Inside the pages of her new book, “Namaste Y’all,” Margaret B. Henderson teacher, Smriti Adhikary tells the story of Gayatri, a young girl adjusting to life in the U.S. after moving from Nepal.
At the same school, fellow author and school librarian, Kena Sosa, is guiding Adhikary through her journey as a new author.
“I am thrilled to be working with another author. We have talked about how to arrange book signings and what inspires her writing. She has so many stories to tell. I hope she feels inspired to keep writing,” Sosa said. “Being an author is a cycle of learning and relearning, so I look forward to more about author success with her as we move through the school year.”
Inspired by other teacher-turned-authors on Instagram, Adhikary, who teaches first grade, wrote her first manuscript over the summer by drawing from personal experience. The main character, named after Adhikary’s mother, struggles with culture shock on the first day at her new school.
“As a teacher in a low-income area, and even being a minority myself, I feel like 11 years ago there weren’t a lot of books that covered diversity,” she said. “Slowly, in the past few years, Asian-inspired books were being written and I thought they did a really good job with Ramadan and Diwali. But since I am also South Asian from Nepal, where my parents come from, I wanted to put Nepal on the map.”
For Sosa, writing inspiration comes from observations all around her and forming connections with others.
“Becoming an author was the product of enjoying writing and being curious. I had already written poetry, and articles in college, but taking a class in children’s literature brought me a new joy,” she said. “I started making books out of materials at home and truly enjoyed the process. It took years of submitting, but I got my first contract in 2015 and dove straight into learning about the world of publishing.”
With a 23-year career in education, and 17 years working in a library, Sosa said libraries open students to a world of possibilities.
“The library can be anything we dream it to be–an art gallery, a museum, a research center, a tech lab, but always a place for free learning,” she said. “Being a curious person, I need to work somewhere where I continue to learn and grow. Even now, I learn new things in the library. My mission is to show kids how exciting being a lifelong learner can be.”
Sosa’s advice for Adhikary–and aspiring writers–is two-fold.
“As an educator, it is vital for us to model what we want our students to learn and master. How can they feel brave enough to tell the stories in their hearts, if we aren’t? Seeing us write and create makes them feel more safe to try new things themselves,” she said. “If the thought to write has crossed your mind it is because there is a story in you worth telling. Telling stories helps us better understand ourselves, our perceptions, and how to connect and empathize with others. We have to give perspective for the antagonist and protagonist, which for me, has helped me gain understanding and depth.”
