As the year comes to a close, we would like to reflect on the work we’ve done, as well as all of the incredible diverse books and voices we’ve featured over the past 12 months. On each day of this final week, we’ll be highlighting features, Q&As, programming, and more! | January & February | March & April | May & June | July & August | September & October

In November & December of this year, we became a fiscal sponsor of POC in Publishing; kicked off an initiative to donate copies of The 1619 Project to educators and students; and announced winners in no less than three of our programs: the Black Creatives Revisions Workshop, Walter Grants, and the LitUp Writing Fellowship. Read on:

November & December

Picture Books/Early Reader

• Santa in the City by Tiffany D. Jackson, illustrated by Reggie Brown – Q&A With Tiffany
• We Can: Portraits of Power by Tyler Gordon – Q&A With Tyler
• The Grandmaster’s Daughter by Dan-ah Kim – Q&A With Dan-ah
• Love, Violet by Charlotte Sullivan Wild, illustrated by Charlene Chua – No More Ghosts! A (Queer) Picture Book Love Story
• I Am An American by Martha Brockenbrough and Grace Lin, illustrated by Julia Kuo – Q&A With Martha, Grace, and Julia
• What’s That? by Karen Chan, illustrated by Basia Tran – Q&A With Karen
• Aaahhh! by Guilherme Karsten – Cover Reveal
• Esme’s Birthday Conga Line by Lourdes Heuer, illustrated by Marissa Valdez – Cover Reveal

Middle Grade

• Stuntboy, in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raúl the Third – Q&A With Jason
• Tidesong by Wendy Xu – Q&A With Wendy
• Art of Protest: Creating, Discovering, and Activating Art for Your Revolution by De Nichols, illustrated by Diana Dagadita, Molly Mendoza, Olivia Twist, Saddo, and Diego Becas – Q&A With De Nichols
• Good Luck Gold & More by Janet Wong – Q&A With Janet
• The Devouring Wolf by Natalie C. Parker – Cover Reveal and Exclusive Feature With Dhonielle Clayton

Young Adult

• Black Was the Ink by Michelle Coles – Black Was the Ink Connects Past and Present
• Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed edited by Saraciea J. Fennell – Wild Tongues, Textured Identities
• You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith – Q&A With Eric
• Sway With Me by Syed Masood – Q&A With Syed
• Thirty Talks Weird Love by Alessandra Narváez Varela – Of Pozole, Masks, and Beauty Marks: Talking and Writing About Depression
• Wrong Side of the Court by H.N. Khan – Cover Reveal
• Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen – Q&A With Natasha
• Himawari House by Harmony Becker – Q&A With Harmony
• Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier – Q&A With Makiia
• You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao – Q&A With Dustin
• Fat Angie: Homecoming by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo – Lessons From a Teen Book Club and a Girl Named Angie
• Roots in Iran by Yasmine Mahdavi – Roots in Iran by Yasmine Mahdavi is a Textured Tapestry of Strong Iranian Women
• Journey to the Heart of the Abyss by London Shah – Q&A With London
• Briar Girls by Rebecca Kim Wells – Q&A With Rebecca
• Huda F Are You by Huda Fahmy – Q&A With Huda
• Passport by Sophia Glock – Sophia Glock’s Debut Graphic Memoir is About Family Secrets
• The Upper World by Femi Fadugba – Q&A With Femi
• What’s Coming to Me by Francesca Padilla – Cover Reveal and Excerpt
• Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes – Q&A With David
• Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera – Q&A With Becky and Adam

New Adult/Adult

• Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi – Q&A With Tochi (Part I)

Articles & Educational Resources

• A Language Spotlight on Afghanistan by Carol Felicio
• Q&A With Dara Beevas of Wise Ink Publishing by Steve Dunk
• #SharpieActivism: Annotating Books As a Movement for Change by Remi Kalir, University of Colorado Denver and Antero Garcia, Stanford University

WNDB Programming

We Need Diverse Books Joins as Fiscal Sponsor of People of Color in Publishing – “We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) is thrilled to announce that it has become a fiscal sponsor of People of Color in Publishing (POCIP), a grassroots organization created by book publishing professionals in 2016. People of Color in Publishing is dedicated to supporting, empowering, and uplifting racially and ethnically marginalized members throughout the publishing industry.”

WNDB Partners With One World Books & Bookshop.Org to Donate Copies of The 1619 Project – WNDB is proud to partner on this initiative to donate copies of The 1619 Project to low-income schools, libraries, and educational organizations across the U.S.

WNDB and Penguin Random House Announce the Winners of the First Black Creatives Fund Revisions Workshop – “We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) is excited to announce the two winners of the inaugural Revisions Workshop, who will each receive grants of $4500. The Revisions Workshop is one of three initiatives within WNDB’s Black Creatives Fund, which launched in early 2021 to support Black writers and illustrators… Trae Hawkins (Middle Grade and Young Adult) and P.C. Verrone (Adult)’s manuscripts will be considered for publication at Penguin Random House.”

Congratulations to the 2021 Walter Grant Winners – “This year, WNDB awarded 8 grants at $2000 each to unpublished writers or illustrators from marginalized backgrounds who are working on children’s or young adult literature projects. The following 8 creators have been selected for the Walter Grants: Noha Abdelaziz, grant for Muslim creators; Fatou Hymes, grant for refugee creators; H.K.R. Brice; Dulce-Marie Flecha; Adriana Lebrón White; Veronica Madrigal; Hazel Ureta.

Congratulations to the Inaugural LitUp Fellows – “WNDB and Hello Sunshine are thrilled to announce our 2021 #LitUp Fellows! Six emerging writers have been selected for the LitUp Fellowship, a program for unpublished, underrepresented women storytellers. The chosen fellows will receive mentorship from the best in the business, an all-expenses paid retreat, and all the support from Reese’s Book Club. Congratulations to Chatham Greenfield, Arriel Vinson, Gina Rodriguez, Sophia Chang, Katerina Ivanov Prado, and Jaya Mehta.