For more than a century, Black poets in Washington, D.C. have shaped the city’s cultural landscape—building a vibrant literary tradition that long predates the Harlem Renaissance. In No More Worlds to Conquer, local poet Brian Gilmore uncovers this deep legacy while weaving in his own journey as a writer rooted in the capital’s creative community.

On Wednesday, September 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Gilmore joins artist and writer Holly Bass for a conversation presented by the People’s Archive and DC History Center. Together, they will explore the literary lives, politics, and lasting influence of D.C.’s Black poets. Poetry fans, local history buffs, and anyone interested in the city’s Black culture will find plenty to discover in this illuminating book talk.