Debut You is an interview feature on Our Stories Matter blog. Debut authors, who have released or have upcoming releases in 2023, are given six questions to answer about themselves and their book. Currently, the questions are the same for all authors. We hope you enjoy getting to know Gwendolyn Wallace and can offer your support. Go here for past Debut You features.
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Describe yourself in five words, then expound on one of them.
This is a hard one! I would say careful, loyal, straightforward, adaptable, and curious. As a teen, I remember feeling very worried that I hadn’t found my passion or an idea for a career. But I’ve grown to see loving too many seemingly disconnected things as a strength! I’m so grateful for my endless curiosity. In one conversation, I can talk about the history of medicine, children’s books, arts & crafts, varieties of tea, and my favorite soups. I constantly want to know more about everything, and I’m pretty confident about my ability to figure anything out if I put my mind to it. I think I get this from both of my parents, but you’d have to talk to them about that.
Explain your book’s journey—how long did it take—from idea to publication?
I finished my draft of Joy Takes Root in one day, but the journey leading up to it was a lifelong one. I wrote this story in March 2020 as I was living in my parents’ house recovering from a horrible fight with COVID-19. It was actually the second picture book I wrote. My mother and I decided to start a garden while I was home, and gardening became such an important part of my healing process in ways I didn’t expect. When I told my grandmother I was gardening, she was so excited to hear that I had taken after her. One night, I said to myself, “I think there’s a story here,” and Joy was born.
Belief in oneself is important; besides you, who has been your cheerleader(s) throughout this process?
I am lucky to have an amazing support system that has held me throughout the entire publishing process. First of all, I’m so grateful for my parents, who told me stories every night growing up and instilled a love of words in me. My agent, Wendi Gu, has been a cheerleader for me (and a great person to brainstorm ideas with). I’m especially appreciative of the team at Kokila; making a picture book is a team effort! And lastly, I have to thank my writing community at PB Sunrays. You should check out their books too!
Understanding your audience is essential. What do you know for sure about the audience you are writing for?
You know, lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about “climate doomism” and what environmental justice means to the African diaspora. It really bothers me when people say that it’s too late to save the world, there’s nothing worth saving, or there’s no point in having children. Kids are so inventive, creative, and curious, and there’s so much to show them about the world, no matter its state. I’m writing for kids who see the wonder in planting seeds and watching them grow, and that’s what I see in the future more than destruction. Also, I’m writing for Black kids like me, who maybe don’t feel so connected to their body or their emotions. They shouldn’t have to wait until their 20s like I did to find strategies to understand their body’s place in a wider ecosystem.
Tell us about your book.
Joy Takes Root follows a Black girl named Joy as she explores her grandmother’s garden in South Carolina. As Joy connects with the plants, she also connects with herself, her grandmother, and her ancestors. It’s a story of mindfulness, gratitude, and intergenerational relationships. It also draws from my experiences gardening with my paternal grandmother in South Carolina!
The book is illustrated by the unmatched Ashleigh Corrin, whose illustrations are so full of love and texture. I could not have asked for a better partner to create this book with.
YOU did it, congratulations! Your story is going to be read by children or teens, educators, parents, librarians, book bloggers, etc. How do you feel, and are there any other projects in the works—that you can discuss?
It’s both an exciting and nerve-wracking time! Publishing a picture book is such a long process, and it’s so amazing that the time to see Joy Takes Root on bookshelves is almost here. At the same time, it’s an out-of-body experience to wrap my head around the fact that people I don’t know and might never meet will be reading words that are so close to my heart. It’s like part of my brain is walking around the world without my supervision!
I’m overjoyed to have two other forthcoming picture books. The first, The Light She Feels Inside, comes out on October 3rd this year! This is a picture book about a little Black girl named Maya who is learning to hold her different feelings about the world around her. Luckily, her local librarian introduces her to other Black women throughout history who have found ways to honor all their feelings. My second book, Dancing with Water, comes out in 2025 and explores themes of environmental racism, gender fluidity, and ancestral connection. This picture book follows a nonbinary Black child who connects to their grandfather through the sacred practice of well-digging.
Joy Takes Root
Gwendolyn Wallace | Ashleigh Corrin | Kokila | June 20, 2023 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
Gwendolyn Wallace graduated from Yale University in 2021 with a degree in the history of science and medicine and is currently studying to receive her MA in Public History from University College London. She is a writer of creative nonfiction and children’s literature, with three forthcoming picture books. When she’s not writing, Gwendolyn can usually be found exploring used bookstores, gardening, and exploring the radical impulses of young children.
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