Greetings,

Thank you for being here and for celebrating with us!

I am Dr. Shaquinta Richardson, entrepreneur, writer, consultant, former professor, and therapist from Spartanburg, South Carolina. I am both a lover of reading and a lover of books, because those are two very different things if you know, you know.

For as long as I can remember, books have been my favorite form of refuge. They were my portal to other worlds and my first teachers about this one. Story is how I learned to understand myself, my relationships, and the world around me. My own story has been winding and full of adventure, and somehow it has led me right back here, home. I wanted to bring my first love back to my home state in a way that is meaningful not just to me, but to the entire community, and I am thrilled to announce that Audre's Den has opened its doors!

Audre’s Den is centered on women and queer authors, with a deep and intentional focus on Black authors. This is not a random pivot or a sudden idea. If you know me, you know this dream has been with me for a long time.

I discovered the work of Audre Lorde while I was in graduate school. Her words became a lifeline during the hardest seasons of my doctoral program. Quotes lived on sticky notes on my walls, reminding me to care for myself, to tell the truth, and to understand survival as something deeper than endurance. Her work inspired the title of my book Black Women Navigating the Doctoral Process: Sister Insider and became foundational to my work helping women actively prioritize their well being.

With that lineage in mind, Audre’s Den exists as an extension of those teachings.

Books are how I make sense of the world. Reading is where I rest, where I learn, and where I return to myself. I have always imagined a space where others could do the same without pressure, without urgency, and without being asked to produce anything at all.

Audre’s Den is a true third space. A place to come after a long day and exhale. A place to sit with a book, journal, listen to music, meditate, rest, and be held by the atmosphere. We host readings, writing sessions, guided rest experiences, and community centered events that honor slowness, story, healing, and collective care.

This is not just a bookstore. It is a space for recovery, imagination, and belonging.

Our Ongoing Dream: The Brick and Mortar and Beyond

While we have successfully opened and are serving the community, our ultimate goal—the full brick and mortar space—remains a vibrant and necessary dream. We need a permanent, fully-equipped home to truly realize the scale of this vision.

In the meantime, the support we receive keeps our existing operations running, ensures we can purchase diverse inventory, and allows us to continue offering the intentional programming that makes Audre’s Den unique. We are constantly in need of donations to sustain our day-to-day functions and keep the lights on as we work toward our long-term home.

Every dollar donated is an investment in sustaining a space for Black imagination, rest, and community belonging.

Collaboration is central to this vision. We are partnering with local organizations, schools, nonprofits, and small businesses to co-create programming, host events, support literacy and wellness initiatives, and ensure this space truly serves the community it belongs to. Audre’s Den is meant to be a hub, not an island.

I want you involved from the very beginning. Everyone who supports this campaign will be brought along for the journey. I will share behind the scenes updates, progress reports, video vlogs, live discussions, and opportunities to weigh in on partnerships, vendors, programming, and creative decisions. This is a collective build, not a solo act. And I can only do these things with support.

Audre’s Den will be one of the only brick and mortar Black-owned bookstore in the state of South Carolina. That matters. It matters for representation, access, and legacy.

If you need an excuse to come to South Carolina in 2026, this is it.

It is also important to honor that it will not be the first Black-owned bookstore rooted in this state. That honor in recent history belongs to VaLinda Miller, founder of Turning Page Bookshop in Goose Creek, South Carolina who has now secured her new retail space!

Thank you for believing in this vision. Thank you for believing in rest, in story, in Black imagination, and in building spaces that allow us to be human together. Every contribution, every share, and every word of encouragement moves us closer to achieving the full scope of this dream.

Check out our website www.audresden.org (which could use a brand designer and copywriter if anyone wants to donate to that cause).