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 Khadijah VanBrakle 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 question stumped me at first. The five words that describe me are empathetic, driven, extroverted, persevering, and loyal. Traditional publishing is a long game. Being someone who is willing to endure and work toward my literary goals, my perseverance gave me strength when challenges inevitably arrived.
Recognizing the fact that my debut, Fatima Tate Takes the Cake, is only the second traditionally-published YA contemporary title I’ve been able to find featuring a Black American Muslim teen is something that weighs heavy on me. It’s such a privilege wrapped in a huge responsibility. This fact feeds my perseverance to keep writing stories.
Explain your book’s journey—how long did it take—from idea to publication?
Fatima Tate is the second young adult book I wrote. The spark of an idea came in 2017, and I finished the first draft in early 2018. After a sensitivity read, I rewrote the entire manuscript; after that and several rounds of edits, I finished another draft in the summer of 2019. In the last quarter of that year, I participated in two Twitter pitch contests. It was in one of those that my pitch got the attention of my now agent, Kristina Perez. I signed with her in February 2020. After working on the manuscript for exactly one year, Fatima Tate went on submission in February 2021.
After a quick, six-week revision that summer, Kristina received the first Holiday House offer in December 2021. I accepted their two-book deal in February 2022, and Fatima Tate is due to be released on June 13, 2023.
Belief in oneself is important; besides you, who has been your cheerleader(s) throughout this process?
Since I began my writing journey in 2012, there have been a lot of individuals who have supported my dream of becoming a traditionally published author. Black Creators HQ and the Highlights Foundation Muslim Storytellers Fellowship are two groups that have been integral in helping me keep moving forward in my publishing journey. Of course, I can’t fail to mention my mother and other close family members; none of this would be possible without them.
Understanding your audience is essential. What do you know for sure about the audience you are writing for?
As the mom of five children, I know how important it is that young adults who share my dual marginalization (being both Black American and Muslim) see themselves on the printed page. It validates their experiences and opens the eyes of those who are unaware they even exist. When your teen asks why there’s not one book with a main character like them, it’s not a comfortable conversation.
Tell us about your book.
Fatima Tate Takes the Cake, a contemporary YA novel, follows Fatima, a seventeen-year-old high school senior who aspires to be a pastry chef. When her parents arrange a marriage to her secret crush, it threatens to derail her dreams. As a coming-of-age story, it tackles issues that almost all teens face—for example, dealing with parental expectations versus navigating personal aspirations. This book also dives deep into how the privilege of wealth affects the main character and her faith community.
Here’s an excerpt from Fatima Tate’s Publishers Weekly review:
“Fatima is a fierce protagonist who will stop at nothing to preserve her dignity. Skillful examinations of the intersections between culture, gender, and religion, as well as nuanced perceptions of one Black Muslim community, round out VanBrakle’s searing debut.”
Fatima Tate Takes the Cake was also designated a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.
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?
I’m so grateful that my debut, God willing, will be out in the world on June 13, 2023. My agent Kristina Perez, my editor Mora Couch, and the entire team at Holiday House have been great to work with. I hope that teens find this book and LOVE it. I have a second YA book coming from Holiday House in 2024, but the details haven’t been released yet. More to come!
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