The increase in hate crimes and harassment against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is unacceptable. Discrimination against the AAPI community is part of the systemic racial injustice prevalent throughout the U.S. It is an unacceptable affront to the civil rights and human dignity of the AAPI community. First Draft has sought to uplift voices from all races, ages, gender expressions, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic backgrounds. But this podcast and its host, me, Sarah Enni, have a long ways to go. I am taking this time to donate, call on my elected representatives, speak to my friends and family, and actively uplift the voices of AAPI voices. I am also examining this podcast as a platform that must be better at amplifying marginalized voices.
I have compiled a list of AAPI authors featured on First Draft, and their work. The links will take you to Bel Canto Bookstore’s Bookshop.org site. Bel Canto was founded by Jhoanna Belfer, a Filipina-American poet and former hospitality executive who is devoted to promoting works by and featuring women and people of color.
Mary H. K. Choi, New York Times bestselling author of Emergency Contact and Permanent Record and her newest YA, Yolk, answers listener questions. Listen to her episodes here, and here.
Loan Le, editor at Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books and debut author of A Phở Love Story.
Matthew Burgess and Cátia Chien, artist and illustrator respectively, of picture book The Bear and the Moon. Matthew is a poet, picture book author, and Assistant Professor at Brooklyn College. Catia is a visual artist, illustrator, and founder of A Thousand Worlds, a picture book directory that connects readers to beautiful picture books written and illustrated by BIPOC authors and illustrators. Listen to their episode here.
Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg, co-hosts of the By the Book podcast and co-authors of How to Be Fine: What We Learned from Living by the Rules of 50 Self-Help Books. They also co-host the We Love You and So Can You podcast. Listen to their episode here.
Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Legend trilogy, The Young Elites trilogy, the Warcross duology, historical YA fantasy, The Kingdom of Back, and Skyhunter. Hear her episodes here and here.
Renee Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn, The Rose and the Dagger, the Flame in the Mist duology, and The Beautiful series. Listen to her episodes here and here.
Jen Wang, Eisner Award-winning author and illustrator of The Prince and the Dressmaker, and Stargazing. Listen to her episode here.
S. Jae-Jones, author of Wintersong and Shadowsong, podcaster at large with the PubCrawl Podcast, and former editor at St. Martin’s Press. Listen to her episode here.
Rhoda Belleza, author of Empress of a Thousand Skies and Blood of a Thousand Stars. Listen to her episode here.
Sona Charaipotra, author of Symptoms of a Heart Break and co-author of Tiny Pretty Things and Shiny Broken Pieces and co-founder of CAKE Literary. Listen to her episode here.
Jenny Han, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series, the The Summer I Turned Pretty series, and Shug. Listen to her episode here.
Maurene Goo, author of Since You Asked, I Believe In a Thing Called Love, The Way You Make Me Feel, and Somewhere Only We Know. Listen to her episodes here, here, and here.
David Yoon, author of Frankly in Love, Super Fake Love Song, and Version Zero. Listen to his episode here.
Kendare Blake, author of the Three Dark Crowns series, the Anna Dressed in Blood series, and the forthcoming All These Bodies. Listen to her episode here.