Celebrating LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC Voices in 2025

This 2025 theme centered on celebrating LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC voices—writers whose stories, perspectives, and lived experiences are vital to a vibrant and diverse literary landscape, especially at a time when the freedom to read is under threat.

According to the American Library Association, 2,452 unique titles were banned or challenged at public, school, and university libraries in 2024. Many of these titles featured LGBTQIA+ characters or themes or included topics concerning race, racism, equity, and social justice.

The 2025 Next Chapter Writers’ Summit stands as a powerful response: a celebration and affirmation of these creative voices, their right to be heard, and the importance of inclusive storytelling.