Hey John,

We’re excited to announce that Akwaeke Emezi will be a keynote speaker at Power Shift 2023! Akwaeke is a multidisciplinary artist and writer whose work—rooted in Black spirit, embodiment, legacy, and memory—spans multiple genres, experiences, and geographies. Folks from our own staff are big fans of Akwaeke’s novels which include, Freshwater, Bitter, and You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty.


A photo of Akwaeke with a black shirt and gold chains. They have their hand against their cheek and have visible face tattoos near their eyebrows. The text to the left reads, "Akwaeke Emezi Multidisciplinary Artist & Writer"



Akwaeke possesses a radical imagination exactly of the kind we desperately need to usher in new worlds, and we’re so lucky to have them join us in Bvlbancha next year. Akwaeke is known for exploring other worlds and ways of being in their work. In Bitter, their prequel to Pet, a young artist discovers the blurred line between art and activism. Across both short novels are the tense realities that come with ridding the world of monsters and violence, and are faced with the question of how to rebuild our communities without harm and violence at our core.


We invited them to join us at Power Shift 2023 as we believe that art and literature are the main tenets to social and cultural change. Shifting power also requires shifting the culture towards one of radical care, vulnerability, and community. Join us by registering for Power Shift 2023, as we talk with Akwaeke on the radical possibilities within art and literature, on navigating this world as a Black Spirit bent towards freedom in an unfree world, and on the ripe ground for transformation that is Bvlbancha.


And, stay tuned for more headliner announcements!

Jasmine Butler, Network Organizer (& Akwaeke fan) at PSN
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