‘Mountain Spells’ Wins International Firebird Book Award!

Congratulations to Toussaint St. Negritude! His debut collection, Mountain Spells, is a poetry winner in the 2025 International Firebird Book Awards!

Through the inspiration of life, jazz, and nature, Mountain Spells explores the intrinsic clarity of emancipation, expressing all found intersections of what the author sees and experiences, and how this Black/queer/high-hat-wearing artist envisions the world through the lens of spirituality, the African diaspora, and nature as his home.

The administering nonprofit of this award, Speak Up Talk Radio, is a charitable organization. According to founder Patricia J. Rullo, “We give back by hand making colorful pillowcases and send them, along with children’s books, to women and children who are experiencing homelessness… In this way, authors gain recognition for their work and play a significant role in transforming homeless shelters into bright homes.”