By Sharyn Vane
Cynthia Leitich Smith thought they were just going to have breakfast.
The Austin author was looking forward to connecting with her friend and colleague Ellen Oh. The two were anchors of the children’s literature community, both for their years as writers and their advocacy for inclusive books, and they ended up at the same literary convention.
Oh started chatting about author-curated imprints, or publishing partnerships that focus on a particular theme or passion of the writer.
“I was nodding along, saying, ‘Yes, this is definitely going on,’” Smith recalled. “And she says, ‘You know, you would be such a wonderful person to do that with Native children s books.’”