Tracy Deonn facts for kids

Tracy Deonn is an American author who writes exciting fantasy books for young adults. Her first novel, Legendborn, came out in 2020 and quickly became a New York Times bestseller. It also won important awards like the Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe Award for New Talent and the 2021 Ignyte Award for Best Young Adult Novel. The next book in the series, Bloodmarked, was published in 2022 and also became a #1 New York Times bestseller.

Early Life and Education

Tracy Deonn grew up in central North Carolina. As a child, she and her mom loved watching Star Wars and Star Trek. They also enjoyed many other science fiction and fantasy stories together.

Deonn remembers that in elementary and middle school, students were asked to share where their families came from. This was often easy for students with European backgrounds. But for Black American students, it could be a difficult and sad assignment. This was because their family histories were often lost due to slavery.

When she was just 9 years old, Tracy Deonn wrote her very first short story. Her mom was so proud that she had it officially copyrighted!

Deonn later went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). She earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree there. Her studies focused on communication and performance. While at UNC, she was also a member of a group called St. Anthony Hall.

After graduating from UNC, Deonn's mother passed away in 2008. Although she was accepted into a Ph.D. program at UNC, she decided not to go. Instead, Deonn spent a summer exploring San Francisco and practicing yoga.

Tracy Deonn's Career

After her time in San Francisco, Deonn returned to Chapel Hill. She worked for the PlayMakers Repertory Company, a theater group. She also taught college students in the UNC Communications Department. Besides teaching, Deonn has worked in video game production and K-12 education.

For ten years after her mother's death, Deonn did not write any stories. But in 2018, she wrote an essay called "Black Girl, Becoming." This essay was published in a book titled Our Stories, Our Voices.

After reading her essay, an editor from Simon & Schuster named Liesa Abrams reached out to Deonn. Abrams was interested in any young adult fiction Deonn might write. Deonn then sent her an unfinished novel. Abrams encouraged her to find a literary agent to help her publish it.

Deonn also contributed to a special book for the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. It was called From a Certain Point of View. In 2019, she helped write and produce a Star Wars fan docu-series for the Syfy channel. The series was called Looking for Leia, and Deonn was featured in it as an expert.

She is currently working on a series of three Legendborn novels. Deonn has shared that she feels a special responsibility as a Black writer. She wants to represent her community well. However, she knows it's impossible to represent everyone. She believes she can only share her own experiences.

About Legendborn

Tracy Deonn's first novel, Legendborn, is a fantasy book for young adults. It was released in September 2020 by Simon & Schuster/McElderry Books. The book was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book and the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book in 2021.

Deonn found inspiration for Legendborn in African-American folk magic. She also wove in her own experiences and family history. The book uses themes from the famous legend of King Arthur.

Alex Brown, writing for Tor.com, said that Legendborn is "an intoxicating mix of Southern Black traditions, the King Arthur mythos, and teenage melodrama." Brown added that Deonn takes old stories and makes them "bigger and better." Kirkus Reviews praised the book for its strong, real queer characters. They also noted how well the book talks about feelings and family history.

For Legendborn, Deonn won the Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe Award for New Talent. This award comes from the American Library Association. Deonn said winning the Steptoe award was a big win for her. She felt it was also a win for the fantasy genre, especially Black American fantasy.

Deonn has shared that one of her inspirations for Legendborn was her own journey through grief. This was after her mother passed away. She said, "We often look for stories in loss, and Legendborn is part of the story I told myself." She also mentioned that author Susan Cooper influenced her writing.

About Bloodmarked

In 2022, the second book in the Legendborn series, Bloodmarked, was published. Felecia Wellington Radel reviewed the book for USA Today. She described it as "full of Black Girl Magic." Radel wrote that Bloodmarked pushes the boundaries of young adult fantasy. It also keeps the action going, adding new myths and legends.

Alex Brown, in a review for Tor.com, noted that Bloodmarked explores racial issues just as powerfully as the first book. Brown also said the book looks deeply into how different generations deal with difficult past events and racial unfairness. Kirkus Reviews called the book "A worthy successor to an explosive debut." Bloodmarked debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list for Young Adult Hardcover books in 2022.