To celebrate the legacy of Black books and their impact on culture, All Ways Black, Penguin Random House’s community dedicated to Black writers and the readers who love them, is kicking off 2023 by dropping a brand-new cypher.
In a continuation of 2022’s inaugural cypher, the theme this year is legacy—looking back at the foundations built by those who came before, and toward the future at the worlds being created today. “Black stories saved my life, and all I’m ever trying to do is pay that forward,” says Cree Myles, curator of All Ways Black. “My literary awakening started at the library. The Bluest Eye, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Color Purple . . . the first books that changed my life were all library checkouts. It was so special to go back to the Milwaukee Public Library, where it all began, to film. Libraries are literally free magic, and we are so excited to partner with Little Free Library to remind everyone of that truth and encourage them to utilize it.”
To help improve access in the face of mounting book bans, All Ways Black is partnering with the nonprofit organization Little Free Library to build Little Free Libraries across the country featuring books by Black authors—many of which have a history of being banned or challenged—in communities with large Black populations. For each share of the cypher between February 2 and March 31, 2023, All Ways Black/PRH will donate one book to Little Free Library (up to 2,000 books).
The cypher kicks off a year of exciting programming for All Ways Black. The celebration will continue with the second annual All Ways Black Awards on Instagram throughout the latter half of February, featuring Black authors, content creators, and the fans who love them.
Alongside the cypher and the awards, the All Ways Black hub of 200+ rotating book recommendations has been updated with more 2022 and 2023 new releases, spanning genres and age groups to highlight books for everyone.
To share the cypher, learn more about the awards, and join the All Ways Black community, follow @allwaysblack on Instagram.