FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
We Need Diverse Books Announces the Winners of the 2020 WNDB Internship Grants
June 23, 2020
Bethesda, MD — We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) is pleased to announce the 2020 recipients of the WNDB Internship Grant, a $3,000 grant to support diverse interns during their internship with a publishing house or literary agency.
For the first time, WNDB allowed all intern candidates to work remotely for their publisher or agency. We have selected the following individuals for the 2020 WNDB Internship Grants:
| Guadalupe Calderon
Andrea Brown Literary Agency |
Madelyn McZeal
Levine Querido |
| Jiton Davidson
Serendipity Literary Agency |
Taylor Nakatsuka
Salky Literary Management |
| Kayah Hodge
Simon & Schuster |
Nadine Pinede
Serendipity Literary Agency |
| Logan Hoffman-Smith
Salky Literary Management |
Umaima Saleem
BookEnds Literary Agency |
| Allegra Martschenko
Levine Querido |
Irene Vázquez
Levine Querido |
| “The application and selection process this year took place during the height of the U.S. COVID-19 crisis. We appreciate all the candidates for submitting applications in such trying circumstances. Congratulations to the grant winners and to our publishing partners for their dedication to the future of books for young readers.”
— Linda Sue Park, Honorary Chair, WNDB Internship Grant Committee. |
This year, WNDB will be hosting its first ever virtual Internship Grant Boot Camp. This two-day event will serve to inspire and challenge our 2020 grantees to confront and disrupt the systemic issues that have led to lack of representation in the publishing industry for LGBTQIA, Native people, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and underrepresented religious groups.
The Internship Grant Program will also be hosting virtual meet-ups for the grantees to cover issues such as professional development and industry retention. In addition, the program will offer intimate discussions with literary agents, booksellers, authors and illustrators, as well as members of ally organizations. In conjunction with this accessible new programming, the Internship Grant Committee has also secured vital mentorship resources for the grantees within and outside the publishing industry.
The program’s first five years have been very successful. Of the 39 grantees who have graduated college, 30 are now employed in the publishing industry, with two of our grantees busy making acquisitions.
Many thanks to The Roger I. and Ruth B. MacFarlane Foundation and LJTJ Family Fund for their continued support of the Internship Grant Program. We also wish to thank Celeste Ng and HarperCollins for their contributions to support adult and children’s internship grants for the 2021 program season.
Program Contact
Jennifer Albert Mann
About We Need Diverse Books. We Need Diverse Books is a grassroots organization of children’s book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people. It is our mission to put more books featuring diverse characters in the hands of all children. You can learn more about WNDB programs at www.wndb.local.
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Press Contact: Alaina Lavoie, alainalavoie@wndb.local
