A new young adult book series exploring inclusivity, race and gender

Application summary

I am a globally published young adult novelist with a successful book series that has gone into twenty territories and seven language translations. I'm currently writing my second YA trilogy, Brown Girl. I finished the first book in 2018. Finland’s Into Publishing has bought all three books of the BG trilogy. I am requesting a monthly grant to complete the next book, Brown Girl Gone Spellbound, in 2019. Brown Girl is the story of a sixteen-year-old Indian-American girl. As the only ‘brown girl’ around, Violet Choudhury is struggling to survive high-school and live a normal teenage life in her small Midwestern town. It’s a culturally-resonant story that explores inclusivity, identity, race, gender and girl power through a sharp-witted, kickass heroine. Largely biographical, BG is particularly needed in Finland’s contemporary landscape. Lit and pop culture here lacks marginalized voices. Likewise, I am the only published young adult author of color in Finland. I have written my last four novels while working full-time. A grant would allow me a creative opportunity that I have not had before.