View this email in your browser

Thanks to supporters like you, WNDB has had a significant impact on the publishing industry since 2014. Over the years, we’ve mentored and provided grants to acclaimed authors like Angie Thomas, Angeline Boulley, and now Amina Luqman-Dawson — the winner of the 2023 Newbery Award.

In 2019, Amina was selected to participate in our annual Mentorship program, which paired her with celebrated author Kathi Appelt who provided feedback and industry advice over the course of a calendar year. Upon completion of the mentorship, Amina secured literary representation and sold Freewater to Alexandra Hightower, now a Senior Editor at Little, Brown Young Readers.

Before she became an editor though, Alex matriculated from WNDB’s Internship Grant program, which helps diverse interns gain a foothold in the publishing industry. Alex was awarded a grant in 2016 and interned at Writers House literary agency before landing at LBYR.

Working closely together, Amina revised Freewater under Alex’s guidance — and the book was published to wide acclaim, receiving the Newbery and Coretta Scott King Awards, two of the highest honors in children’s literature. WNDB is currently running a giveaway of Freewater for educators, and we hope to give more books away soon.

With your help, we can continue to empower emerging voices like Amina’s and create a world where every child feels seen, heard, and valued. We’d be honored if you considered supporting WNDB today.

At WNDB, we strive to affect change across the entire book-making pipeline:

• We uplift diverse voices who create inclusive stories.

• We support diverse publishing professionals who acquire these titles.

• And we donate thousands of diverse books to the students who need them.

Amina's success is a testament to the importance of supporting diverse authors and promoting diverse literature. Every contribution makes a difference in our efforts to create a world where everyone can see themselves as the hero of their own story.