Stacy Wells is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, a children’s librarian, and an author. Her debut picture book Stronger Than, co-authored with Nikki Grimes and illustrated by E.B. Lewis is forthcoming from Heartdrum in January. She also is the author of the Tana Cooks series, illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama (Capstone). Christine Hartman Derr is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, English adjunct faculty, and an author. Her debut middle grade novel, Raven, Rising, is forthcoming from Heartdrum in 2026; her debut picture book, Until We Meet Again: Donadagohvi, illustrated by Morgan Thompson, follows in 2027. Here they reflect on the growth of the We Need Diverse Books Native Children’s and YA Writing Intensive and its impact.

Storytelling has often served to connect communities and pass on traditions. Five years ago, a group of Native writers and authors gathered to build a new kind of community: one centered on helping tell Indigenous stories for children authentically and wholeheartedly. These writers came from various tribal nations and backgrounds with goals as varied as they were. Five years on, this storytelling community is thriving.


The We Need Diverse Books Native Children’s and YA Writing Intensive was created to help fulfill the need for authentic Indigenous voices in books for children and teens. The partnership between We Need Diverse Books, Heartdrum (an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books), and Muscogee author and Heartdrum author-curator Cynthia Leitich Smith centers the goal of building a community of Native writers at every stage of their careers, from beginners to established bylines and everyone in between.

Tehya Foussat, enrolled member of the Pechanga Band of Indians, said of the intensive, “My hope was to learn and be inspired, but I gained so much more than that. I met people who understand the perspective of an Indigenous writer, and I gained a supportive writing community that feels like an extended family.”

Over the course of five years, 68 Native creatives have attended the intensive, with many of those attending more than once. While some participants were already represented by literary agents prior to their participation, more than 10% of attendees signed with agencies after attending.

However, we are more than data points. We are Native writers actively building community, one connection and one story at a time. The real success lies in how the spirit of the intensive extends beyond the four days together, as participants share knowledge, advice, and work in reciprocity to launch and nurture careers.

Keliko Adams, Kanaka Maoli, said of the community, “We can walk alongside each other, carrying our stories into the publishing world, together. What a gift!”

Where We Began

In August 2020, 21 Native authors and writers gathered online for the first WNDB Native Intensive. Voices included those already on the rise, such as Michaela Goade and Angeline Boulley; emerging authors such as Laurel Goodluck and Weshoyot Alvitre; those beginning their journey like Byron Graves; and those developing their craft like Stacy Wells.

Over the next several years, the Intensive continued, growing in numbers and the range of topics covered, building trust, and removing obstacles—all while prioritizing art that centers the needs of Indigenous young readers and their communities.

Where We Are Now

The 2025 Intensive marked a new era. With time and mentorship, more Native writers have released trade-published books. Byron Graves’s Rez Ball is one example. This work has garnered awards and made many best books lists, yet the impact extends beyond awards and recognition. This book has shown many Native teens (and adults!) that they aren’t alone. Their experiences are shared. There is a place for them, on the page and on the shelf.

“As a Black Native, specifically a Chickasaw and Choctaw Freedman, I found the WNDB Native Writing Intensive to be the most inclusive, safe space I could ask for. I was able to foster friendships that I know will help me become a better writer and community member,” said Alaina E. Roberts, Chickasaw and Choctaw Freedman.

The annual intensive is also an incubator, building author-adjacent skills beyond the craft of writing and business of publishing. This year, Graves and Wells returned as faculty, and three past participants offered presentations: Kauakanilehua Māhoe Adams spoke about writing verse, Christine Hartman Derr spoke on incorporating Native languages in fiction, and Stacy Wells on the history of Native literature.

From a business perspective, Rez Ball offers opportunities as well. Now, Native writers can reference the book as a comp title—as Wells did with Cheer Heist, her forthcoming YA novel from Scholastic.

Additional voices are finding homes for their stories on the shelves too. This includes Leslie Stall Widener’s nonfiction picture book Kindred Spirits: Shilombish Ittibachvffa, illustrated by Johnson Yazzie (Charlesbridge, 2024). Derr’s upcoming releases include a middle grade novel, Raven, Rising (Heartdrum, 2026) as well as a picture book, Until We Meet Again: Donadagohvi, illustrated by Morgan Thompson, due out in 2027. Kauakanilehua Māhoe Adams’s YA novel in verse, An Expanse of Blue, is expected in 2026.

The heart of our time together is kinship, creating stories we’re finally getting the chance to share. Every book that makes its way to a shelf has the opportunity to impact young readers—Native and non-Native, making this a win for whole communities.

Learn more about the Native Intensive here.