We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yolanda Marshall a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Yolanda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you signed with an agent or manager? Why or why not?

Yes, I have a literary agent. Carly Watters, a senior agent at P.S. Literary Agency, represents me. She reached out after noticing my growing collection of respected, diverse, self-published children’s books and my focus on meaningful storytelling in and about my community. Carly is known for supporting powerful voices and helping authors build lasting careers, which matches my own goals. I chose P.S. Literary Agency because their collaborative, strategic approach fits the kind of partnership I want to help me move forward in my writing career.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I am an award-winning author, columnist, storyteller, presenter, and advocate for diverse children’s literature whose work celebrates Caribbean culture, Black history, and multicultural communities. As a Canadian writer born in Guyana and of Barbadian heritage, I was inspired to create books in which Black and Caribbean children, like my son, could see themselves reflected with joy, authenticity, and pride. I also bring over 15 years of professional experience in academic publishing, which has shaped my understanding of storytelling and educational stories for our youngest readers. Through my books, school visits, workshops, and literary events, I create meaningful cultural connections for children, families, and educators. My stories explore themes of identity, heritage, belonging, literacy, and social awareness while remaining engaging and accessible for young readers. What sets my work apart is its cultural authenticity and community-centred approach. I believe children’s books can inspire empathy, representation, and empowerment, and I am proud to create stories that help children feel seen, valued, and connected to their communities.I began my publishing journey in 2008 and secured a multi-book deal in 2019. Today, I am a traditionally published, agented author of over twenty children’s books, including Brown Girl in the Snow, My Soca Birthday Party: with Jollof Rice and Steel Pans, A Piece of Black Cake for Santa and Marching North. As a columnist for the “Lit Corner” at Caribbean Camera Newspaper, I enjoy recommending books written by other marginalised Canadian authors. I conduct hundreds of school visits with more than 50,000 students annually across Canada and New York. My work has been recognised nationally and internationally through literary festivals, media appearances, and awards.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

As a Caribbean-born children’s author, my goal is to inspire and connect with young readers through stories that spark imagination, curiosity, joy, and a love of reading. I strive to create books that help children better understand themselves, their communities, and the world around them while celebrating culture, diversity, and inclusion. Through my work, I want children, especially those from my underrepresented communities, to feel seen, valued, empowered, and proud of who they are. I also want kids to see that you don’t have to be famous, a social media influencer, or a celebrity to be a successful author. Write your story and confidently share it with the world, the best way you can. You will find your readers as long as you remain positive, authentic and persistent.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Early in life, I realised that success does not depend on being rescued or validated by others. As a child, I learned to advocate for myself, seek new opportunities, build connections, and persevere, even in isolation. This mindset has shaped my career and the stories I write for children. I hope young readers recognise their own value, understand the importance of their joy and voices, and believe in their potential before anyone suggests otherwise. I also had to unlearn the belief that people closest to you, or those in positions of power, whom you expect to be honest, loyal, and to guide you, always have your best interests at heart; sometimes, their actions are influenced by jealousy or fear of your potential. Don’t let anyone steal your joy. I don’t; that’s why I have enough to share with children through literature.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ytmarshall.com/yolanda-marshall-books
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_ytm/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoryolandatmarshall/

Image Credits

NON- All mine :)