The Reed, Write, & Create Holiday Gift Guide for the BIPOC Writers (and Readers) in Your Life
The holidays are coming! Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or all three, we know you’re going to want to find great gifts for the Black and Brown literature lovers in your life. So, we decided to create the first ever Reed, Write, & Create Gift Guide for BIPOC Writers and Readers. Curated specifically for the melanin-rich, we’ve selected unique and delightful, literary-themed gifts that also pay homage to diverse cultures. We’ve also made an effort to feature gifts created by BIPOC businesses. That way, whether you’re buying for friends, family or for yourself, you can feel good knowing that you are supporting small, independent creators of color. (Please don’t come at me because Legos aren’t BIPOC owned, I admit there are some regular degular items in our guide, but we love them anyway, and hope you do too.)
Best of all, our gift guide for BIPOC writers is not an overwhelming list, so you can quickly find just the right gift and get back to writing. I hope you enjoy. (P.S. Almost everything on this list has been used and loved by me, so I can vouch for the quality and quirkiness!) (One more parenthetical aside: Some of the links in this Gift Guide are affiliate links. That means I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase, but there is no additional cost to you.)
Writers Need the Gift of Light, Ritual and Ambiance
A Scent Story
Writers love ambiance and rituals. I personally love to light a candle before every writing session (Fun Fact: So does Jesmyn Ward.). So, consider getting one of these lovely candles from A Scent Story for the writers in your life. Offering simple, naturally scented candles inspired by “our favorite authors and stories,” A Scent Story candles should be on every writer’s desk or altar. These are 100 percent soy candles with the names, quotes, and book titles of writers like Alice Walker, Octavia Butler, and Toni Morrison emblazoned on the labels. They also offer quirky literary themed candles like, “New Book Smell” and “Books and Cozy Vibes” and so much more. Readers and writers will love these candles. Note: A Scent Story is an independently-owned company founded by an African-American woman who loves books. Friends of the Read, Write, and Community can use the code LORI20 and receive 20 percent off their entire order from A Scent Story this holiday season!
The Unemployed Philosophers Guild
What writer wouldn’t want to pray to our secular saints for guidance and inspiration? The Unemployed Philosophers Guild has created these delightful “prayer”candles featuring illustrated images of our secular saints. Each candle includes an actual prayer on the back, similar to an artist’s prayer. Writers may want the Saint James Baldwin or Saint Toni Morrison candle to pray to, or the Frida Kahlo candle for an extra blessing of creativity. It’s possible, your writer friends might want all three!
Writers Need to Play
Black Barbies
Some people collect bobble head dolls or superhero action figures. Why not get the writer in your life a literary ancestor Barbie doll? Maya Angelou Barbie comes with her own miniature copy of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and Ida B. Wells Barbie comes clutching a copy of the Memphis Free Speech, the works that made these women famous and a force to be reckoned with for using their words. Ahem, I have both of these Barbies and they sit facing my desk telling me to keep going, whenever I want to give up. This is not just a toy, these Barbies are an inspiration.
It’s a Toy and a Typewriter
(photo from @paroladilibro)
Speaking of toys, writers need to play, so why not get them a Lego typewriter? Honestly, this pricey but worth it Lego set is a must-have for anyone who loves Legos and has a thing for typewriters. Santa brought me one last year and I LOVE it. It has a prominent place in my living room and I play with it sometimes because it actually works! It doesn’t put ink on the page, but you can roll paper through and punch the keys. It’s truly a collector’s item.
These Tees make excellent gifts for all of the Dope Black writers in your life.
Writers (and Readers) Want to Wear their Identi-Tees
I mean who doesn’t want a T-Shirt that tells the whole story of who they are. Basic and to the point, these Dope Black Writer and Dope Black Reader Tees and hoodies are the joyful creation of writer and author Tracey Lewis-Giggets, award-winning author of Black Joy and many other phenomenal books. Her apparel company is called Free Living and friends of Reed, Write, & Create can use special code RWC2023 for 10 percent off their order at FreeLiving.com. (Note: Tracey was also on the Reed, Write and Create podcast sharing all the good, good advice for a diverse and successful writing career.)
Books for Writers and Readers
I mean the easiest gift option for the writers in your life is a good book. Try one of these titles to energize and inspire your BIPOC writer friends or you can check out even more suggestions for great gift books on the Reed, Write, and Create Bookshop. (Please make your book purchases this holiday season at indie bookstores!)
How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft and Color edited by Jericho Brown. There are so few books on the craft of writing by BIPOC authors, How We Do It is a breath of fresh air and excellent advice for all writers, but BIPOC writers in particular. Just released this year, the book would be the gift that keeps on giving for both emerging and seasoned writers.
Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World by Irene Vallejo. If you have someone on your list who is a passionate book lover, then you must buy them this book which traces the history of the book. While the subject may seem dry and tedious, it absolutely is not. The author takes you along on the wildest adventures across the globe tracing the incredible history of something we take for granted, our precious books. Readers will never look at books the same way again after reading this incredibly insightful book.
Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women. Edited by Sandra Guzman.
A perfect gift for the Latine writers on your list, or anyone else who loves literature from the Latin American diaspora. This book offers a truly global and diverse selection of women writers who identify as Latine, including heavy hitters like Elizabeth Acevedo, Edwidge Danticat, and Ada Límon. “More than a collection of writings, Daughters of Latin America is a resurrection of ancestral literary inheritance as well as a celebration of the rising voices encouraged and nurtured by those who came before them.”
What Gifts Every BIPOC Writer Needs to Enhance Their Literary Lifestyle
Writers need few things to truly maintain a successful writing life. Here are some key essentials that would make excellent gifts.
Give the gift of a basic Moleskine notebook and make a writer very happy.
Writers need a gorgeous but sturdy notebook. Writers need a notebook at all times to jot down their ideas, keep track of characters and conversations, and sketch out the vision for their next great story. While a Moleskine is pricier than a notebook you can purchase at the CVS, it feels so good to have one. The classic, blank page Moleskine is every writer’s favorite and they can be found in almost every color of the rainbow. Make any writer’s day with this simple but incredibly useful gift.
Writers Need Tea. Okay, some writers swear by coffee, but the rest of us live for tea. There’s just something literary about a cup of tea. Rather than relying on a grocery store brand, try ordering some of the exquisite options from this Black-woman-owned tea shop in Baltimore, Maryland called Cuples. On a recent trip home, I sampled some of their premium loose-leaf tea (note: they have over 50 varieties of tea) and almost cried. I had no idea tea could be so delicious. They also carry unique tea accessories. Writers like pretty tea accessories too. Fun fact, the woman who own Cuples, also owns a bookstore, Vinyl & Pages, also in Baltimore!
Give the gift that keeps on giving. A Yumday subscription box of snacks from BIPOC and/or women founders.
Writers Need Snacks. Writers spend a lot of time at their desks creating worlds that don’t exist, and pouring through research, documents, and notes. All of this makes writers hungry and they need to snack. That’s why a subscription to a snack box company that curates snack boxes full of unique and tasty treats specifically from BIPOC and women-owned food companies makes so much sense. Yumday is that company. Founded by a BIPOC woman, a subscription or single box of gorgeous, global snacks from Yumday is a gift that keeps on giving. Your writer friends will thank you every time a box of fancy snacks shows up at their door.
Writers Need Birkenstock Gold Sandals. This is a bit of a wild card, but the inclusion of Birkenstock sandals comes from real (anecdotal) research. It turns out, there is an abundance of women writers out in the world who swear by their Birkenstock sandals. They don’t have to be gold, but gold appears to be a fan favorite for women writers who appreciate a comfortable but still fancy shoe. Do I have a pair of gold Birkenstock sandals? Yes I do, and I swear they make me a better writer. Fun fact, half of the writers who came to the first annual Read, Write, and Create retreat brought their Birkenstocks, and I wasn’t the only one wearing gold!
Find the Perfect Gift and Get Back to Writing
Honestly, you could pick one thing on this list, a candle for example, and send one to everyone on your list and be done with your holiday shopping. The same for a T-Shirt, a book, or a snack box. As with all things at Reed, Write, & Create, we’re trying to create resources to optimize your writing life. Creating a short but sweet gift guide for BIPOC writers, to help you simplify your holiday to-do list is just one more thing we can do. I hope you enjoy it!
Happy Holidays!