no.11 aug 2006

+questions. answers

malaika adero. up south, inc.
up south international book festival

When Atria Books Senior Editor Malaika Adero set out to start a festival that would take the promotion and celebration of literature and art by people of color, she knew exactly how to proceed. Leveraging the relationships she has established over the course of a distinguished career in publishing, as well as a distinguished career in the arts, Adero has amassed a spectacular collection of talent and sown the seeds of what promises to be a groundbreaking platform for new and established artists. Nat Creole caught up with the impresario to talk about the arts, books and life.

NC: How did the ideal for the Up South International Book Festival evolve? Did you feel that there was a void that needed to be filled?

MA: The idea for USIBF developed from years of conversation with friends and colleagues who share my passion for the art of storytelling as expressed in books, film, the performing and visual arts; and my desire to create new ways to support the people who produce and appreciate great work in the arts and letters, especially that produced by people of color and by people who are driven more by humanitarian concerns than commerce. People of color have more access to education, to media and other resources than ever. We are writing and making art more than ever but, we have relatively little visibility in media and in the marketplace. While so-called popular culture is omnipresent, art and literature-- (art forms) that offer more than entertainment and titillation in its content is increasingly more difficult to access. We have people who believe that we are no longer producing great writers and artists. We at Up South want to say -- yes we have brilliant minds creating great work now.

Even in an international city such as New York, the media and arts capitol, we don’t have many institutionalized cultural events dedicated to presenting programs that bring together artists and thinkers in dance, music, film, literature and art coming from, and influenced by, the cultures of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the American South, the people who make this city and this nation the cross road of the world.

NC: The name Up South brings to my mind both the sense of movement and a kind of celebration of place. What drove you to name the festival Up South and what do you want this title to convey?  

MA: The name Up South does evoke a sense of movement and refers specifically to the migration of American Blacks from the South, but generally I apply it too migrants and immigrants who have contributed to the great cultural wealth this country has and who risk life and limb to come to America from South America, Africa and everywhere else in the world. I once heard Toni Morrison say that, “the South of everywhere is still the South.” I was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee and was college-educated in Atlanta. I love the South and the cultural wealth that southerners possess. So, I’m committed to shining a light on brilliant artists such as Olu Dara, Cassandra Wilson, Arthur Jafa, George Alexander and so many more who are not only African American, but Southern born and bred. I’m fascinated by the phenomena of human migration, always curious about what drives people to leave home and venture into the unknown.

I want the name Up South to represent inclusion and the movement of people to a higher place spiritually and culturally. I hope it comes to represent the freedom of globally-minded people to be their authentic selves and to embrace change, the new and old they never new about.

NC: How did your background as both an artist and a publishing executive impact your approach to first creating a plan for the festival and then guiding the implementation of said plan?

MA: My background as a writer, dancer and artist, and as a publishing executive has taught me the lessons and given me the experience necessary to envision the kinds of events that could bring joy and benefit to the performers, the artists and the merchants involved. That rarely happens. The relationship between art and commerce can be mutually satisfying. That’s what we’re aiming for: to invigorate book buyers and support Hue Man Bookstore (the Festival‘s exclusive book vendor); support publishers, authors and musicians (through the sale of CDs of featured performers); offer audiences intimate contact with writers and artists, and provide bonding opportunities for artists with other artists.

NC: You have a amassed a great and diverse collection of talent and perspectives- Reyna Grande, Ruby Dee, Ronald K Brown, Olu Dara and Greg Tate to name a few. What was the governing sensibility behind choosing the people who would participate in the festival? Is there a common thread that binds all of the artists involved?

MA: The curatorial philosophy of USIBF is grounded in the idea that contemporary art and culture, at its best, produces what is new based on an awareness of the old; transcends boundaries of ethnicity, language, religion, gender and politics; and is a vital component of a healthy society. So, we honor traditional approaches to literature and art and innovation. We honor diversity. The common thread that binds all of the artists and thinkers we invite to the Festival is talent, imagination, courage, conviction, humanity and good works that are ready for presentation.  

NC: In what way do you foresee the festival expanding and growing?  

MA: In the next two years we’d like to add programs for young adults and children and host more events over a longer period of time (up to 5 days) and hold some of the events in venues that hold more than 200 people.