Karen Latchana Kenney
Karen Latchana Kenney is an Indian-Irish author and editor, born near the equator in Guyana, and raised far north in Minnesota. She writes both fiction and nonfiction stories about scientific wonders and discoveries, immigrant and biracial experiences, momentous historical events, and civil rights struggles. Her books have received several starred reviews and have been named a 2025 Minnesota Book Awards Finalist, a 2025 Pedro and Daniel Intersectionality Book Awards Finalist, a 2023 Mathical Book Prize Honor book, and a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. She lives in Minnesota with her designer-musician husband and mathematician–robot-building son, where they explore all the wild places they can find. Find her online at https://www.karenlatchanakenney.com.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle; The Swing in the Summerhouse by Jane Langton; The Mummy, the Will, and the Crypt by John Bellairs (illustrated by Edward Gore) (and many more).
What’s your favorite line from a book?
“A book, too, can be a star, ‘explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly,’ a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.”—A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
Madeleine L’Engle, Brian Selznick, Christina Soontornvat (but I have many more I love).
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
To explore and learn and make books to help kids explore and learn as well, and to share my experiences and connect with young readers who may have the same ones as me.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Don’t be afraid to try, persevere, and grow.
