Torch Literary Arts Lights Supportive Flame at New Brick-and-Mortar

“20 years ago, having a brick-and-mortar space wasn’t a dream that we knew we could dream, but it was a need that our community had,” says Torch Literary Arts founder and executive director – and former Texas Poet Laureate – Amanda Johnston. 

Standing in the organization’s new home in North Austin’s the Linc, talking to the Chronicle on the phone, a little giddiness escapes into her voice as she describes the curated book shop taking shape in front of her and the community events it will soon host. Opening the Torch Center during the nonprofit’s 20th year of championing Black women and nonbinary writers in Austin and all across the world feels like a fitting accomplishment.

“This is a big year for us. We’re celebrating all year long,” Johnston laughs. Today, on Aug. 11, they cut the ribbon on the Torch Center and welcomed community members into the space for the first time, creating a physical home for the dozens of empowerment-focused readings, writer’s circles, and workshops that the organization hosts each year. 

Gathering in spaces around town informed the Torch team’s desire for a central meeting location. “We relied heavily on our community partners, independent bookstores, other cultural centers and spaces – and they’ve been very generous and we appreciate our partners,” Johnston says. Now, they hope to spread that generosity as a home for organizations like theirs looking for an event space that’s aligned with their values. “For creatives, for writers, for other nonprofits that are looking for affordable spaces to rent, we want them to look to the Torch Center for that.” 

The hub will also be open to the public from noon to 6pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays so that readers and writers can gather and browse their selection of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction titles. “We are carrying titles by Black women writers and diverse and queer voices,” Johnston explains. “That matters, and knowing that it’s in a space that is centered in that community is intentional and meaningful.”

Though rooted in Austin, Torch has always emphasized programming aimed at writers across the diaspora. September 25-27, they’ll gather some of them for the inaugural Gathering of Flames Conference, a three-day festival featuring writing sessions, panel conversations, readings, and the first-annual Torch Awards, honoring 2025 National Book Award winner Patricia Smith, NAACP Image Award Winner Crystal Wilkinson, NAACP Image Award Winner Rachel Eliza Griffiths, and screenwriter and poet Sharon Bridgforth.

“At Torch we’re not waiting on the outside to recognize these incredible writers and their contributions,” Johnston says. “We’re launching the Torch Awards as a way to name these incredible writers [and] give them their flowers in real time.” 

In an atmosphere where book bans and academic censorship have increasingly targeted diverse voices, Johnston is shaping a salon-style space dedicated to supporting writers from conception to publication.

“What people are facing now with all of the attacks and erasure [in] the humanities [and] creative arts, that impacts the writers as well,” Johnston says. “That’s harder for diverse writers, especially for Black women writers, so we want to make sure that we’re not just enjoying the work and taking the craft, but supporting these writers throughout the process.”

Torch Center opened its doors to the public for the first time on Tuesday, August 11 from noon to 6pm.

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