Vampires & Literature
Wanted to see more book content during #BIPOCVampDay? Well, Good news! Author Briana Cox is helping curate the bookish part of this year’s BIPOC Vampire Day!
SCHEDULE
Join us for a series of pre-recorded interviews as they premiere live on our YouTube channel where you can chat in real time when episodes premieres. See the full list of programming here.
FRIDAY:
Jalen Tellis – 10am PST | 1pm EST (Premieres on YouTube)
Special Guest Nikkolas Smith – 4pm PST | 7pm EST (Premieres on YouTube)
Featured Authors
This year have a series of interviews & panels featuring a wonderful roster of authors and creators, curated by author and host, Briana N Cox.
Briana N Cox, Indigent
Briana N Cox (they/she) is the oldest of seven children and a first-generation academic. She holds a BA in cognitive science from Swarthmore College and MS in speech-language pathology from Purdue University. They have been highlighted in Variety magazine and on the 2024 Next List of screenwriters to watch for. Briana writes genre stories from the margins, illuminating the experiences of overlooked demographics with authenticity, dignity, and dark humor. You can read her work in Reactor Magazine and FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction. Her debut novel, INDIGENT, released in March 2026. brianancoxwriter.com
V Castro, Maria the Wanted
V. Castro is a two time Bram Stoker Award nominated Mexican American writer from San Antonio, Texas now residing in the UK. She writes horror, erotic horror, and science fiction. Her books include Immortal Pleasures, The Haunting of Alejandra, Alien: Vasquez, Mestiza Blood, The Queen of the Cicadas, Out of Aztlan, Las Posadas, Rebel Moon (official Netflix film novelization), The Pink Agave Motel, and Goddess of Filth. Her new book is Tales of The Dark Feminine from Watkins and Maria The Wanted from Titan. vcastrostories.com
Tonja K Johnson, Dark Star: A Magical HBCA Horror Story
Tonja is a Black American writer of speculative fiction. Her work honors the rich, diverse culture of her ancestors while also representing Blackness in all its resistance, queerness, and neurodivergence. She is a recipient of the 2025 MN BIPOC Emerging Writer Award in Fiction and of the 2023 MN Write Like Us grant. She is an acquiring editor at FIYA, a first reader at Otherside, a Go Back & Fetch It fellow, and A TIn House 2026 alum. tonjakjohnson.com/books
L Marie Wood, The Promise Keeper
Celebrated psychological horror author L. Marie Wood is the winner of multiple awards including the Bram Stoker Award®, the Golden Stake Award for Literature, and the International Impact Book Award. She is also a MICO Award-winning screenwriter, an Elgin Award finalist poet, an accomplished essayist, and a playwright. Wood is the President of the Horror Writers Association, the founder of the Speculative Fiction Academy, an English and Creative Writing professor, as well as a horror scholar. lmariewood.com
Markus Redmond, Blood Slaves
Markus Redmond is an actor, director, screenwriter, and author. Known for his roles on Doogie Howser, MD, NYPD Blue, Murder One, Mad About You, Angel, and Fight Club, he wrote and starred alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Sharon Stone in the indie film If I Had Known I Was a Genius. He wrote, directed, and starred in the Amazon Prime thriller The 6th Degree, and has multiple screenplays in development. He lives in Los Angeles. The Blood Saga
Kenya Moss Dyme, The Forever Souls
As a child, Kenya realized that her entertainment choices leaned more toward ghosts and goblins than princesses and fairy godmothers. She began writing short-form horror in her teens but didn’t release her first book until many years later, thanks to the beauty of self-publishing. Although she may occasionally drop a work of romance, Kenya’s real passion is weaving stories about monsters– both the kind that come from the pits of hell or may just be your neighbor. www.kenyamossdyme.com
Jalen Tellis, West of Damnation
Jalen Tellis is a novelist and screenwriter known for crafting emotionally resonant, thought-provoking stories. His work explores the complexities of the human experience through rich narratives that captivate audiences, spark meaningful conversations, and transport readers and viewers into imaginative worlds that challenge perspectives. jalentellisbooks.com
K Murry Johnson, Image of Emeralds and Chocolate
K. Murray Johnson is a storyteller whose work blends heart, history, and imagination through a distinctly LGBTQ lens. His breakout novel, Image of Emeralds and Chocolate, introduced readers to a bold new voice in gay vampire fiction– one that treats queer characters with depth, dignity, and irresistible intrigue. Johnson’s writing draws readers into richly atmospheric worlds, from the American South to the supernatural, where themes of identity, desire, and self-discovery take center stage. Guided by his empathy and shaped by lived experience, his stories open space for conversations about belonging, love, and the power of being seen. kmurryjohnson.com
Dawn Chen, A Vampire in Beijing
Dawn Chen (she/her) is an ace lesbian Chinese sapphic fantasy and horror author who grew up in Beijing. She moved to Germany with her mother when she was 13, and went to school in the UK when she was 16 and spent the next 10 years of life in the UK. She is the author of the short stories collection Dawn’s Cozy Horror Corner: A Queer Chinese diaspora Horror Short Stories Anthology (2024), the sapphic anti-colonial fantasy The Witch Who Chases The Sun (2025), The Empress And Her Witch in Curses, Charms and Other Enchantments(2026) and the upcoming sapphic horror epistolary novel A Vampire In Beijing (2027). contrarianpublishing.com/dawnchen
Special guest Nikkolas Smith concept artist for Sinners (2025)
Nikkolas Smith is an Artivist, an award winning picture book author/illustrator, and Hollywood concept artist. As one of the most celebrated and visionary talents of our time, Nikkolas weaves his passion for social justice into an inspiring portfolio of art that resonates across generations. Born in Houston, Texas, Nikkolas lives in Los Angeles.
MORE BOOK/LITERARY CONTENT TO ENJOY:
BIPOCVampDay Itch.io Bundle 2026
We’ve launched our first itch.io bundle – a collection of short stories, comics, artbooks and games featuring BIPOC vampires. Twelve vampire projects for only $11!
Bundle runs from 9/18 – 11/6
VAMPIRES OF COLOR ANTHOLOGY
For the last four years, we have released an anthology zine showcasing original BIPOC vampires and their stories, artwork, comics, RPGs and more. Every year our creative community continued to inspire and amaze us with their work.
Vampires of Color, Volume 5: Crimson & Iron and our bonus zine, After Dark, are available for preorder starting #BIPOCVampDay weekend in our Kofi Shop.
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