About D. Watkins

The Hackerman 2025 Writer in Residence is local author D. Watkins. D. Watkins is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Beast Side, The Cook Up, Where Tomorrows Aren’t Promised, and We Speak for Ourselves—which was Enoch Pratt Free Library’s 2020 One Book Baltimore selection. His newest book, Black Boy Smile, was released in May.

Watkins is Editor-at-Large for Salon. He is a writer on the HBO mini-series We Own This City and hosts the show’s companion podcast. Additionally, he was featured in the HBO documentary The Slow Hustle. His work has been published in the New York Times, Esquire, New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, and other publications.

Watkins is a college lecturer at the University of Baltimore, where he earned an MFA in Creative Writing. He also holds a Master of Education degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Some of Watkins's awards include the Johns Hopkins Distinguished Alumnus Award, the BMe Genius Grant for Dynamic Black Leaders, the City Lit Dambach Award for Service to the Literary Arts, the Maryland Library Association’s William Wilson Maryland Author Award, and Ford’s Men of Courage Award for Black Male Storytellers. He was also a finalist for a 2016 Hurston Wright Legacy Award, and The Cook Up was a 2017 Books for a Better Life finalist.

Throughout the year, Watkins will engage with Library visitors through workshops, talks, and readings, providing valuable insights into his creative approach in the fields of podcasting, creative writing, and journalism.

Q&A with D. Watkins

Congratulations on being named the Pratt’s first Writer-in-Residence. What can customers expect from your residency?

I’m so honored to be the Writer-in-Residence, as there would be no D. Watkins without support from the Enoch Pratt Free Library. During my tenure, customers should expect direct access to me and other writers who have found success in the business and the skills needed to tell their stories through multiple mediums, including personal essays, podcasts, and journalism.

How has the Pratt Library been so significant in your life and career?

My mom took me to the Pratt as a small child; there, I fell in love with books like the Curious George series, Stone Soup, and the many texts documenting the lives of my favorite basketball players, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. As a professional, the Pratt had all the books I needed to become a better thinker, understand craft fully, and gain the confidence to put in my work. Now, it’s a place where I interact with and meet countless fans of my work and host events with some of the best writers in the world. The Pratt Library continues to be a blessing to me.

Why do you feel like it is important to have writers working inside libraries?

Writers need to work inside libraries because it lets patrons and dreamers know that the industry is real and accessible and that if they work hard enough, they can play, too. And then the patrons who don’t dream of writing best sellers deserve access to us — as they are the foundation of our success. I love seeing other writers in the library; it’s our home.