Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Lewis.
Monique, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
After I finished my MFA in Creative Writing from Wilkes University, in 2012, I decided to launch a platform to support authors via live readings and book reviews — At The Inkwell. The live readings series began at KGB Bar in New York City and expanded to bars and bookstores in San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Richmond, and London, UK.
Today At The Inkwell has been solely active in Denver, since 2015, and I plan to reboot the series in New York City and launch it in Paris in 2023. The Inkwell hosts readings for poets, novelists, memoirists, playwrights, and other fiction writers. We have had the pleasure to feature Colorado-based writers Nancy Stohlman, Brian Dickson, Idris Goodwin, Elwin Cotman, Teow Lim Goh, Nawal Nader-French, former Emeritus Poet Laureate of Aurora, Colorado Jovan Mays, and more!
The Denver series began at Syntax Physic Opera, followed by BookBar to finally our current location at Counterpath. At The Inkwell was also the lead organizer for the city’s first Lit Crawl Denver held September 2016 on Tennyson Street. Lit Crawl Denver was also held in 2017 and 2018. We collaborated with FBomb, Regis University MFA Program, Lighthouse Writers Workshop, Colorado Humanities, Tethered by Letters and Bookbar, to feature Colorado-based writers in various unique venues (bars, galleries, bookstores, and shops) ending with an after-party at Ogden Theater. It was one of the highlights of At The Inkwell’s history in Denver.
In addition, to live readings, we review books, primarily poetry. Learn more at www.attheinkwell.com.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The most challenging aspect of running a reading series is launching it in a new city. The Inkwell is solely run by volunteers and does not make a profit, thus we depend on local businesses to donate their space to host readings for free. In the beginning, I often asked owners to give At The Inkwell a 2-month test phase to show that it could attract a crowd and bring new business.
This was an agreement that I was able to achieve in every city; however, it was most challenging in London where writers wanted to be paid. Unfortunately, we could not guarantee this except by asking the audience to donate money at the end of the readings. This proved to be too much of a hindrance when the audience already has to purchase a drink at the venue and will be encouraged to purchase the writer’s books. I decided to close the London market and focus on the U.S.
Due to personal projects, my volunteer curators in various U.S. markets had to discontinue hosting readings over the years and then COVID-19 struck. This forced At The Inkwell Denver to rethink how to host readings online, where we were the victim of a Zoom bomb. We enforced stricter security measures to prevent it from happening again. In the Fall of 2022, we could finally return to in-person events after a two-year pandemic forced us to host readings online. We are excited to bring readers and fans closer to the writers they love again.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My background is in journalism and I began as a writer for the Rocky Mountain Collegian at Colorado State University. My first internship was at StorageTek (it no longer exists) where I wrote feature articles on executives and later press releases for the company’s foundation. I later interned at The Greeley Tribune in 2004 writing articles and later as a copyeditor. My first professional gig was in 2005 for Gannett’s The Daily Times in Salisbury, Maryland where I covered local government and education.
Nearly two years later, I transferred to another Gannett daily newspaper, Press & Sun-Bulletin, in Binghamton, New York. A year later, I traded community journalism for business reporting in New York City at Mergermarket, where I cultivated an 11-year career from reporter to Americas editor of technology, media & telecom, to assistant editor, to the specialist content editor. In 2019 I left my 14-year journalism career behind to live in France, which was a dream I had since high school.
Today, I manage the internal communications strategy as Internal Communications Program Manager for the HEC Paris MBA. I have held this position since February 2019. In both my journalism and communications roles I am most pleased that I was able to help others by writing better articles to implement more effective communication strategies. My colleagues and clients often tell me that they love how much I will go out of my way to ensure the work I do is done well, but most of all, I give my best to help others.
What do you think about luck?
I do not believe in luck; I believe in my faith in God, hard work, perseverance, and having the right mentors (my mom and close friends) to guide me in all that I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.attheinkwell.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/attheinkwell
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/attheinkwell
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/attheinkwell
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/attheinkwell
Image Credits
Hillary Leftwich
