Meet Rowana
Founder, CEO, Editor-in-Chief, Author & Speaker
Photo credit: Khidar Rich
Rowana Abbensetts-Dobson (she/her) is a writer, digital communications strategist, mother warrior, and Black girl magic entrepreneur. With over 10 years of experience in publishing and non-profit marketing, Rowana has worked with organizations such as Callaloo Literary Journal at Brown University where she currently serves as the Web and Social Media Coordinator, Read Alliance, Poets & Writers Magazine, and Teachers & Writers Collaborative to foster a new generation of diverse readers and writers.
As an author herself, Rowana has published her first novel, Departure Story: a novel, through her publishing company Spoken Black Girl, while also publishing a magazine focused on Black women and mental health. Her passion for storytelling has driven her to work with several grassroots organizations that shed light on issues that impact marginalized communities to create a more equitable world.
Rowana has had fiction and poetry published in Moko Magazine, Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora, Culture Push, When We Exhale: Anthology of Black Women Rooted in Ancestral Medicine, Free Verse Magazine, and The Fire Inside Volume III Anthology. As a freelance health and wellness writer, Rowana has written for Insider, GoodRx, Well +Good, Bold Culture by Streamline Media, The Tempest, Insider, and Electric Lit.
As a speaker, Rowana has delivered speeches at the Black Women Writers Virtual Summit and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, NYU and Kenyon College.
Spoken Black Girl was nominated for best business commercial at the Queens International Underground Film Festival and was selected as the winner of a $10,000 small business grant from the Local Initiatives Support Cooperation and Verizon.
Rowana is currently completing her MFA in Fiction Writing at Arcadia University so she can bring more amazing stories into the world. Winner of the 2024 Best Publication from Healing Black Women, Rowana is ready to create more spaces, in books, on the web, and in-person, for Black women and girls to heal.
I’m available for brand collaborations and speaking engagements. Let’s connect!
Workshops, Events & Panels
Workshops Inspired by Black Women Writers
I share my love of Black women writers everywhere I go! Allow me to craft a workshop inspired by Black women writers, both past and present. These workshops include selected reading, writing sprints, and sharing our work. I’m available for in person workshops in NYC and virtual workshops anywhere around the world!
Mental Health Awareness
As a mental health advocate, I’m passionate about educating the public and spreading mental health awareness. In my workshops, I separate myth and stigma from fact, address the ways mental health affects the population and help participants learn about how to cultivate better mental health for themselves as well as friends and family in everyday life.
Self-Care
This workshop explores the ways in which individuals can use self-care to improve mental health, wellness, and personal productivity. Self-care is much more than spa days. This workshop dives into the practical aspects of self-care that we often forget our hectic daily life.
Healing Through Writing
The Healing Through Writing Workshop focuses on creating a safe space for a cathartic, personal writing experience. The workshop incorporates meditation, discussion, and analysis of literary works. Participants are encouraged (although not required) to share their stories of healing and growth for a transformative workshop experience.