This has been a fulfilling role for her as mock trial seamlessly blends her interest in public speaking and performance, with her career aspirations in law. In her free time, she enjoys reading and writing works of fiction as she regards it as her favorite genre. Recently, she has explored poetry, being profoundly inspired by the works of Black intellectuals of the Négritude movement, and she hopes to publish an original literary work in the future. 

Makayla Rivera is a poet, writer, storyteller, and researcher whose work explores Black feminism, girlhood and the intersections of identity, culture, and power. She is the author of Prayers to Catch a Butterfly, a poetry collection published in 2023. Her writing considers poetry and storytelling as spaces for expression, liberation, and imagining new possibilities. Rivera is a third-year Literature, Media, and Writing major at Spelman College, concentrating in Comparative Women’s Studies. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Blue Record, Spelman’s student-led social justice publication, and hosts its podcast, where she explores contemporary social and political issues through a critical lens. Rivera is also a Youth Storyteller in Residence with Georgetown Law and a Black Girlhood Studies Fellow with Justice for Black Girls. Her experience in civic and government work includes internships in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, where she gained firsthand experience in public policy and constituent advocacy. Across her poetry, scholarship, journalism, and storytelling, Rivera is committed to centering Black women and girls and using writing as a tool for personal  expression, cultural critique, and social transformation.

Kiah Smith is a second-year student at Spelman College, where she is pursuing a bachelor's degree in international studies with a concentration in Asia. Her interest in creative writing started at a young age and was further cultivated in high school through multiple self-exploratory creative writing classes. Upon completing her undergraduate studies, she intends to apply to graduate programs to deepen her understanding of diplomacy and cultural exchange.

Nylah Watkins is a Harlem-bred third-year Literature Media Writing Major at Spelman College. As a writer, she blends her primary medium of fiction with her techniques and passion for poetry to create realistic fiction that ranges from the complexities of familial relationships and the conflicts of black womanhood to experimental fantasy that explores the nuances of human character and emotion. Watkins is an award-winning and published author. Her flash fiction piece “Bracelet”  was featured in the 2023 Girls Write Now Anthology “On Their Side of Everything,” as well as in the 2023 print issue of Elan Literary Magazine. She has also been recognized by Scholastic Art & Writing with gold key awards for her fiction, “22,” and her poetry, “Brother.” With her work, Nylah Watkins is committed to investing in the literary arts with youth, spending her most recent summers teaching poetry to elementary and middle school children at her non-profit organization, Uptown Dreamers. As a writer, she remains committed to pushing the boundaries of her craft and imagination, and to writing stories that not only speak to the truth within herself but also invite truth, connection, and reflection in others.