Meeting K'wan Foye

Image Source: kwanfoye.com

Premier Street Lit Author, K'wan Foye, attended the Pennsylvania African American Library Association (PAALA) Librarians Bookclub meeting this past Sunday, November 7, in Philadelphia, PA, USA.

K'wan is one of the most popular and highly respected Street Lit authors, boasting 10 novels (and counting) to his credit. His latest release, Welfare Wifeys, dropped in September 2010 and currently has a 5-star rating on Amazon.com.

K'wan's writing is high caliber; his storytelling, able and sure. He doesn't rush his stories, fully developing his characters and plot lines. He patiently walks you through realistic, authentic scenes, like a griot captivating his clansmen; a bard inspiring, while mesmerizing his cultural kin. K'wan's literary abilities render his canonical place in not just the Street Lit pantheon, but within American literati.

During the meeting, K'wan was asked, "What are the streets to you?" "Who are the streets to you?" His answer is still ringing in my thoughts. He said:  

"The streets was my teacher when no one else wanted to be."

I believe his powerful answer is a testimony as to why we read and write Street Lit.

You need to know that this brother is very nice, authentic, down-to-earth, and respectful. It is clear to me that he loves people, that he sincerely loves and respects women.

If you've yet to read any of his work, you must check him out. He has been a consistent presence on the Essence Bestsellers List throughout the years, and I predict that ultimately, we will see him on the NYT Bestsellers List as well.

His books, readily available on Amazon, are:

Gangsta (2002)

Road Dawgz (2003)

Street Dreams (2004)

Hoodlum (2005) **Street Lit Best Book Award 2006**

Hood Rat (2006)

Blow: A G Unit Novel (2007)

Still Hood: A Hood Rat Novel (2007)

Flexin and Sexin: Sexy Street Tales, Volume 1 (2007) - contributing author

Gutter (2008)

Flirt (2009) - contributing author

Section 8: A Hood Rat Novel (2009)

Welfare Wifeys: A Hood Rat Novel (2010)

The bookclub meeting was a lot of fun, educational, informational, and just plain awesome. There was a lot of laughter! K'wan sat with a group of 10 librarians talking about why he writes, his socially conscious approach to crafting his stories, and how his devotion to his readers is his main motivation for his work.

K'wan has launched his own independent publishing house, Black Dawn Books, where he is now publishing up-and-coming authors such as  Brooke Lynn, Terry Wroten, and Essence bestselling author, Sonny Black.

K'wan is embarking on a book tour to promote Welfare Wifeys starting November 20, 2010. See K'wan's Amazon page for dates and locations.

Lastly, I just want to publicly thank K'wan for accepting our invitation, and for his generosity in gifting everyone with not 1, but 2 of his latest releases from Black Dawn Books. Those books (signed by K'wan) are now on Philadelphia library bookshelves, being read by librarians, and being passed from hand to hand, reader to reader. We greatly appreciate his graciousness in attending our meeting. Everyone had a great time, learned a lot, and gained a higher understanding and appreciation for Street Lit.

K'wan is active on social media. You can connect with him via:

Facebook

Twitter

K'wan on The Black Box

KwanFoye.com