Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Faridah

Àbíké-Íyímídé

Bestselling Young Adult Novelist

London, UK

Alliah L.

Agostini

Children’s Author

Newark, NJ

Selina

Alko

Award Winning Kid Lit Author

New York, NY

Marie

Benedict

Bestselling Historical Novelist

Pittsburgh, PA

Jeffrey

Blount

Award Winning Novelist

Washington, DC

Isaac

Blum

Jewish Writer and Educator

Philadelphia, PA

Andrew

Boryga

Debut Novelist

Miami, FL

Rose

Bousamra

Comics Professional and Illustrator

Detroit, MI

Emily

Bowen Cohen

Award Winning Graphic Novelist

Los Angeles, CA

Nick

Brooks

Young Adult & Middle Grade Author

Los Angeles, CA

Marina

Budhos

Young Adult and Middle Grade Author

Newark, NJ

Greg

Cajete

Indigenous Educator

Albuquerque, NM

Rocky

Callen

Young Adult Novelist

Davidsonville, MD

Pablo

Cartaya

Middle Grade Novelist

Miami, FL

Willie

Carver

Award Winning Author

Lexington, KY

Michelle Jing

Chan

Author & Illustrator

Seattle, WA

e.E.

Charlton-Trujillo

Kid Lit Author

Bloomington, IN

Abby

Chava Stein

Memoirist & Educator

New York, NY

Johnnie

Christmas

Middle Grade Graphic Novelist

Vancouver, BC

Lydi

Conklin

Short Story Writer & Novelist

Nashville, TN

Deedee

Cummings

Children’s Author

Louisville, KY

Jasmin

Darznik

Novelist & Memoirist

San Francisco, CA

Lucky

Diaz

Picture Book Author

Los Angeles, CA

Violet

Duncan

Children’s & Middle Grade Author

Phoenix, AZ

Chenoa

Egawa

Author & Illustrator

Seattle, WA

Reem

Faruqi

Award-Winning Picture Book Author

Atlanta, GA

Carolyn

Finney

Storyteller & Cultural Geographer

Burlington, VT

Claudia J.

Ford

Honored Scholar and Fellow

Buffalo, NY

Andrew

Forsthoefel

Memoirist & Nonfiction Writer

Freeport, ME

Lauren

Francis-Sharma

Award-Winning Novelist

Washington, DC

Marcela

Fuentes

Prize-Winning Writer & Essayist

Dallas, TX

Camryn

Garrett

Young Adult Author

New York, NY

Malaka

Gharib

Award Winning YA Graphic Novelist

Nashville, TN

Amitav

Ghosh

Award Winning Author & Global Thinker

New York, NY

Dina

Gilio-Whitaker

Indigenous Author & Speaker

San Clemente, CA

Mandy

Gonzalez

Bestselling Middle Grade Novelist

Newark, NJ

Laurel

Goodluck

Award Winning Picture Book Author

Albuquerque, NM

Jessica

Goudeau

Critically Acclaimed Nonfiction Writer

Austin, TX

Reyna

Grande

Bestselling Memoirist & Novelist

Sacramento, CA

Shauna J.

Grant

Children’s Author

New York, NY

Monique

Gray Smith

Indigenous Kid-Lit Novelist

Victoria, BC

Winona

Guo

TED Residency Fellow

San Francisco, CA

Winona & Priya

Guo & Vulchi

TED Residency Fellows

San Francisco, CA

Laurie

Halse Anderson

Young Adult Novelist & Memoirist

Philadelphia, PA

Crystal

Hana Kim

Critically Acclaimed Novelist

New York, NY

Chaz

Hayden

Young Adult Author

Easton, PA

Donna

Hemans

Critically Acclaimed Novelist

Baltimore, MD

David

Heska Wanbli Weiden

Award Winning Novelist

Denver, CO

Jamie Jo

Hoang

Award Winning Author

Houston, TX

Brandon

Hobson

Critically Acclaimed Novelist

La Cruces, NM

Oscar

Hokeah

Critically Acclaimed Novelist

Tahlequah, OK

Emiko

Jean

YA & Adult Novelist

Vancouver, WA

Kim

Johnson

Activist and Educator

Washington D.C.

Joseph McGill Jr. & Herb Frazier

Historical Nonfiction Authors

Charleston, SC

Amanda

Joy

Young Adult Fantasy Novelist

Chicago, IL

Rachel

Kadish

Novelist

Boston, MA

Susan B.

Katz

Picture Book & Middle Grade Author

San Francisco, CA

Lynne

Kelly

Middle Grade Novelist

Houston, TX

Adib

Khorram

Young Adult Novelist

Kansas City, MO

Angie

Kim

Award Winning Novelist

Great Falls, VA

A. S.

King

Middle Grade & Young Adult Novelist

Philadelphia, PA

Kathlyn J.

Kirkwood

Middle Grade Author

Memphis, TN

Jean

Kwok

New York Times Bestselling Author

New York City

Chris

La Tray

Métis storyteller

Missoula, MT

Rajani

LaRocca

Award Winning Children’s Author

Boston, MA

Michael

Leali

Award-Winning Writer & Educator

San Francisco, CA

Stacey

Lee

Bestselling Young Adult Novelist

San Jose, CA

Edward

Lee

James Beard Award Winning Author

Julia

Lee

Korean American Writer

Los Angeles, CA

Justin

Lee

Bridge-Builder

Charlotte, NC

Zelda

Lockhart

Award-Winning Novelist

Durham, NC

Amina

Luqman-Dawson

Coretta Scott King & Newbery Medalist

Arlington, VA

Lauren

Magaziner

Bestselling Author

Philadelphia, PA

Mélina

Mangal

Picture Book Author

Minneapolis, MN

Andrew

Maraniss

New York Times Bestselling Author

Brentwood, TN

Amber

McBride

Coretta Scott King Award Winner

Charlottesville, VA

Lily

Meade

Young Adult Novelist

Seattle, WA

Jasminne

Mendez

Award Winning Author

Houston, TX

James Edward

Mills

Changing the Face of the Outdoors

Madison, WI

Cherry

Mo

Children’s Author

Atlanta, GA

Edward Kelsey

Moore

Bestselling Novelist

Chicago, IL

Jason

Mott

Bestselling & Award Winning Novelist

Wilmington, NC

Maika and Maritza

Moulite

Sister-Writer Duo

Washington, DC

Vita

Murrow

Award Winning Children’s Author

Boston, MA

Adiba

Nelson

Inspirational Speaker & Memoirist

Tucson, AZ

Savala

Nolan

Acclaimed Essayist

Richmond, CA

Laura

Obuobi

Children’s Author

Los Angeles, CA

Rex

Ogle

Middle Grade & Young Adult Novelist

Los Angeles, CA

Claribel A.

Ortega

Bestselling Middle Grade Novelist

White Plains, NY

Mirelle

Ortega

Award Winning Artist

Los Angeles, CA

Patricia

Park

Award Winning Young Adult Author

Brooklyn, NY

Audrey

Peterman

Environmental Diversity Expert

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Devon

Raney

Critically Acclaimed Memoirist

Seattle, WA

Sonora

Reyes

National Bestselling Author

Phoenix, AZ

Marcellas

Reynolds

Award Winning Author

Los Angeles, CA

Helena Ku

Rhee

Award Winning Children’s Author

Los Angeles, CA

Kim

Rogers

Award Winning Children’s Author

Oklahoma City, OK

Etaf

Rum

NYT Best Selling Author

Raleigh-Durham, NC

Hannah V.

Sawyerr

Award Winning Author

Los Angeles, CA

Gilly

Segal

YA Novelist

Atlanta, GA

Nikki

Shannon Smith

Award Winning Children’s Author

Sacramento, CA

Sita

Singh

Award Winning Children’s Author

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Brendan

Slocumb

Author and Educator

Washington, DC

Amber

Smith

Young Adult and Middle Grade Author

Ithaca, NY

Sherri L.

Smith

Middle Grade & Young Adult Author

Los Angeles, CA

Traci

Sorell

Award Winning Children’s Author

Tulsa, OK

Meera

Sriram

Children’s Writer

San Francisco, CA

Michelle

Sterling

Children’s Book Author

Santa Ana, CA

Courtney

Stevens

Young Adult Novelist

Nashville, TN

Elisa

Stone Leahy

Children’s and Middle Grade Author

Columbus, OH

Tara M.

Stringfellow

Bestselling Novelist

Memphis, TN

Natalia

Sylvester

Adult and Young Adult Novelist

Miami, FL

Ryan Bani

Tahmaseb

Children’s & Middle Grade Author

York, ME

Candacy

Taylor

Award Winning Cultural Documentarian

New York, NY

Michelle

Tea

Memoirist & Fiction Writer

Los Angeles, CA

The Beautiful & Banned

Nonfiction Writer & Journalist

Austin, TX & Scranton, PA

R.L. (Rachel)

Toalson

Award Winning Author

San Antonio, TX

Thrity

Umrigar

Novelist & Children’s Author

Cleveland, OH

Raquel

Vasquez Gilliland

Poet & YA Novelist

Johnson City, TN

Elisabet

Velasquez

Award Winning Author

Newark, NJ

Priya

Vulchi

Author

Cambridge, MA

Frank X

Walker

Poet

Lexington, KY

Seina

Wedlick

Picture Book Author

San Francisco, CA

Crystal

Wilkinson

Poet Laureate, Kentucky

Lexington, KY

Ian

Williams

Author of Fiction, Nonfiction & Poetry

Toronto, ON

Brittany N.

Williams

Young Adult Novelist

New Orleans, LA

Nyasha

Williams

Social Justice Griot

Denver, CO

Lakita

Wilson

Children’s/Middle Grade/Young Adult Author

Baltimore, MD

Jack

Wong

Award Winning Children’s Author

Halifax, NS

Jaimal

Yogis

Children’s & Middle Grade Author

Washington, DC