With Ashliegh Gehl
Photo by Elizabeth Dungan
What’s Malaika’s origin story? (When did she first surface for you? How long did you spend crafting her personality and lineage?)
My first Malaika story came about during the Writing for Children I class with Ted Staunton at George Brown College held at Mable’s Fables Bookstore in Toronto in 2010. One of my assignments was to write a picture book. I knew immediately that I wanted it to be based in the Caribbean and to feature Carnival. (In fact, one of the picture books that I illustrated and wrote as a child features both. I use this in my presentations.) The origins were also inspired by all kinds of things, including visiting Caribana parade as a child, my Jamaican heritage, Trinidad Carnival, and my family history.
What has it been like to tell Malaika’s story through Irene Luxbacher’s stunning illustrations? (Is it a collaborative process? Or is it an isolated experience?)
Originally, I wanted to illustrate the first Malaika book. My Groundwood publisher at the time, Sheila Barry, was very kind and honest. She said I have potential to be an illustrator but wanted to go with someone with more experience. When Sheila suggested Irene, I felt that she was the right choice—because she works in mixed media (how I envisioned the book), and her illustrations evoked so much emotion (I felt it in my gut). At that point, I had to let the book go in a sense, which was hard at first. This was my first picture book and I was new to the publishing process. I had to learn to trust that making a picture book is a collaborative process and that everyone involved wanted this to be the best book. I also adjusted to the idea that this story would also become Irene’s, and I am so glad that she connected with my story. We had not met until just before the launch of Malaika’s Costume but since then, we usually talk about the story after it’s complete.
You’re currently working on a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of Guelph. How has this experience expanded the breadth of your storytelling?
The MFA program at the University of Guelph has provided me with an opportunity to study in other forms and genres beyond writing for children and young adults. My goal was to polish my craft as a writer in the adult genres. I have learned so much already and there are opportunities to learn from the greats in CanLit. I look forward to more growth.
What do you think needs to happen within the publishing industry to ensure that more #OwnVoices are published?
I believe that a few things need to happen in order to ensure that #OwnVoices are published. First, in Canada, we need to continue regular measurement of representation working in the publishing industry, as well as start tracking who is getting published according to their identity, including Black Indigenous People of Colour (BIPOC). Next, we need to be comfortable using language, that is, adopt a “literacy” and comfortable vocabulary use of terms like equity, anti-racism, and anti-oppression within the publishing industry. We need to have diverse individuals at the decision-making tables. We also need to be unafraid to say what we want in our calls for submission, as well as outreach to underrepresented communities.
In June 2020, you organized the #KidLit4BlackLivesCanada rally. What was the significance of this event? Are there more rallies or events in the works for 2021? How can others get involved?
The significance of this event was, firstly, to ally with the #KidLit4BlackLives rally held in the US. It was also an opportunity for the Black Canadian children’s literature community and allies to respond to and grieve the incidents of racial injustices experienced by Black and brown peoples in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. My hope is to have another event in 2021, so please stay tuned. You can join the #KidLit4BlackLivesCanada Facebook group and e-mail: kidlit4blacklivescanada@gmail.com.
Our audience is comprised of writers as well as readers. What advice would you give to a writer setting out on their journey? This could be about the writing process or in publicizing and sharing your work.
Start writing. Find a community. Get feedback. Read. Keep at it.
We are always interested to hear what stories you are working on next. Are you currently writing another book, or do you have one set for publishing later this year?
I just signed a contract for an anthology of sorts so please stay tuned. I am editing my middle grade novel, plus I have some picture books that I am revising along with my young adult novel.
What books are you currently reading and which books have had the most influence on your writing or that you would consider to be your must-read books?
Currently, I developed a self-directed reading course with a professor focusing on contemporary young adult novels about Black girls as part of my MFA program. As part of this, I just finished reading Facing the Sun by Janice Lynn Mather, a British Columbia-based author of Bahamian heritage. I just finished reading the young adult novel, Harriet’s Daughter, by Toronto-based Afro-Trinidadian poet M. Nourbese Philip which I had not read since the late 1980s. I believe this book taught me some early lessons about writing for young people. It made me feel that my story and experiences as a Black, Caribbean, and Canadian girl mattered. Even at that age, I knew this book was special. I have not seen one like it since, but it has made me want to write more books reflecting Black, Caribbean, and African identities in Canada.