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More About Gwendolyn Wallace (She/Her)
Languages: English
Gwendolyn Wallace is an award-winning children’s literature author and multidisciplinary historian reimagining public scholarship. She is currently a PhD student at MIT in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, & Society (HASTS), studying the relationship between race, science, and the environment. She is the author of three picture books: The Light She Feels Inside (2023), Joy Takes Root (2023), and Dancing With Water (2025). Imagine New Suns, Gwendolyn’s fourth book and the first picture book biography of science fiction author Octavia Butler, is forthcoming in 2026.
Alongside her PhD, she works as a curatorial assistant at the Museum of African American History (MAAH) in Boston and Nantucket. Gwendolyn’s writing for adults has been published in Publishers Weekly, Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism, the Center for Research Architecture, and more. As of 2025, Gwendolyn is a reader for Callaloo, the premier journal of literature, art, and culture of the African Diaspora. Additionally, she is on the board of The REACH Fund of Connecticut (Reproductive Equity, Access & CHoice), Connecticut’s first abortion fund. She can usually be found gardening, exploring used bookstores, or listening to the liberatory impulses of young children. She is based in Boston.
You can find Gwendolyn online at:
Gwendolyn’s strengths include…
Engaging multiple disciplines in writing
Drawing on events/people/moments in Black history
Navigating the publishing world as a young person
Making STEM themes accessible
Marketing and the leveraging of social media
What Gwendolyn is looking for…
Gwendolyn is looking for a mentee who is new to the publishing world and is actively working on turning their ideas into manuscripts.
She is especially excited by authors who draw on Black history and culture in their stories.
Gwendolyn would love a mentee who is ready to have fun discussing books in all genres and loves the brainstorming phase of writing. As a Gen Z author, Gwendolyn is also always ready to explore how to leverage social media to promote writing.
A Note from Gwendolyn:
“Do it scared!”
Gwendolyn’s Picture Books
DANCING WITH WATER, written by Gwendolyn Wallace, illustrated by Tonya Engel
THE LIGHT SHE FEELS INSIDE, written by Gwendolyn Wallace, illustrated by Olivia Duchess
JOY TAKES ROOT, written by Gwendolyn Wallace, illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin
IMAGINE NEW SUNS, written by Gwendolyn Wallace, illustrated by Hayden Goodman
If Gwendolyn created a Visual Wish List, it would be made up of…
*Unless otherwise stated, the below serves as a wish list only. Each mentor is excited about the opportunity to find a manuscript they can’t stop thinking about. Please apply if you think you’d be a good fit.
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
Jovita Wore Pants, written by Aida Salazar, illustrated by Molly Mendoza
Click, Clack, Moo Cows that Type, written by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Why War is Never a Good Idea, written by Alice Walker, illustrated by Stefano Vitale
How Mamas Love their Babies, written by Juniper Fitzgerald, illustrated by Elise Peterson
Missing Daddy, written by Mariame Kaba, illustrated by Bria Royal
A blend of history, magical realism, and strong character building like in:
The movie - SINNERS
Gwendolyn is a good fit for:
Authors new to the publishing world
Manuscripts that blend fiction and historical fact
Stories that explore abolition, world-building, and radical imagination
Authors who like to play with genre
Gwendolyn is not a good fit for:
Rhyme
Counting books
Books with sparse text
Board books
Holiday books
Who can apply to Gwendolyn?
Unagented Text-Only Authors