FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

We Need Diverse Books Announces the Winners of the 2021 WNDB Internship Grants

June 23, 2021

Bethesda, MD — We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) is pleased to announce the 2021 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, we have awarded grants to interns working in either children’s or adult publishing.

Children’s 2021 Internship Grant Recipients

Alex Aceves   Simon & Schuster	Denzel Nim-Dixon Charlesbridge
Sara Canelon  Andrea Brown Literary Agency	AZ Nowell Candlewick Press
Yong Yong Chen Penguin Random House	Joo Hee Park Levine Querido
Jin Soo Chun Macmillan	Zora Pruitt Macmillan
Perla Gil Penguin Random House	Michelle Rajan BookEnds Literary Agency
Tiffany Liu Penguin Random House	Jean Li Spencer Penguin Random House
Tereza Lopez Candlewick Press	El Wilson INCLUDAS Publishing
Paktra Lynch Candlewick Press	Ami Wong Hachette Book Group (LBYR)
Kelsey Maldonado North Star Editions	Karen Yao Salky Literary Mgt / Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency
Naira Mirza Macmillan

This year the program grew yet again, with more grants funded than ever before. Not only that, but many of the program’s alumnx are now acquiring books and working to make the industry more inclusive in other ways as well. What a thrill it is to see their names pop up in the trade press, and to know that their efforts are benefitting the young readers we all strive to serve.
— Linda Sue Park, Honorary Chair, WNDB Children’s Internship Grant Committee

“We need more diversity in publishing at every level—not just authors, but editors, publicists, and everyone involved in the process of helping readers and stories find one another. Most often, jobs in publishing start with internships that simply aren’t options for the very people the industry most needs. I’m thrilled to be working with WNDB to help make entry into publishing easier for candidates from diverse backgrounds, and to help them find the community they need to both continue and thrive there.”
— Celeste Ng, Honorary Chair of the WNDB Adult Internship Grant Committee

 Adult 2021 Internship Grant Recipients

Camara Aaron   HarperCollins (Avon)	Alisa Gao Simon & Schuster
Adaylin Alvarez  Hachette Book Group (GCP)	Autumn Oliver Macmillan
Sasha Charlemagne Hachette Book Group (GCP)	Sousan Rawwagah Penguin Random House
Jasmine Cui HarperCollins	Ambriah Underwood Beacon Press
Uma Dwivedi Salky Literary Mgt / Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency	Alecsander Zapata InkWell Management Literary Agency

This year, WNDB will again connect grantees from all over the country via a virtual Internship Grant Boot Camp. This two-day event will provide our 2021 grantees with tools to confront and disrupt conditions in publishing that have led to a lack of representation for LGBTQIA+ people, Native peoples, people of color, people with disabilities, and underrepresented ethnic, cultural, and religious groups. Because this is our inaugural year of awarding both children’s and adult grants, virtual programming will include key stakeholder publishing professionals from both sides of the industry.

In addition to the Boot Camp, the Internship Grant Program will host casual virtual meet-ups for the grantees to cover topics such as professional development and industry retention. The program will also offer intimate discussions with editors, literary agents, creators, librarians, and many other roles within the industry.

In conjunction with this programming, the grantees will be provided with continued support once their internships have been completed. They will have access to WNDB’s extensive resources and will have the opportunity to join a powerful network of Internship Grant alumnx. 

The program’s first six years have been very successful. Of the 46 grantees who have graduated, 42 are now employed in the publishing industry, with many of our grantees busy making acquisitions.  

Many thanks to the LJTJ Family Fund for their continued support of the Internship Grant Program. We also wish to specially thank Celeste Ng, Julie Barer of The Book Group, Michael Mejias of Writers House, Laurie Abkemeier, Brian DeFiore, Miriam Altshuler, Lily Lamotte, DeFiore and Company, and HarperCollins for their generous contributions to support adult and children’s internship grants for the 2021 program season. 

Program Contact

Chelsea Villareal

Internship Grant Program Manager

chelseavillareal@diversebooks.org

About We Need Diverse Books. WNDB 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.diversebooks.org. 

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Press Contact: Alaina Lavoie, alainalavoie@diversebooks.org