Q&A with Jesse Q. Sutanto

 

Photo by Michael Hart

 

 

Jesse Q. Sutanto is the author of the new novel You Will Never Be Me. Her other novels include I'm Not Done with You Yet. She lives in Jakarta, Indonesia.

 

Q: What inspired you to write You Will Never Be Me?

 

A: As a mom, social media's algorithm is always pushing momfluencers to my feed. I find them so fascinating, especially the ones who look flawless all the time and make everything from scratch, like, "You want a grilled cheese sandwich? Let me make the bread AND cheese from scratch."

 

I just knew that one day, I would like to write a book with momfluencers as the characters!

 

Q: How did you create your characters Meredith and Aspen, and how would you describe the dynamic between them?  

 

A: I don't usually think about my characters before writing the book. As soon as the first line is typed out onto the page, the characters come to life. I get to know their voices and personalities and that was how it happened with Aspen and Meredith.

 

I would describe them as best friends with a status quo, and when that status quo is disturbed, it doesn't go well for them. 

 

Q: What do you think the novel says about social media influencers?

 

A: I hope it shows how fake things can be online, while at the same time also shedding a somewhat sympathetic light on ambitious women. 

 

Q: How was the book's title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: There have been many times where I've looked at social media and come away feeling sad because I'm not as productive or successful or pretty or whatever as people are on it. Part of me goes, "When will my life look like that?"

 

That's where the title comes from. An acceptance that I will never be like someone else. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Nothing right now! I finished a new book a month ago and I need to edit it, but I'm still winding down after a chaotic summer, so I'm taking it easy. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Q&A with Ciera Burch

 

Photo by Julia Xia

 

 

Ciera Burch is the author of the new middle grade novel Camp Twisted Pine. Her other books include the middle grade novel Finch House. She lives in Washington, D.C.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Camp Twisted Pine, and how did you create your character Naomi?

 

A: A few things inspired me! The most prominent was probably my desire to go to a sleep away summer camp as a kid that was never fulfilled. At least, not how I wanted it to be.

 

My mom wasn’t a fan of sending me away for weeks at a time with strangers, but my school had a week-long field trip for the entire 6th grade class to a place called Mt. Misery up in the Pine Barrens and the memory of that, my one and only camping experience, really had a lasting effect!

 

I like to say that all my characters come to me, like little people that pop into my brain out of nowhere, and the same is true of Naomi.

 

As someone who enjoys nature but not bugs or being hot, and who was a fairly indoor kid, I wanted to create a character, hopefully relatable to many, who loves the idea of nature but not the reality and, well, throw her into the reality.

 

Luckily, Naomi formed herself pretty easily in my mind with how responsible she was, a rule follower to the max, and somewhat isolated because of it.

Q: The novel takes place in the New Jersey Pinelands—can you say more about why you chose to set it there, and how important is setting to you in your novels?

 

A: I answered this a little above, but my own personal experience in the Pinelands was a wonderful time, plus it’s a fairly large area of protected land that’s important to New Jersey, where I’m from, and I wanted to highlight its beauty and uniqueness in some way, especially since, in legend, it’s home to the Jersey Devil, a little known but very interesting cryptid—at least to me!

 

I’d say setting is incredibly important to me because it’s the backdrop for everything and can affect how certain characters perceive or react to things.

 

For example, the Pine Barrens is fully out of Naomi’s comfort zone and it shows in most of her actions and thoughts and choices.

 

I also just love describing places, it’s one of my favorite things to do in writing, in the hopes of nailing down a certain image or emotion in my readers.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: I hope they take away the importance of friendship and having people you can trust and confide in, and what a difference that can make in one’s life.

 

I also hope they take away the idea that nature is beautiful and sacred and should be upheld and protected for both our planet and ourselves…whether we’re indoor people or outdoorsy ones.

 

Q: Do you have any other favorite novels set at summer camp?

 

A: I really enjoy the graphic novel Lumberjanes, and Monster Camp by Sarah Henning, which is a fun take on a camp! Also, more recently, The Honeys by Ryan La Sala, which is YA.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m currently working on my next MG, about a girl who starts going invisible once she discovers some things about herself, and my next YA, about two friends turned rivals turned teammates who are grappling with their feelings for each other.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: The Pine Barrens is a beautiful, fun place to visit, particularly if you enjoy hiking or kayaking! It also covers about 22 percent percent of land in New Jersey, which is a lot for a small state!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Ciera Burch.

Sept. 16

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Sept. 16, 1898: H.A. Rey born.

Q&A with Carlyn Greenwald

 

Photo by Molly Pan

 

 

Carlyn Greenwald is the author of the new novel Director's Cut. It's a follow-up to her novel Sizzle Reel. She is the lead content development coordinator for Cake Creative/Electric Postcard Entertainment.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Director’s Cut, and how did you create your character Val?

 

A: Director’s Cut the story came when two moments collided in my brain. I attended USC as an undergrad and it was this known thing that celebrities sometimes guest taught at the film school.

 

One day as a student I went onto the course registration and noticed that the celebrity guest professor at the time was paired up with a well-established member of the film school faculty (and someone who studied films rather than made them) and thought that must be such an interesting combination of personalities.

 

Then, after writing Sizzle Reel, when developing the character of Val, I thought that would be the kind of scenario that she’d get herself into. Thus, Director’s Cut was born.

 

In terms of where Val came from, in Sizzle Reel, I was mostly playing with the idea of seeing Val through the lens of someone who admired/crushed on her and Director’s Cut was my space to get in her head and find out what made her tick and what her actual flaws were.

 

I watch a ton of celebrity interviews, read memoirs, and generally am very interested in how fame messes with people’s brains, from everything from an inability to do basic tasks after not having to do them for so long (and what kind of personality fights back against that and still does their own budgeting and grocery shopping) and then the darker stuff — how it affects your self-esteem, your sense of safety and privacy, all that.

 

So with Val, I didn’t want her to be this larger-than-life figure anymore, I wanted to write a flawed person who’s been affected by her place in life — but still be someone who was witty, fun, and generally lovable enough to follow through her own love story.

Q: The writer Susie Dumond said of the book, “Despite being a massive star, actor-turned-director Val is grounded and relatably messy, and her journey to finding love with Maeve -- and with her authentic self -- makes this story sing.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I absolutely love it! As I was saying in my previous answer, I really wanted Val to feel like a real person who was affected by the larger than life she fell into/created for herself.

 

And with her relationship with Maeve, I really wanted to create a dynamic that was both fun to read and felt realistic when you put two flawed people into each other’s lives.

 

It’s always such a delight to develop the banter, the incorrect assumptions characters make that fade into going “oh, that person isn’t so bad” to “wow I really like this person!” into love. I adored writing the first kiss, the first time they had sex — and then the catharsis of what happens to them after the climax of the book.

 

To me, I love seeing couples in romance who don’t break up, but a part of me also loves seeing them go through a huge trial together where all hope seems lost — but then they work on themselves and come back together even stronger than ever.

 

Q: Did your experiences in the film world help you write this novel? Did you need to do any additional research?

 

A: I went to film school at USC and while there I worked a handful of development internships that turned into a few short-lived assistant stints. That along with growing up here and being immersed in celebrity and Hollywood culture made me feel pretty good about getting the film industry aspects right.

 

I always go into any research into a field I don’t totally live in from a psychological standpoint — how would this job affect a character’s brain? In my ideal world, I find out just enough to sell their expertise and the psychological effects of said job. So, like, I said, a lot of celebrity memoir reading, a lot of interview watching and reading, that sort of thing.

 

For the academia, I’ll admit that as much as I tried to look up how syllabi are made and academic structures are set up, I’m sure there were some liberties taken for the book that aren’t accurate. But I did my best, for what it’s worth.

 

There was also a fair amount of research into how one teaches film theory and some more fun research, like re-familiarizing myself with all the movie musicals mentioned.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: Ultimately, I hope that readers can see Val, her personal journey, and her romance with Maeve and think that you don’t have to be a perfect person — in fact, you can be as flawed as anyone — and still be able to better yourself, find inner peace, and a relationship where you’re loved wholly.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m actually in a bit of a genre pivot right now! I’m working on the second book in my contract with Sourcebooks Fire, a YA mystery/horror book. It’s sapphic, though, so I suppose there will always be that connective thread between it, my 2025 book Murder Land, and my sapphic romances.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Just that if you love messy characters, you’ll love my books! Thank you so much for interviewing me!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Carlyn Greenwald.

Q&A with Ken Fireman

 

 

Ken Fireman is the author of the novel The Unmooring. A longtime journalist, he lives in Bethesda, Maryland.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Unmooring, and how did you create your character Michael?

 

A: I wanted to write a political novel, and set it in a hinge era, one that changed America and the world. That was certainly true of the ‘60s. It was also an era of great drama – there were times when momentous events piled on top of each other so rapidly, it was hard to fully grasp them.

 

Additionally, I have a personal connection to the era: I lived through it, took part in some of its important events, was shaped by all of them. So I thought it had the elements of a good story, and an important one.

 

In Michael McMaster, I wanted to fashion a character who fit the temper of the times. Someone who rebelled against his parents and their milieu, who struck out on his own. Who was idealistic, hopeful about changing a world he hadn’t made and didn’t particularly like – but finds his optimism challenged by the discord of American life, and the discord in his own life.

 

Q: How was the book's title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: I chose it because it has a double meaning, and both are central to the novel’s story. The first was that during the ‘60s our country became unmoored, cut loose from fixed certainties and institutions, set adrift and buffeted by random forces. The second was that the McMaster family, the four characters at the heart of the novel, all become unmoored in their personal lives.

 

Q: Did you know how the story would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I had a clear idea of the general shape of the story arc, and how it would end, at the start of the writing process. But characters take on a life of their own, and charge off in a direction that you didn’t anticipate. They don’t always behave themselves! And that did happen in a way that affected one aspect of the story’s ending.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: I hope two things come across, and both are hopeful things.

 

The first is that while we often see our current moment, with all its traumas and uncertainties, as unique, and uniquely ominous, it’s not. The ‘60s was a period much like today, with upheavals and dangers and violence – a lot of violence – and we got through it, we survived as a society, and maybe even arrived at a better place. We should keep that in mind today as we navigate all our anxieties.

 

The second is that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things. The battle for civil rights, for example, had its famous leaders and heroes – Martin Luther King, John Lewis – but what really made the difference was the willingness of so many people who weren’t famous to show up, get involved, take risks, put themselves on the line. And that can happen again – in fact, it is happening again.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m working on another novel, also a political novel but set in the present. The central character is someone who believes in the idea of public service, of acquiring expertise and putting it to use for the public good, but becomes caught in the crossfires of rancor and vitriol and bad faith that so often dominate our political discourse, and has to find a way to survive and function.

 

I hope it’ll make for a good story, and I hope it’ll make people think about where we want to go as a country.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’ve started a Substack newsletter called Liticisms, which looks at the connection between books and contemporary concerns. 

 

The latest post talks about five books that serve as antidotes to the toxins of rage and polarization; another looks at how Trump uses rhetoric to justify the autocratic mentality. You can find them, and my other posts, here: https://liticisms.substack.com/. 

 

And thanks so much for interviewing me!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Sept. 15

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Sept. 15, 1890: Agatha Christie born.

Q&A with Richard Jones

 

 

 

 

Richard Jones is the author and illustrator of the children's picture book Where Have You Been, Little Cat?. His many other books include Perdu. He is based in the UK.

 

Q: What inspired you to create Where Have You Been, Little Cat?

 

A: I’d had the story of an inquisitive feline floating around ever since we adopted our own cat, Moppet, in 2016.

 

Having had a dog companion for many years who rarely left my side, I’ve never quite got used to opening the door and letting Moppet go wandering off on adventures of her own.

 

Most of the time, she seems happy enough to lie in the sun, but she sometimes disappears through the hedge at the bottom of our garden and is often gone for an hour or two. Where to or with whom, I have no idea. The next thing we hear from her is a gentle tap at the front door as she waits to be let in.

 

Every time she comes home we go through the same performance; she rolls around on the carpet and I always ask, “Where have you been, little cat? What did you do? What did you see? Were you kind?” Questions that adults ask children every day. It took me a year or two of this routine before I realised there might be the bones of a story here!

 

Q: Did you work on the text first or the illustrations first--or both simultaneously?

 

A: The text and the artwork came along at the same time for this one. I usually aim to get the story in a good shape before I start scribbling and then make any adjustments to story as the pictures develop. However, with this one the words and pictures grew together.

 

Q: The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books called the book a “feline-focused look at the treasures of both new experiences and familiar places.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I think it’s a lovely way of describing the book, thanks for sharing it! It seems to me that the writing around the subject of children’s books both in the US and in the UK is of such a high standard at the moment. It’s really inspiring to see how seriously reviewers take children’s books and with what care they talk about them. 

 

Q: What do you hope children (and adults!) take away from the story?

 

A: Above all, I hope people see that being generous and kind need not get in the way of a cracking adventure!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’ve just finished working on another story with the same wonderful team that created Where Have You Been, Little Cat? It’s about a child who meets a little bird and feeds it some breakfast.

 

The next day, the little bird comes back with two pink-tailed mice, and the next day they are joined by four squirrels and then eight kind-eyed wolves and then 16 elephants until eventually, one day, there are 247 animals for breakfast! It will be published around the world in the spring.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I also have a story publishing soon with Walker Books in the UK and Candlewick Press in the US. It’s about a little boy and a storm and how being brave can have unexpected and brilliant consequences! 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Diana Janney

 

 

 

Diana Janney is the author of the new novel A Man of Understanding. Her other novels include The Choice.

 

Q: What inspired you to write A Man of Understanding, and how did you create your characters Blue and Horatio?

 

A: One inspiration came from my many visits to the mountains in the north of Mallorca, where the novel is principally set.

 

The area’s natural beauty, combined with its focus on the arts seemed the perfect setting for a novel that explores the importance of the arts as a means of expression, especially in times of loss and grief, which the narrator Blue is experiencing, his parents having been killed in a car accident before the story begins.

 

Blue’s grandfather, poet-philosopher Horatio Hennessy, whom, mysteriously, Blue has never met, is to be his guardian, so Blue is sent to Mallorca to live with Horatio in his Finca.

 

Another inspiration for writing A Man of Understanding was my background in philosophy. I was an undergraduate and postgraduate in Philosophy at University College, London, and the subject continues to fascinate me.

 

I weave philosophy into all my novels, making it come alive in an accessible way that is interesting to readers, whether or not they have previous knowledge of the subject.

 

Horatio is fascinated by what great philosophers such as Aristotle, Kant, Hume, Descartes think about subjects such as aesthetics, virtue, courage, friendship, love, the soul.

 

Horatio chooses as a role model for Blue the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who was orphaned at a similar age to Blue, and was then taught about poetry and rhetoric by his uncle.

 

Poetry was another inspiration for the novel. My first poems were published at a young age in the school magazine, and I have continued to write poetry ever since. My poems have proved very popular in my novels, even to those who don’t usually read poetry.

 

In a novel, the reader already understands a great deal about the characters’ life experiences and emotions that are behind their poetry, which gives perspective to their poems.

 

I created Horatio as a character who would fit well with the environment in which the story is set.

 

In a sense, he reflects this part of Mallorca, he personifies the elements that have drawn so many celebrated names in the arts to have lived in the north of the island – Robert Graves, Chopin, George Sand, to name a few.

 

Horatio is particularly learned in the arts. They matter to him. He wants to show his grandson why they matter. He tries to help Blue to overcome his grief through embracing the arts, especially poetry, and philosophy. Horatio seems to be as strong and resilient as the mountains around him …but is he?

 

I created Blue as an only child, sensitive, reflective, who is bewildered at first by his enigmatic grandfather.

 

Initially, the two of them seem very different, not just in age. Blue is introverted, quiet, inexperienced, untravelled, whereas Horatio is a talented published poet, an extrovert, knowledgeable, charismatic, widely travelled.

 

How will these two seemingly diverse characters get on? What will bring them together? Do they have more in common than they realise? And what will they learn from the relationship about themselves, about each other, about other characters in the novel, about life? When secrets are uncovered, how will they react?

 

Blue has left behind the only home in England he has ever known to start a new life with Horatio, filled with unexpected happenings that he could never have anticipated, and there are interesting consequences for them both.

Q: Can you say more about the dynamic between grandfather and grandson?

 

A: The creation and understanding of poetry is a powerful dynamic that changes the lives of Blue and Horatio. Both learn from the experience in different ways.

 

It’s a very moving part of the story when they create their first poem together and discover through doing so that they can express their emotions and address questions that they were unable to address through conversation.

 

Similarly with philosophy, both characters learn from this powerful shared interest. There are moments when Blue’s questions lead Horatio to reflect in ways he hasn’t reflected before, and at times the initial master/pupil relationship is reversed.

 

It is the beginning of a dynamic journey of discovery for them both.

 

Q: How was the novel’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: I considered hundreds of titles before deciding on A Man of Understanding. It is a multi-layered story and so there are many aspects from which to draw. However, none of the titles seemed quite right.

 

Eventually, I opened the Bible and read what I saw on the page. It was Proverbs 10:23, “…a man of understanding hath wisdom.”

 

This seemed the perfect description of Horatio in every sense of the word “understanding.” He is intelligent and understands many subjects. He is understanding in that he is empathetic to the needs of others. He “gets” people. And he is a wise character (much of the time). The question is, will Blue become a man of understanding too?

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: A good question, and one that I ask myself regularly while I’m writing a novel. For me, it’s important to make readers reflect on ideas that they may not have considered before, or at least to offer a different perspective. I aim to create interesting characters who stay in the memory long after the story is over.

 

I hope that readers will feel that when they close the book, they are leaving behind real characters whom they will miss, as I do. I hope that readers will take from the story reflections for their minds, love for their hearts, and a desire to tell others how much they have enjoyed A Man of Understanding!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’ve finished the first draft of my next novel, due out in 2025. I believe strongly in the importance of reading and rereading my work, rewriting any parts with which I’m not entirely happy, until I’m confident that the story is exactly as I want it to be.

 

There are some similar themes in my new novel to those in A Man of Understanding: the importance of the arts (the main character is a musician) and philosophy, and again the story is interwoven with poetry. However, the story and characters are very different from those in A Man of Understanding.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I am very proud that A Man of Understanding was the Runner-Up in the People’s Book Prize, Fiction category, of which Frederick Forsyth C.B.E. is the patron emeritus and the late Dame Beryl Bainbridge was the founding patron.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Sept. 14

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Sept. 14, 1860: Hamlin Garland born.

Q&A with Anna Johnston

 

 

 

Anna Johnston is the author of the new novel The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, and how did you create your protagonist, Fred?

 

A: I was over halfway through medical school when I discovered that my true fulfillment lay in aged care. When my grandfather and best friend Fred was diagnosed with dementia, I changed career paths and took a job at his nursing home so we could spend more time together.

 

Pa was a wordsmith and an inspiration to me as a writer. Right up until his early 80s, he wrote poetry and letters for my gorgeous grandmother, Dawn. When dementia took away that ability, I became his pen and helped him write to her, so he could continue loving her in the way I knew he wanted to.

 

After an injury left me unable to return to aged care, I began to write about it, channelling my experience and love for older people onto the page.

 

People over 80 are vastly underrepresented in literature, so I wanted to create not just an elderly character, but a much-needed elderly hero who inspires hope and shows that, unlike eyesight, worth and purpose don’t diminish with age.

 

My grandfather provided the perfect inspiration, and my protagonist Fred not only shares his name but also his cheeky, selfless, and endearing nature.

 

Pa had countless strengths, but his poker face wasn’t one of them! He was so honest and full of integrity that he even found it hard to play a card game that required bluffing.

 

Plot stems from conflict, so I contemplated what would happen if you placed such a man in a situation where he was desperate enough to deceive (if he believed he wasn’t hurting anyone).

 

Doppelgängers and cases of mistaken identity have always fascinated me. I began developing the idea of one man being able to redeem another man’s life, even after death. The story grew quickly from there.

 

As well as embodying my grandfather on the page, I also wanted to capture the epic love that he and my gorgeous grandmother Dawn shared. The plot, setting and characters in the novel are fictional, but the love is entirely real.

 

Q: The writer Amy Meyerson said of the novel, “A life-affirming and hilarious tale of mistaken identity, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife insists that it's never too late for a second chance.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I am delighted with that description! “Life-affirming” and “hilarious” are exactly what I was aiming for in my writing. I’ve read some wonderfully funny light-hearted books in this genre that weren’t particularly deep and some excellent heart-stirring books that had little humour. I wanted to turn up the volume on both fronts!

 

They say, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” To make lemonade you need sugar, and for me, humour is that sugar making the unbearable, bearable. I wanted to shed light on some heart-breaking issues, such as grief, dementia, and aging, but use humour as a vehicle to bring the reader through to an uplifting ending.

 

I am passionate about positive aging and believe that we remain capable of growth, and change (and second chances!) at any stage of our lives if we are open to it.

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Fred and Denise? What about Fred and Hannah?

 

A: Fred is compassionate towards everyone he meets, including the antagonist of the story, Denise. Although she doesn’t treat him or the other residents with respect or dignity, Fred’s kindness towards her is unwavering. In his own words, “I’ve yet to meet a person in my eighty-two years who is irredeemable.”

 

Denise dismisses Fred, rendering him invisible like many older people in society. Fred always gives people the benefit of the doubt and sees her behaviour as symptoms of something deeper.

 

Without going into any spoilers, the relationship between Fred and Hannah is a (non-romantic) love story, but like any interesting love story, it is fraught with complications, particularly owing to Fred’s hidden identity.

 

Q: How was the novel’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The novel went through a few titles before we landed on the current one, which I adore! I chose this title because it sparks curiosity and plays with the idea of walking in another man’s shoes.

 

Fred epitomises kindness and is the sort of man who returns things in better condition than when he found them, including lives! This is really what the book is about—how Fred returns a broken life to mint condition. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m currently working on my second book, set for release in the US in early 2025. It centers on Griff, a retired Michelin star chef who lives in a nursing home, widowed, depressed, and determined to depart this earth.

 

Unwilling to let the flavorless mush served at the home be the last thing he tastes, he breaks into the kitchen to cook himself a final meal, sparking a long-forgotten joy and an unexpected chain of events.

 

Fifty-year-old Lisa harbors a shameful secret. During her weekly visits to her stepbrother, who suffers from dementia, she unexpectedly falls in love with an older man. Their relationship is put to the test as Lisa begins to show signs of a genetic kidney disease that claimed her mother’s life before she could find a donor.

 

As their stories converge, the heat is turned up while Lisa fights to hold onto life and Griff seeks a reason to embrace it. It’s a story about the power of food, purpose, visibility, and connection.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: More than anything, I hope that The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife inspires kindness–something I think we could all use a little more of. We have started a #spreadthefred hashtag on socials to promote this idea!

 

Many readers have expressed their desire to see Fred on the screen. As a movie buff whose love of writing comes from a childhood spent penning plays and short films, this has also been my goal from the start. Now that my dreams have begun merging with reality, I am starting to believe that anything is possible!

 

As well as being an author, I am a positive aging advocate who is passionate about representation of older people in the arts. You can read more about this on my website: www.annajohnstonauthor.com

 

I also love hearing from readers! Please follow me on socials @annajohnstonauthor / Anna Johnston Author for more updates!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Emiliana Vegas

 

 

 

Emiliana Vegas is the author of the new book Let's Change the World: How to Work Within International Development Organizations to Make a Difference. She has worked at the World Bank and Inter-American Bank, and is a professor of practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Let's Change the World?

 

A: I passionately believe in the power of education to change lives and feel privileged to have been able to devote my career to this cause. I have spent my career working to bring evidence to inform education policy in the so-called Global South, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean.

 

My heart lies in bringing evidence to the hands of decision-makers, especially those working to improve educational opportunities for children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

 

A little over a year ago, I met up with Noam Angrist, who had worked in a few different types of roles – research, policy, and practice – and was on a mission to connect the dots between all three, with good evidence translating into real-world change.

 

We met in a café in Harvard Square. Noam wanted advice on how to maximize ongoing engagements with two multilateral organizations, which seemed on the cusp of translating some exciting new evidence into large-scale change. I had spent most of my career at those two institutions, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, and I was more than happy to provide my perspectives to him.

 

We met at 3 p.m. and talked past 6 p.m. (when I had to go catch the shuttle back to my apartment), and right before parting ways, Noam said, “You ought to write a book about your experiences.” He continued, “Had we chatted 10 years ago, it would have made navigating the ins and outs of these organizations much easier! And now that you’re a Harvard professor, you can say whatever you want.”

 

This has become my goal.

 

Q: Former World Bank official Elizabeth King said of the book, “There is much to learn here, including reasons for genuine optimism about our capacity to help the world for the better.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I love it because there are a few other former World Bank officials who wrote books about their experience, but they cast international development organizations (IDOs) as too bureaucratic, with too many vested interests at play, to be able to have impact.

 

In my experience, IDOs have the capacity to dramatically improve opportunities for people living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet, I also know that these institutions can be riddled with limitations and inefficiencies and that sometimes their staff are more interested in pursuing individual agendas than the institutional mission.

 

Luckily, I’ve lived through it all. I know there are people who really care in this field, and there are ways to operate on the inside that genuinely put the cause first and amplify impact.

I want young people and professionals to know they can make a difference in the world by working within these organizations, benefiting from their resources, and dodging—or redefining—systemic setbacks and misaligned political agendas.

 

I hope this book will encourage those interested in pursuing careers in development to really go for it. With the right guidance and education, you can contribute to real and meaningful change in our complex world. And the World Bank, the United Nations, the Inter-American Development Bank, and similar international organizations provide a remarkable platform to do just that.

 

Q: What did you see as the right balance between your own story and a wider framework as you wrote the book?

 

A: When I started writing the book, my first few pages were too autobiographical. I have a good memory and had a lot of interesting stories of moments throughout my career that I knew would be informative for early- and mid-career professionals interested in working in IDOs. 

 

As I made progress and got early feedback from trusted family members and friends, I realized that readers would get the most if I was able to give them useful information and tips, but also provide anecdotes from my own story to illustrate and engage them.

 

Q: Can you say more about what you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: I hope readers will better understand the many options in the international development sphere to make a difference.

 

For example, there are organizations that focus on policy, while others are directly involved in program implementation. There are global funders and private philanthropies, and also many think tanks and other advising organizations, such as consulting firms. 

 

Also, there are IDOs whose primary mandate is to convene interested parties to agree on agendas, such as much of the United Nations. I want readers to understand the skills that help one get into IDOs, to navigate them effectively, and, most importantly, to make real difference in the world.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I teach courses on global education and education policy to our master’s and doctoral students at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

 

I am also involved in conducting research with some of my students to analyze key challenges and policy options for improving education systems in LMICs. And I serve on a number of Boards and Advisory Committees of several IDOs. 

 

I like having a portfolio of different activities, from research and writing, to teaching, and advising real organizations.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: My proudest accomplishments are my two young adult sons, Tobias and Emilio Abelmann. They are in their early 20s, beginning their own careers after having excelled in their education. More importantly, they’re kind and fun, and they still enjoy spending time with me and each other.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb