Trelani Michelle is an award-winning writer, oral historian, and teaching artist based in Savannah, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Trelani graduated from Savannah State University with a Bachelor’s in Political Science then from Savannah College of Art and Design with an MFA in Writing. She led grammar and creative writing workshops for faculty, staff, and students at Savannah State then later taught high schoolers an interesting mix of creating writing and community advocacy.
The storyteller became a solid storygatherer after an internship at the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center. Crowned Savannah’s Best Local Author in 2021, Trelani’s published book titles include:
- Krak Teet: A Catalog of Savannah’s Black Biographies
- Women Who Ain’t Afraid to Curse When Communicating with God: 31-Day Self-Study Guide to Spiritual Liberation
- Girls Who Ain’t Afraid to Curse When Communicating with God: 31-Day Self-Study Guide to Spiritual Liberation
- What to Do After You’ve Written and Edited Your Book: Self-Publishing Steps
- How to Write a Self-Help Book
- Making + Managing Money with My Mini-Me’s
- Purple Petals – journal with prompts
- What the Devil Meant for Bad
- Getting Across
After writing the book, Trelani expanded Krak Teet into a nonprofit organization that makes history interesting by getting you to reminiscence, share stories, and prove that #WeAllCousins when those stories are highlighted in one place. Trelani also co-authored the New York Times bestselling cookbook, Gullah Geechee Home Cooking.
In 2021, Trelani was named Editor for Black Art in America, a multifaceted arts company based in Atlanta with a mission to document, preserve and promote the contributions of the African-American arts community. She uses this platform to combine storytelling with visual art to make history and culture more engaging and accessible. Trelani has presented her work as a speaker or panelist at UNC’s Black Communities Conference, SCAD, Savannah State, Georgia Council for the Arts, The Highlander Research and Education Center, and more. She’s also served as a Teaching Artist for the Deep Center, Frederica Academy, Susie King Taylor Community School, Baltimore’s A Revolutionary Summer, Loop it Up, etc.