About us
Come discuss books written by brown and Black female authors (hence the club name)! You do not have to be brown or a girl to attend — all adults are welcome.
About the Group
It feels like most book clubs don't read enough diverse authors... so let's change that!
The goal of this club is to foster a space where BIPOC (and allies) can celebrate and discuss overlooked or under-read BIPOC authors, with a particular focus on brown and Black female authors. Book selections will span all genres, but will tend toward fiction, and will feature authors from various intersectionalities such as queer/LGBTQ2IA+, disabled, and immigrant.
This club is hosted with the support of the New Britain Public Library (NBPL). For accessibility purposes, physical copies of our monthly book selection will be available for checkout at the NBPL circulation desk, or on Libby or Hoopla.
You are welcome to attend even if you haven't finished the book. In addition to discussing the book, my hope is that this group will serve as a community for BIPOC and allies who love to read diversely!
Upcoming events
1
Discuss "When We Were Birds" by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
Alvarium Beer Company, 365 John Downey Drive, New Britain, CT, USJoin us to discuss When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo!
As always, you are welcome to attend even if you haven't finished the book. In addition to discussing the book, my hope is that this group will serve as a community for BIPOC and allies who love to read diversely, so please feel free to come chat and mingle!
Book Synopsis:
A mythic love story set in Trinidad, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo’s radiant debut introduces two unforgettable outsiders brought together by their connection with the dead.In the old house on a hill, where the city meets the rainforest, Yejide’s mother is dying. She is leaving behind a legacy that now passes to Yejide: one St Bernard woman in every generation has the power to shepherd the city’s souls into the afterlife. But after years of suffering her mother’s neglect and bitterness, Yejide is looking for a way out.
Raised in the countryside by a devout Rastafarian mother, Darwin has always abided by the religious commandment not to interact with death. He has never been to a funeral, much less seen a dead body. But when the only job he can find is grave digging, he must betray the life his mother built for him in order to provide for them both. Newly shorn of his dreadlocks and his past, and determined to prove himself, Darwin finds himself adrift in a city electric with possibility and danger.
Yejide and Darwin will meet inside the gates of Fidelis, an ancient and sprawling cemetery, where the dead lie uneasy in their graves and a reckoning with fate beckons them both. A masterwork of lush imagination and exuberant storytelling, When We Were Birds is a spellbinding and hopeful novel about inheritance, loss, and love’s seismic power to heal.
Genre:
Fiction, Literary, Magical Realism, RomanceTrigger warnings:
- Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief
- Moderate: Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
- Minor: Slavery, Alcohol, Sexual content
Physical Copies:
Physical copies are now available at the New Britain Public Library (NBPL) Checkout desk as of 4/18.Just ask for the Brown Girl Book Club book of the month! You can use any CT state library card, or apply for a New Britain library card for free.
Meeting Location:
Alvarium Roasting Company
365 John Downey Dr, New Britain, CT 06051Parking is available onsite. I will let you know which Suite (A or B) we'll be in day of. If you have any trouble finding us, please DM me on Meetup.
Upcoming Books:
June 2026: TBD (check back later!)1 attendee
Past events
13
