In our 4th podcast episode of "Bilingual Book Buddies" Alicia, Silvia, and I got the opportunity to meet Mariana Llanos, a Peruvian-born children's book writer, poet, and translator, who shared her journey in the publishing world.
Mariana shared with us her start in self-publishing in 2013 with "Tristan Wolf" in detail and how she went about it, and her eventual transition to traditional publishing after gaining recognition and joining SCBWI (an organization where all 3 of us are also members).
Mariana’s book "Lucas Bridge / El Puente de Luca" became an ALSC notable title in 2020. She revealed to us that all her books contain elements of her personal journey and heritage, such as her fears as an immigrant and her Peruvian roots.
Mariana also talked about the challenges and joys of writing in different genres, including her recent "Vampirita" chapter book series.
As a translator, Mariana shared how serendipity and networking led her to translate books for various publishers.
Mariana advised aspiring authors to have patience, persistence, education, networking, and advocating for others' work. For parents, she normalized the struggle of maintaining a native language in a bilingual household, prioritizing emotional well-being, and emphasizing exposure to language and culture.
Mariana also shared with us her hopes for her books to offer readers shelter, companionship, and hope, much like books did for her as a child.
This episode was divided into 2 parts, be sure to watch both to get the full interview!
View the first part of the episode at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wetoOmRHWW8.
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXU1XdXQBSg
Or listen to it at Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon and Apple Podcasts.
