ARRIEL
VINSON
YOUNG ADULT AUTHOR, POET, AND ESSAYIST
ABOUTPhoto by Reece T. Williams
Arriel Vinson is a Reese's Book Club LitUp Fellow and Midwesterner who writes about being young, Black, and in search of freedom. She earned her MFA in Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College. Her poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in Kweli Journal, The Rumpus, Waxwing, and others. Arriel is a Tin House YA Scholar, Highlights Foundation scholarship recipient, and 2020 Walter Grant recipient. Under the Neon Lights, a YA novel-in-verse, is her debut (June 3, 2025). You can connect with her on social media at @arriwrites and find her work at arriwrites.com.
"The writing is — I’m free from pain. It’s where nobody tells me what to do; it’s where my imagination is fecund, and I am really at my best. Nothing matters more in the world or in my body or anywhere when I’m writing."
Toni Morrison
SELECTED WORKSUNDER THE NEON LIGHTS TOURFICTION + POETRY
CREATIVE NONFICTION
On Black Decadence: How Boasting in the Midwest Taught Me About Class
After Divorce at Twenty-Four, Lizzo Taught Me to Love Myself Again
What Majorette Dancing Taught Me About Desire and My Divorce
INTERVIEWS
UPCOMING + RECENT WORKSHOPS6/3/25: Indianapolis, IN @ Indiana Humanities, hosted by Loudmouth Books, 7pm. RSVP here.
6/6/25: Columbus, IN @ Bartholomew Public Library, hosted by Viewpoint Books, 12pm. RSVP here.
6/7/25: Indianapolis, IN @ Skateland, UTNL celebration, 6:30pm, $15 at door. Details here.
6/10/25: Washington, D.C. @ Loyalty Books, 7pm. RSVP here.
6/11/25: Portland, OR @ Grand Gesture Books, 7pm. RSVP here.
6/17/25: Brooklyn, NY @ Cafe con Libros, 7pm. RSVP here.
6/21/25: Bronx, NY @ Bronx Book Festival, Time TBD. RSVP here.
6/25/25: Dallas, TX @ Whose Books, 7pm. RSVP here.
6/27/25: The Colony, TX @ The Colony Library, 6pm. Details here.
4/16/25: How to Write a Query Letter and Find an Agent (virtual)
3/19/25: The Journey to a Traditional Book Deal (virtual)
1/15/25: Poetry As Storytelling: A Generative 5-Week Class (virtual), Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute
10/13/24: Come Celebrate With Me: On Adding Joy to Your Work (virtual), Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute
7/22/24: Poem Like You Mean It: A Generative 5-Week Poetry Class (virtual), Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute
Contact me.
To inquire about bringing me to your school, library, or organization, you can reach out via my contact form.
For book-related questions, please contact my literary agent, Jodi Reamer at Writers House here.
If you’d like to interview me for your podcast or publication, please contact my PenguinTeen publicity team: Lathea Mondesir and Jaleesa Davis.