Zalika Reid-Benta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zalika Reid-Benta
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| Born | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Author |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto, Columbia University |
| Notable works | Frying Plantain, River Mumma |
Zalika Reid-Benta is a talented Canadian author. Her first novel, River Mumma, was a finalist for the 2024 Trillium Book Award. Her first collection of short stories, Frying Plantain, won many important awards.
River Mumma was praised by many publications, including Publishers Weekly. It was even listed as one of the best fiction books of 2023 by CBC Books. The novel is a "magical realist story" that uses ideas from Jamaican folklore. It follows a young Black woman named Alicia Gale as she explores Toronto, Ontario.
Frying Plantain is a collection of connected short stories. These stories are about a young Jamaican-Canadian girl named Kara Davis. They show her growing up in the Eglinton West area of Toronto.
Growing Up and Education
Zalika Reid-Benta grew up in Toronto, Canada. When she was a child, she loved reading books by authors like Judy Blume. She also enjoyed movies such as Now and Then and My Girl.
However, she noticed that the characters in these stories did not look like her. Even as a young girl, she knew she wanted to write her own stories. She wanted to create characters and worlds where she could see herself.
She studied at the University of Toronto. There, she earned a degree in English and Cinema studies. She also studied Caribbean history and culture. Later, she went to Columbia University to get a master's degree in writing fiction.
Who Inspired Her Writing?
Zalika Reid-Benta has shared who inspires her as a writer. She looks up to many famous authors. Their work helps her write her own amazing stories.
In an interview, Reid-Benta said that Toni Morrison is one of her biggest heroes. Morrison was a very famous writer. Reid-Benta said that reading Morrison's books makes her want to write as well as she can.
She also mentioned other books that inspired her. These include Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid and Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche. For her novel River Mumma, she was inspired by writers like Nalo Hopkinson and Octavia Butler. These authors are known for their science fiction and fantasy stories.
Awards and Recognition
Zalika Reid-Benta has received many important awards for her books. Her hard work and talent have been recognized by many groups.
- In 2023, she won the ByBlacks People's Choice Award for Best Author.
- She also won the same award in 2019.
- Her book Frying Plantain won the 2019 Danuta Gleed Literary Award.
- It also won the 2020 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize.
Her novel River Mumma was a finalist for the 2024 Trillium Book Award. Frying Plantain was also a finalist for several other awards. These include the 2020 Toronto Book Awards and the 2020 Trillium Book Awards. It was also considered for the 2019 Scotia Bank Giller Prize.
