Novelist, Nonfiction Author & Filmmaker; Author of "Queen Sugar" & "Friends and Family"; Creator of "Harvest" Documentary

San Francisco, CA, USA
Live Event: Please Contact Virtual Event: Please Contact More Fee Info

Natalie Baszile Biography

Natalie Baszile is a novelist, nonfiction author, essayist, and filmmaker whose work explores race, identity, and the American experience. Baszile holds a master's degree in Afro-American studies from UCLA and an MFA from Warren Wilson College's MFA Program for Writers, where she was a Holden Minority Scholar. Her nonfiction has appeared in publications including National Geographic, O, The Oprah Magazine, and The Bitter Southerner. She has held residencies at the Ragdale Foundation, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Hedgebrook, and the Djerassi Resident Arts Program.

Baszile's debut novel, "Queen Sugar," was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and inspired the television series coproduced by Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey. Set in contemporary Louisiana, the novel tells the story of Charley Bordelon, a young African American widow from Los Angeles who moves to a rural town to manage a sugarcane farm inherited from her father. An early version of the novel earned the Hurston Wright College Writer's Award and was a runner-up in the Faulkner Pirate's Alley Novel-in-Progress competition.

Baszile's nonfiction work includes the anthology "We Are Each Other's Harvest: Celebrating African American Farmers, Land & Legacy," which examines the landscape of Black farmers in America through essays, interviews, photography, and poems. The book was recognized as an Amazon Editor's Pick and a Wall Street Journal Book of the Year. This project also led to her filmmaking debut with the documentary film "Harvest," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and received the Special Jury Mention / Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director. Co-directed with her daughter Hyacinth Parker, the film follows the Nelson brothers and their experiences with family farm life in rural Louisiana.

Baszile's novel "Friends and Family" explores the friendship between two mothers—Babs, a Black woman, and Nora, a white woman with an adopted Black son—who confront issues of race, identity, and parenting after an incident involving their children. The novel draws inspiration from real-life observations and conversations with adoptive families. The book received a starred review from Booklist and was featured on NPR's All Things Considered for its examination of race and allyship.

Baszile is a member of the San Francisco Writers' Grotto and a former fiction editor at The Cortland Review. Her work continues to contribute to conversations about African American literature, social justice, and the intersection of culture and identity in contemporary America.

BOOK Natalie Baszile

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/31/2026.

Natalie Baszile Videos

Natalie Baszile Discusses New Novel ‘Friends and Family’

Natalie Baszile Discusses New Novel ‘Friends and Family’

Author Natalie Baszile joins Living Local DMV to discuss her new novel, *Friends and Family*, exploring interracial adoption, family dynamics and the...

  • How do I book Natalie Baszile to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Natalie Baszile for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Natalie Baszile, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Natalie Baszile or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Natalie Baszile

    Speaking fees for Natalie Baszile, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Natalie Baszile are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Natalie Baszile, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Natalie Baszile speak about?

    Natalie Baszile is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Anti-Racism, Belonging, Black Heritage, DEI, Family & Parenting, Fiction Authors, Generational Issues, Influential Women, Non-Fiction Authors, Social Activism, Television & Film
  • Where does Natalie Baszile travel from?

    Natalie Baszile generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Natalie Baszile’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Natalie Baszile for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Natalie Baszile for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Natalie Baszile or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Natalie Baszile is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Natalie Baszile for your event is available upon request. Natalie Baszile generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Christine Michel Carter, Lesley Lokko, Clyde W. Ford, Dr. Bernice King and Angela Davis. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Natalie Baszile for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.
Please Select Event Budget
Please enter your message
Please Enter Your Name
Please Enter Your Email
  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP