Aspen Words

Winter Words with Tara Roberts
2026-02-11 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Denver) | TACAW, 400 Robinson St., Basalt, CO, 81621
Adventurer and storyteller Tara Roberts will discuss her searing memoir, “Written in the Waters,” which recounts her epic journey to trace the global slave trade across the Atlantic Ocean. Roberts, a National Geographic Explorer in Residence, spent years diving with and telling stories about a group of Black scuba divers searching for slave shipwrecks around the world. For fans of Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild” and Jesmyn Ward’s “Men We Reaped,” Roberts’ memoir is a powerful blend of personal and cultural history.

About the Author

Tara Roberts follows, dives with and tells stories about Black scuba divers as they search for and help document slave shipwrecks around the world. Her journey was turned into an award-winning National Geographic-produced podcast called “Into the Depths.” Tara became the first Black female explorer ever to be featured on the cover of the magazine and was named the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. Currently, Tara is an Explorer in Residence at Nat Geo. She is the author of “Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home and Belonging.” Tara is also a former magazine editor and indie publisher, a nonprofit communications director and editor of several nonfiction books for girls. She calls Atlanta home but loves to hit the road. Her motto is: have suitcase, will travel.

Aspen Words Literary Prize Shortlist Announced November 13
2026-03-04 10:00 - 17:00
Aspen Words will announce the shortlist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize on March 4.
The Aspen Words Literary Prize is a $35,000 annual award for an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.
Annually, open to authors of any nationality, the award is one of the largest literary prizes in the United States, and one of the few focused exclusively on fiction with a social impact. Past winners include Mohsin Hamid (2018 for “Exit West”), Tayari Jones (2019 for “An American Marriage”), Christy Lefteri (2020 for “The Beekeeper of Aleppo”), Louise Erdrich (2021 for “The Night Watchman”), Dawnie Walton (2022 for “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev”), Jamil Jan Kochai (2023 for “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak”), Isabella Hammad (2024 for “Enter Ghost”) and Tommy Orange (2025 for “Wandering Stars”). Eligible works include novels or short story collections that address questions of violence, inequality, gender, the environment, immigration, religion, race or other social issues.
Learn more about the prize
