Catching up at the 2025 Biographers International Organization Conference

A member organization to support and inspire biographers at all stages of our work

June was for me one of the busiest months of the year so far, with a two-day celebration of our family matriarch’s 100th birthday (!) along with the ongoing inconvenience of a major

Welcome to the Conference!

bathroom remodel. However, I’m glad I kicked off the month by attending the 15th annual Biographers International Organization Conference, June 5 – 7 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

I attended my first Bio conference in 2013, having decided back then only that I would create a project on the life Laura Wheeler Waring. At the time I didn’t know if I would write a biography or do a short documentary, so I wanted to convene with others working in the genre to gain some clarity and inspiration. But I hadn’t returned to the conference since before the pandemic. Now, with a published article, several presentations on Waring, this blog, and even more personal and contextual research, I have a more focused perspective about my subject and the kind of biography I’m writing. So I headed down to DC to enjoy the discussions, connect with other writers, get an update on the current publishing landscape, and come home with a few helpful takeaways and a healthy dose of motivation.

This year’s conference did not disappoint.

Since there are two or three conference sessions scheduled at the same time throughout the day, choosing those you’ll attend is always an interesting challenge. Bio categorizes the sessions under Basics, Craft, Issues, and Theme. I choose considering where I am in the process and where I have questions. Ask an Agent was very helpful, and it didn’t hurt to hear another take on Crafting the Nonfiction Book Proposal. But one of the sessions that resonated with me most was Chasing Ghosts: First-Time Biographers Confronting Elusive Subjects.

Laura Wheeler Waring, circa 1927

I’ve written previously about black biography as cultural preservation. When we independent and university scholars, genealogists, and community historians first decide to chronicle the life of someone who has been lost to a generation, to reclaim an individual or a community from the margins, to recognize their contributions and elevate their legacy, we undertake what can be a daunting task. It’s also an exhilarating one.

But what, you might ask, makes a person biography-worthy? Perhaps a person who is well-known, or once was, but the personal experiences that shaped them have never been brought to light. Or a little-known person who had a significant impact on their field or in the lives of others. The choices are endless.

I drew inspiration for my work on Laura Wheeler Waring from talking with Sonja D. Williams,

With Eric K. Washington at conference cocktail party, hosted by "Oprah" biographer, Kitty Kelley

who has written Word Warrior, about radical Chicago-based writer/radio producer Richard Durham (1917-1984). I chatted with Eric K. Washington who chronicled the rise of James H. Williams (1878-1948), Chief Red Cap at Grand Central Terminal, in his bio, Boss of the Grips. I learned from Shennette Garrett-Scott of her upcoming bio on Maggie Lena Walker (1864-1934), the first African American woman to charter a bank and serve as bank president. One conference attendee was considering a biography of South African activist Winnie Mandela (1936-2018). Another was focusing on the subversive humor of stand-up comedian, Jackie “Moms” Mabley (1897-1975)

Who would you reclaim? Whose legacy would you recover?

With Bio Board Member and "Queen of the Unauthorized Biography", Kitty Kelley

The conference packed in a lot over two days, offering discussions on the impact of AI (Artificial Intelligence) on biographical research; how to use government archives; co-authoring a biography; all things audio; black music biography, and more. One workshop I missed was Digging Up the Dirt for a Great Biography, led by author/storyteller, Judith Pearson. The title notwithstanding, I understand that Pearson, a self-confessed “research junkie” offered sound advice about constructing your subject’s character by researching others in their circle, and when to stop researching so as not to overwhelm your readers.

I’ll keep that last in mind.

Congrats to the Bio officers, board, and committees for an illuminating, practical, and fun 2025 conference.

With fellow biographers at the conference closing reception

Click on the link to learn more about the Biographers International Organization.

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