Poet, fiction, and nonfiction writer Kaija Langley was our very first guest on Black Writers Read, which was originally livestreamed in September of 2020. Born and raised in East Orange, New Jersey, Kaija Langley has been writing since she fell in love with words at age seven. She knew she was onto something when she wrote her first poem and her grade school classmates thought she'd copied it from a book! A proud alumna of Morgan State University, a Historically Black College and University in Baltimore, MD, she received her MFA in Fiction from St. Mary's College of California in 2005. She's called many places home over the years -- New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, DC, California, Louisiana -- and currently lives, writes, and plays in Cambridge, MA with her two bonsai and her Beloved.
During the episode, Kaija read from the first chapter of non-yet-published Middle Grade Novel, Call Me Early, is a coming-of-age story about a Black 12 year old girl who spends her summer unexpectedly straddling family, friendship, and identity. Since appearing on Black Writers Read, Kaija’s debut children's picture book, When Langston Dances, was published in the fall of 2021, exactly a year later following her conversation with Black Writers Read. When Langston Dances was nominated for a 53rd NAACP Image Award in Outstanding Literary Work for Children. Other nominees in this category include Amanda Gorman, Stacy Abrams, and Misty Copeland. Kaija’s debut Middle Grade novel, The Order of Things is slated for release in 2023 and will be published by Nancy Paulsen Books. Her second children’s picture book, A Century for Caroline, scheduled for publication in 2024.
Find Kaija on Instagram: @kaijalangley
