MahoganyBooks, a bookshop located in Anacostia, is putting a pen in the hands of overlooked writers living in Ward 8.

The Anacostia bookshop has won a $5,000 grant to launch a new yearlong content series, Black Books Matter: From the Writers’ Perspective. The series will feature 20 articles and essays written by Ward 8 authors “using bestselling and classic black literature as a touchstone for reflection, empowerment, and healing.” The works are meant to explore the challenges and triumphs of the last year, when Black communities across the country (including in Ward 8) have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, and have formed part of a nationwide protest movement for racial justice.

While the series will address the trauma of 2020, “the entire series isn’t doom and gloom, but also about Black joy,” says Panama Jackson, Ward 8 resident and senior editor of The Root, who is partnering with MahoganyBooks to edit the series. (In 2018, Panama Jackson and MahoganyBooks hosted a monthly book club, featuring the work of Black writers.)

The application deadline is on February 1, and those interested in submitting their work can contact Jackson via email, per a MahoganyBooks press release.

The grant, called Resilient Together, was awarded to six Ward 8 businesses, including MahoganyBooks. The award was created by Cities of Service, the District of Columbia Office of Planning, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

All grant funding will go towards compensating writers for their work, says Derrick Young, one of the owners of MahoganyBooks.

Both Young and Jackson say they hope to interest writers of different skill sets, including new, emerging, and experienced writers.

Young says he first got the idea for the writing cohort because he felt that news outlets weren’t adequately representing communities east of the river, particularly during the pandemic.

“I see all these different polls, different articles written, and news, and it never really feels like they’re talking to people in our part of D.C.,” says Young.

With the new series, Young hopes to highlight community narratives and amplify residents’ voices.

Starting mid-February, five Black writers from Ward 8 will reflect on the past year as “people dealt with isolation and a loss of work,” says Young. “We’re trying to give people the space to have an outlet, instead of just having to deal with it and carry it around by themselves.” Additionally, he hopes to feature writers and their work in the shop’s virtual book talk series so that “neighbors can talk through the stuff that’s bothering them,” says Young.

Ward 8 has the highest number of coronavirus deaths in the District. Also, the D.C. area continues to face high unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the most recent figures available, in November, the District’s unemployment rate was 7.5%, higher than Maryland’s rate, 6.8%, and Virginia at 4.9%.

Young says he hopes that the works to come will provide a platform to address a wide range of topics and “give people access to information that can help to empower them in their lives,” he says.