28 Days Year: 2021

Shannon Wright is an illustrator and cartoonist based out of Richmond, Virginia. Some of her clients include The Guardian, TIME Magazine, NY Times, Mother Jones, NPR, Google and Scholastic. TWINS, written by our own Varian Johnson, is her debut graphic novel, and has received five starred reviews. The Journey:  I’ve been drawing since I was a [ Read the full article… ]

Fun fact, I met Shakirah on a maxi taxi in Trinidad a few years ago when the folks from Bocas Lit Fest brought me down for the annual Caribbean Literature Festival. We were on our way to a cocktail party where the winners of the Burt Award, for books for young adult literature. She was a finalist. We were well dressed, there was a signature cocktail, and we hit it off. So it’s my pleasure to introduce her to you here.

“As a woman of Afro-Puerto Rican descent, representing a diverse world isn’t a trend for me—it’s my greatest joy.”    Lily Anderson As I began my research (scouring the internet) in search of information about Lily, one of the first articles to pop up said she was in a car accident.  What the what?  I immediately [ Read the full article… ]

An avid reader and writer, Kelly J. Baptist got her break when her short story, “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn,” won We Need Diverse Book’s short story contest. It was published in the award-winning anthology, Flying Lessons and Other Stories. She was just getting started. Kelly adapted that story, continued and expanded [ Read the full article… ]

A native of Miami, Florida, Darnell Johnson discovered his love for art while watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. Later, he spent time designing his own characters and making comics. In high school, Darnell knew he wanted to pursue a career in art. Darnell pulls inspiration from his faith, family, friends and life to [ Read the full article… ]

I wanted to become a writer after I visited a library for the first time as a child. Books have always provided solace and companionship for me. But I didn’t know how to become a writer or that I even could. I didn’t know anyone who supported themselves as a creative.

For the past few years, I’ve been raving about the Crongton Knights series — so funny, heartbreaking, relatable, and real. Alex Wheatle writes from the soul, and it shows. In awarding Wheatle the 2016 Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, SF Said noted that “Wheatle’s writing is poetic, rhythmic and unique, remaking the English language with tremendous [ Read the full article… ]

Today, we celebrate the work and career of illustrator and fine artist April Harrison. In 2019, Harrison took a leap of faith, away from a twenty-five year career in the insurance business, to pursue a full-time career in art. Her focus became children’s book illustration. Her first illustrated book, “What Is Given From The Heart,” [ Read the full article… ]