Julian Randall
Julian Randall
Julian Randall is a Living Queer Black poet from Chicago. He is the author of Refuse (Pitt, 2018), winner of the 2017 Cave Canem Poetry Prize and a finalist for a 2019 NAACP Image Award. He is also the author of the middle grade books the Pilar Ramirez novel duology, The Chainbreakers, and his memoir The Dead Don’t Need Reminding: In Search of Fugitives, Mississippi and
Black TV Nerd Shit (Bold Type Books).
He has received fellowships from Cave Canem, CantoMundo, Callaloo, BOAAT and the Watering Hole. Julian is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize. Julian is the only ever solo winner of the National College Slam Best Poet Award. Julian is the winner of the 2019 Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award from the Publishing Triangle.
His writing has been published in New York Times, Esquire, PEOPLE Magazine, and POETRY and anthologized in Black Boy Joy (which debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list), Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed, and Furious Flower. He has essays in The Atlantic, Vibe Magazine, Los Angeles Review of Books, and other venues.
He holds an MFA in Poetry from University of Mississippi. He was an award winning, nationally recognized slam poet and has been performing for audiences of all ages for over a decade; performing his work and hosting events at over fifty colleges and universities, alongside
numerous festivals.
He can be found at @JulianThePoet and on his website JulianDavidRandall.com.
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Hardback
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In this action-packed fantasy, thirteen-year-old Violet Moon must rescue her father and save her enchanted underwater world—perfect for fans of The Marvellers and Tristan Strong series.
All Violet Moon has ever wanted is to be a Reaper captain like her father. Born on the Tides of the Lost, a magical world beneath the waves of th...Read More
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Trade Paperback
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The Land of Stories meets Dominican culture and mythology come to life in Julian Randall's Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon, the action-packed fantasy duology finale—for fans of the Tristan Strong series and Amari and the Night Brothers.
After being magically transported to the mythical island of Zafa and re...Read More
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Trade Paperback
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The Land of Stories meets Dominican myths and legends come to life in Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa, a blockbuster contemporary middle-grade fantasy duology starter from Julian Randall. Fans of Tristan Strong and The Storm Runner, here is your next obsession.
"A breathtaking journey . . . readers better ho...Read More
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Any performance or speech can be paired with an audience age-appropriate workshop upon request.
Pilar Ramirez School Visit Presentation
A PowerPoint presentation, reading and signing from the author of the Pilar Ramirez duet! Exploring themes of home, latinidad and history this presentation seeks to empower young readers to tell their stories!
Chainbreakers School Visit Presentation
A PowerPoint presentation, reading and signing from the author of the middle grade novel, The Chainbreakers! Exploring themes of diaspora, history, reclamation and hope this presentation seeks to empower young readers to tell their stories!
Poetry or Dynamic Essay Reading Performance
A 45 minute long dynamic performance from award winning performer and author, Julian Randall. Can be paired with several generative workshops in poetry, fiction or nonfiction.
Across the Genre-Verse (Keynote)
A keynote talk on genre, nerdiness and the multiverse of resistance literature from Julian Randall.
Then This is The Year (Keynote)
A keynote speech on opportunity, power and possibility framed by the story of the author’s grandparents escaping the Trujillo regime that dominated the Dominican Republic for 31 years.
The Mooncricket’s Choir (Craft Talk)
This craft talk surrounds the poetics of the Black ekphrastic and its relation to lyric time. Pushed further, how can the introduction, remix and stylin of a poem be affected and manipulated by the introduction of an external art piece? We’ll use and tour through poems from Vievee Francis, Natasha Trethewey, Desiree C. Bailey and Hanif Abdurraqib, among others, to explore lyric and how to pair the music of a poem with its heart song.
“Julian Randall explores the boundless possibilities of the stories we inherit”
“Book club: Fantasy meets Dominican history in ‘Pilar Ramirez’”
Listen to an excerpt from “#Julian4Spiderman” in The Dead Don’t Need Reminding.
Listen to an excerpt from “T-Pain Essay” in The Dead Don’t Need Reminding.
Praise for The Chainbreakers
“Long live the Chainbreakers! A fantastical, mind-blowing adventure. . . Violet and her friends don’t just smash barriers; they’ll win over your heart, too.”
— Mark Oshiro, #1 New York Times–bestselling co-author of The Sun and the Star
“A breathtaking, magical saga. Readers of all ages will find a place in their hearts for Violet Moon and her ragtag found family in this moving tale that’s as poetic as it is swashbuckling.”
— Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times–bestselling author
“A magical high-seas adventure led by a strong girl with a powerful message of hope.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“A propulsive fantasy adventure that entertains while sparking thoughtful discussions about grief, legacy, and revenge.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Julian Randall is masterful at creating vivid, magic-filled, fantastical worlds that leap off the page.”
— Dominican Writers Association
“A fresh new fantasy for readers who enjoy feisty, brave protagonists doing what they feel is right with heart and humor.”
— School Library Journal
“…will likely inspire readers.”
— BCCB
Praise for Pilar Ramirez
“A breathtaking journey through a world teeming with fantasy and history.”
— Kwame Mbalia, New York Times–bestselling author of the Tristan Strong series
“Randall takes history and myth and weaves a tight fantasy that is as funny as it is poignant. This novel is sure to delight and awe.”
— Elizabeth Acevedo, National Book Award Winner
“Magic awaits around every corner in Zafa. Nonstop action and plenty of heart create a story worth escaping into.”
— Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“An undeniable page-turner.”
— Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“Incredible voice that jumps right off the page. Pilar is the hilarious hero we need right now.”
— Claribel A. Ortega, New York Times–bestselling author of Ghost Squad
Other Speakers
Poet, Author, Activist