National Book Club Conference celebrates 20th anniversary in Atlanta

The National Book Club Conference (NBCC) is celebrating its 20th anniversary on August 2-4, at the Westin Buckhead in Atlanta. The conference is a literary organization that features Black authors, providing a space for readers and authors to connect and create community.

The conference attracts hundreds of book lovers and many popular Black authors.

“[The National Book Club Conference] is more than just a conference. I felt the necessity to introduce readers to authors who they may not know,” said Curtis Bunn, founder of the NBCC Getting them up close and personal time with those authors, listening to them read or talk about their books, and just enhancing the reading experience. It turned out to be that but also almost a spiritual occasion where readers and authors have now come together and departed as friends.”

Bunn, 62, is an author and award-winning journalist, who currently works at NBC News BLK. A Washington D.C. native and Atlanta resident, he’s authored several popular books including Baggage Check, Seize The Day, A Cold Piece of Work, The Old Man In The Club, The Truth Is In The Wine, and Homecoming Weekend.

He continued, “It grew from an idea into something that is almost a fantasy because we come together for a weekend in what we call literary bliss and we leave feeling uplifted because we’ ‘ve had these moments that go beyond reading about the books and talking about books.”

Bunn started NBCC back in 2003 and held it at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter Hotel. The first year attracted approximately 200 people. Bunn attributes the success to legendary award-winning author Walter Mosley.

“ When I came up with the concept, I started reaching out to some of my favorite authors. The second person I contacted was the person who really solidified the National Book Club Conference and that was Walter Mosley. When he said, ‘This sounds like a great idea’, not knowing me, and said ‘count me in.’ It gave me the leverage to go to Kimberly Lawson Roby and others, to say hey this is what we’re doing and Walter Mosley is going to be there. When they heard Walter Mosley’s name was included they felt far more comfortable to join understanding that it must be legitimate.”

Throughout the years, NBCC has featured other authors including Alice Walker, Terry McMillan, Iyanla Vanzant, Susan L. Taylor, Bryan Stevenson, Pearl Cleage, Michael Eric Dyson, Hill Harper, Dr. Cornel West, Tavis Smiley, Roland S. Martin, Terrie M. Williams, Tyrese Gibson, Zane, Hill Harper, Eric Jerome Dickey, Judge Glenda Hatchette, R&B star KEM, actress Victoria Rowell and Stephen L. Carter, among others, including the late E. Lynn Harris, Walter Dean Myers, Bebe Moore Campbell, Francis Ray and J. California Cooper.

“I’m indebted to Walter Mosley for believing in the vision and attending that conference and probably five others in between. He will be at the 20th as well,” Bund said.

NBCC grew to accommodate over 700-800 people, however, Bunn decided to reduce the number of attendees to approximately 400 people due to growing concerns that the intimacy that the conference had been known for was somewhat lost.

NBCC held its previous conferences at the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta Hotel, the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel, the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel in Downtown Atlanta, Hyatt Regency Atlanta in Downtown Atlanta, and The Westin Peachtree Plaza in Downtown Atlanta.

Additionally, while the conference is anchored in Atlanta, NBCC also offers international trips every other year. Previous destinations include Ghana (2007), South Africa (2012), Italy (2015), Spain (2017), Greece (2019), Morocco (2022) and Portugal (2022). Earlier this year, NBCC was able to go to France.

“I’ve gained hundreds and hundreds of new friends over the years. We’re talking 21-22 years, where I’ve known ladies coming from Washington State, California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas, Arizona, Florida, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and everywhere around the country,” Bunn said. “For me, I have just gained so many new friends through creating an event that I thought was just about bringing readers and authors together.”

Bunn also thinks about young readers, which is why he created the National Youth Book Conference, a sister organization to NBCC. The organization’s mission is to build the next generation of young readers and focuses on bringing authors to public schools, specifically elementary and middle schools around the metro Atlanta area.

Authors are brought to read their books to kids and the organization also works to give books to kids to start their personal libraries.

For now, Bunn is already working on planning the 2025 conference and has already gotten 5-6 authors committed.

For more information on the National Book Club Conference and to register for this year’s conference, visit https://nationalbookclubconference.com/.

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