In this conversation, the award-winning writer Zenda Walker shares her journey as an author, discussing her inspirations, the challenges she faced in writing and publishing her books, and the importance of cultural representation in children’s literature. She emphasizes the role of fear in the creative process and how overcoming it has shaped her work.
Walker also highlights the significance of community engagement and feedback, as well as her aspirations for the future of her book series. Throughout the discussion, she offers valuable advice for aspiring authors, encouraging them to believe in their dreams and share their stories.
During the pandemic, author Zenda Walker was inspired by her daughter’s relationship with hair, which led to the creation of her award-winning debut picture book, Zara’s Wash Day. The first installment in the Hairitage series, the book earned grand prize for the Writer’s Digest 29th Annual Self-Published Book Award. In her recent sit-down with SBC, she reveals the inner work she needed to do to even feel ready to apply for the honor.
Here is a part of the clip: “I realized for the first time that you don’t just win awards because things are great or you’re amazing or people love what you do. Now, in some cases, yes, they’ll love your work and they think you might be amazing or what you did is amazing. What I realize is you first have to put yourself out there. You have to apply for the award. You have to believe it within yourself first. And that was my awakening, applying for those awards…I never really thought I would have to go through the process of putting myself out there first. I thought people just got discovered.”