Storyweaving the Future of Native American Literature with Cynthia Leitich Smith

Cynthia Leitich Smith is an acclaimed, NYTimes bestselling author of more than 20 books, winner of the 2024 Southern Miss Medallion for Outstanding Contributions in Children’s Literature, 2024 Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and the 2021 NSK Neustadt Laureate. Reading Rockets named her to its list of 100 Children’s Authors and Illustrators Everyone Should Know. Her titles include HEARTS UNBROKEN, winner of an American Indian Youth Literature Award; the anthology ANCESTOR APPROVED: INTERTRIBAL STORIES FOR KIDS, which was an ALA Notable Book and winner of the Reading of the West Book Award; an Indigenous PETER PAN retelling titled SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA, which received six starred reviews; and the YA ghost mystery HARVEST HOUSE, which is one of five Bram Stoker Award® Nominees for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel. Her 2024 middle-grade releases are MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM (BLUE STARS #1), a Junior Library Guild selection, also by Kekla Magoon and Molly Murakami and a road-trip novel titled ON A WING AND A TEAR. Cynthia is also the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint of HarperCollins and was the inaugural Katherine Paterson Chair at the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas. Visit www.CynthiaLeitichSmith.com for valuable resources for aspiring writers, including information about her background, books, awards, and workshops. Be sure to subscribe to her Cynsations newsletter for updates, insights from authors and illustrators, as well as fun trivia and exciting facts!