August on Martha’s Vineyard offers no shortage of ways to feed the mind. On any given day, Islanders and visitors can choose from lectures, concerts, exhibitions and conversations with fascinating people that only the Island can bring together. Summer reading is part of that tradition too.
Now in its third year, the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival (MVBBF) has become part of that rich cultural tapestry. Founded by Traci Wilkes Smith, the festival celebrates Black literature, culture and community while honoring the Island’s long-standing role as a gathering place for Black families, artists, writers and thinkers.
Traci knows both worlds well. A talent agent who has spent her career representing acclaimed authors and journalists, she first came to the Vineyard 25 years ago through her husband’s family. Today she and her family are part of the Island summer community, and through the MVBBF she has created a place where stories are shared, ideas are exchanged and new voices are discovered. I recently asked Traci about the inspiration behind the festival, this year’s theme and why Martha’s Vineyard is the perfect place to gather around a conversation that begins with a book.
Q. Tell me about your original connection to Martha’s Vineyard — and how your career representing storytellers eventually led you to found the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival.
A. I began my special connection with the Vineyard 25 years ago. My husband, Charles Smith, is a fourth generation Vineyarder. He grew up spending summers in the family home, which was originally purchased by his great-grandmother, Sally Fisher Clark. The home is still in the family. Now my children are fifth generation Vineyarders! And my mother, Sandra Wilkes, and I purchased a home in Oak Bluffs and are now seasonal residents.
Throughout my career representing content creators, I have had the privilege of working with extraordinary voices such as news anchor Vicky Nguyen for her New York Times best-selling book Boat Baby and Dr. Uché Blackstock, author of Legacy, which was also a New York Times bestseller.
Q. So, at what point did you realize those two worlds — your professional life and your life on Martha’s Vineyard — could come together?
A. Several years ago, I curated single-author talks on the Vineyard at the Cousen Rose Gallery in Oak Bluffs and at Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Vineyard Haven. These talks fueled my passion for more connection around Black literature on the Vineyard. I envisioned a festival where a community could gather to celebrate Black books and where bestselling authors, emerging voices, readers and industry leaders could exchange ideas, celebrate excellence and inspire future generations.
Q. August on Martha’s Vineyard is filled with opportunities for enrichment. With so many ways to spend a summer day, what is it about the Island that encourages people to slow down and gather around a conversation that begins with a book?
A. Summer is a time for reading. People rediscover their love for books and get immersed in new stories. Sitting outside with a book on the porch, on the beach or on the ferry is something that everybody looks forward to in the summer. What better place to discuss and celebrate books than the ultimate summer destination, Martha’s Vineyard.
In honor of Dorothy West’s birthday, I visited her home in Oak Bluffs, which is on the [Martha’s Vineyard] African American Heritage Trail. While I was there, I thought about our ancestors who would join Dorothy at her home to write, read and spend time with her. I think it’s important that we be intentional about continuing that legacy of gathering around stories that center Black literature and culture so that we can preserve our history. There are many happenings on the Vineyard around literature and other opportunities for enrichment, and I am happy that the MVBBF is one of them.
Q. Why did Martha’s Vineyard need a Black book festival?
A. MVBBF was founded to celebrate Black authors and storytellers. While many literary festivals include Black writers, we wanted to amplify the breadth of Black voices across the literary community.
We also wanted to honor Martha’s Vineyard’s Black legacy. For generations, Martha’s Vineyard has been a cherished destination for Black families. The festival builds on that legacy by creating a space where literature and culture intersect.
Q. Your mission is to celebrate Black literature, culture and community. How do those three ideas shape the festival?
A. The mission of the MVBBF is to foster discussion, reflection and celebration of Black authors and their literary work. That mission is at the heart of every conversation, panel, book signing and gathering we create.
With respect to discussion, we believe books have the power to spark meaningful dialogue. Reflecting encourages us to learn from the past while considering how literature shapes our understanding of the present and our vision for the future. And celebration recognizes the extraordinary contributions Black writers have made and continue to make to literature and culture.
Q. Was there a moment during that first festival in 2024 when you knew this belonged on Martha’s Vineyard?
A. I quickly became aware that this festival belonged on Martha’s Vineyard during a fireside chat between Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of The 1619 Project , and journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, who wrote My People: Five Decades of Writing About Black Lives. The audience was mesmerized by the deep discussion between important voices. Sunny Hostin followed up, speaking about her book, Summer on Highland Beach, and the historical relevance to the beach community. Together, they were something special that I knew needed to continue.
Q. Is there a theme that connects this year’s books and authors?
A. The 2026 festival theme is “Legacy, Empowerment and Sustainability.” The theme reflects how Black authors, scholars, journalists, entrepreneurs and leaders preserve the past, equip today’s communities and build a stronger future through storytelling and ideas.
Q. How does the festival reflect Martha’s Vineyard’s long history as a gathering place for Black families, artists and thinkers?
A. I recently visited the Shearer Cottage in Oak Bluffs, which is also on the heritage trail. In learning about how Charles Shearer and Henrietta Shearer welcomed African Americans to their inn in the 1920s, I was reminded that history repeats itself. MVBBF is another space for people to gather, connect and share stories on this special Island where Black families journey from all across the world to vacation.
Q. What conversations do you hope people continue long after they leave the festival?
A. My hope is that people will leave the festival with a hunger for new stories and perspectives on the Black experience and will want to share what they learned with their friends and families. Above all else, if the conversations after the festival further the notion that our stories will always be important, our voices should always be heard and our hearts should always be celebrated, then we have done a good thing.
Q. Once this year’s book festival is “one for the books” how will you and your family spend a perfect August day?
A. My favorite family day is packing up the bags to go to the beach, which we do as a family. My husband is the best at it! We start pretty early, sometimes with sandwiches from Tony’s [Market]and walk up to the Inkwell Beach and we are there all day. And we’re good with that.
Q. What book will be in that beach bag?
A. The Revelation of Dionne Daphne: A Novel, by Mara Brock Akil.
For more information about the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival, visit mvbbf.com.
Sissy Biggers is the Q&A columnist for The Vine.
This article appears in August – 2026.