10 Questions with Sadé Smith
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Sadé Smith is the author of the picture book Granny's Kitchen, which was nominated for the Blue Spruce Award for the Forest of Reading 2023 and shortlisted for the 2023 Crystal Kite Award. Her second book, Julie and the Mango Tree, illustrated by Sayada Ramdial, has been selected for the CBC Books list of 40 Canadian kids books to read in spring 2023 and the Barnes & Noble’s list of Most Anticipated Kids’ Books for August 2023.Sadé is of Jamaican descent, and both Granny’s Kitchen and Julie and the Mango Tree use food to evoke the beauty and vibrancy of the Caribbean Islands.
In addition to writing, Sadé is also a design technologist who practices the skilled trades of carpentry, flooring and home renovations. She loves the beach and enjoys fruits and when she is not writing, she is off adventuring with her two boys and their dog Ziggy.
1. What was your relationship to reading and writing like growing up? Were you a bookish kid? Were there specific books that left a mark on you as a young reader?
I was an avid reader as a kid. My mother taught me to read at a very young age and she filled my world with many books since the day I was born. I LOVED to read! My friends would be playing outside and I would be sitting on my couch reading a book, that’s how much I loved it. I especially loved The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and a book about Helen Keller by Margaret Davidson I bought from the book fair when I was a kid. I thought she was a very fascinating person. I also loved a picture book called Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale by John Steptoe which is a beautifully written book with a really great message about kindness. This book really left a mark on me because it has black characters in it which was very uncommon to see back in the 80’s and 90’s. I was able to see myself in a book which is very important.
2. There are so many different entry points into the world of writing for children; some people begin as writers for adults, some as artists, some come from the world of education. What did your path look like?
I have been writing since I was seven years old. I had a teacher who made empty book templates and she told the class to write a story. I wrote a book called The King which was about a lion who was the king of the jungle and a tiger who tried to take over the kingdom. Coincidentally, I wrote this book before the Disney movie The Lion King came out. My teacher told me that I had a great imagination and I should keep writing, and that’s exactly what I did. However, it wasn’t until 2016 that I decided to become a published author. My sister suggested I that I should get my books published and I took on the challenge. I tried my hand at self-publishing after a few failed attempts at landing a literary agent, but I later decided to go back into the querying trenches and I eventually found myself a wonderful agent. Everything unfolded from there. She ended up landing a two-book deal with Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan which were published in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
3. Both of your picture books, Granny’s Kitchen and your latest work Julie and the Mango Tree, foreground food in such a beautiful way. Can you talk a little bit about why food is so important to you, and what you wanted to say or explore about it in your books?
Food is such a great way to share cultural differences and food is also a way to bring people together. I often use food in my books to share about my Jamaican culture and also to allow other Caribbean people to relate to the story. I want the readers to get a nostalgic feeling when they read my books and also to give them ideas to make memories in the kitchen with their own family members. Every problem can be resolved with food!
4. I’m curious about the stories behind the recipes included in your books. Do they originate from your people in your family, or from your own life? Did you develop them specifically for the books?
The recipes in the back of Granny’s Kitchen are from my mother and grandmother who cook Jamaican food almost every day. They have mastered these recipes and they don’t even use measuring cups! I asked them to measure all the ingredients to provide the recipes for the book so readers can have accurate measurements while making the food. The recipes in the back of the book are for a typical Jamaican breakfast that practically everyone on the island eats on a weekly basis. Sunday is usually when the big breakfast is made and that’s when these foods would be cooked and served.
5. Where and when do you do your best writing? Are there any rituals, requirements, or snacks that you need in order to write?
My story ideas randomly pop into my head. I could be walking or driving and I may see something that gives me an idea for a book. I can’t just sit at my desk and say “Hmmm…what shall I write today?” I will completely draw a blank. I have to be somewhere or doing something for an idea to strike. Sometimes it will come to me while taking a hot bath. I like to write late at night when my mind is most relaxed because I’m a night owl. That’s usually when my imagination works best.
6. You’re such a strong champion of your books on social media, as well as out in the real world. I’m particularly impressed by the “Cook ‘N’ Book” series you’ve created with fellow kidlit author Nadia L. Hohn. Can you talk a little bit about how you balance the two sides of being an author— the work of creating books and the job of promoting and sharing them?
Thank you! Nadia Hohn and I started COOK ‘N’ BOOK in 2022 where we cook food and talk about books. We didn’t know it would be such a successful series and we didn’t realize that people actually look forward to our segments. We always have a new theme for each Instagram Live segment and we have a lot of fun with our viewers. I am also a design technologist so I have a day job as well. I have to balance work life, author life and also mom life, too. I have found a good rhythm for promoting my books on social media while balancing my author life and work life. I post at least once per day whether it be about a book event I attended or even a simple question or comment to encourage conversation with my followers. I post every picture about books that I take. I find that striking up a good conversation allows others to voice their opinions and allows them to be heard. It’s a great way to gain follower interaction on my posts. Consistency is key to have my posts show up on everyone’s timeline on a daily basis. I don’t post on the weekends unless it’s absolutely necessary because my weekends are dedicated for family time. I am most active on Instagram @stc_smith, however, I am also on Twitter @stc_smith and Facebook at Sade Smith Author. My website is www.sadetsmith.com.
7. Were there lessons from publishing your debut book that informed how you wrote, published, or marketed your second book?
Going through the lengthy back and forth editing process for Granny’s Kitchen allowed me to become a better writer for all my future manuscripts going forward. I now know what to include and what not to include in a successful children’s picture book. It was a great learning opportunity for me and I am a better writer because of it. I also learned that I have to be very active in promoting and selling my books. It’s not the publisher’s job to promote my books for me and they are not required to do so, I have to do it myself. I’ve learned how to successfully promote my books on social media and also in person at networking events. I used to be timid to approach people, but now I’m used to it. People won’t know about your books unless you tell them. School visits are also a great way to promote my books and to share them with young readers. Luckily, we have great technology these days so I can present to schools and libraries practically anywhere in the world. I didn’t know how much I would enjoy school visits until after I did my first one. It was the best feeling ever!
8. What are you working on now? Do you have any interest in expanding into other forms or age categories?
I am working on a few children’s picture books at the moment which I hope to have published soon. We are still back and forth with editing and revising, but I’m excited to share them with the world when they are ready to be seen. I am also working on an adult novel which I hope to finally complete in the new year. This book has taken me so long to write because I haven’t been proactively working on it, but I am going to put in all my effort to complete it in the new year because it’s a story that needs to be told.
9. What are you currently obsessed with? Can be bookish or not!
I am currently obsessed with tacos! I can’t get enough of them and almost every weekend in the summer, I visit a new taco spot. I went to Mexico a few years ago for the first time and I have been obsessed with tacos ever since. I make sure to visit Mexico frequently to go back for the food.
10. What’s your top tip for aspiring picture book writers?
My top tip for aspiring picture book writers is to believe in your work and don’t doubt yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others because everyone’s writing journey is different. Keep going and never give up because the moment you give up, could have been the moment you would have been successful. Clap for yourself and celebrate your wins when you accomplish a goal because you worked very hard to achieve it. Never give up on your dreams because someone out there in the world is going to love your book!
Connect with Sadé online:
Instagram: @stc_smith
Twitter: @stc_smith
Facebook: Sade Smith Author
website: www.sadetsmith.com.
