Heartdrum, the Native Voices Imprint, Turns Five: We Talk with Curator Cynthia Leitich Smith and Editor Rosemary Brosnan

For folks who keep track of such things, the traditional 5-Year Anniversary gift tends to be wood. Which, honestly, could be construed to be a somewhat appropriate gift for a book imprint, what with paper still mostly made from the stuff. You know, I can remember when the Heartdrum imprint was first announced back in 2021. And since that time you have to admit that it’s done very well for itself. As the publisher recently told me:

“In just half a decade Heartdrum has published over 30 books! Heartdrum’s books have picked up 74 starred reviews, and counting, and numerous awards and accolades including: the Printz Medal for Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Legendary Frybread Drive-in, a Reese’s Book Club pick for Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell, and NPR, Kirkus, and American Indians in Children’s Literature Best Book of the Year recognitions for I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day. With upcoming books planned from acclaimed authors Jen Ferguson, Byron Graves, Dawn Quigley, Kim Rogers, and more”

I had a chance to interview Curator Cynthia Leitich Smith and Editor Rosemary Brosnan about Heartdrum and its larger applications. They’ve chosen to give most of their answers together, which makes a lot of sense. And I had, as you might imagine, a lot of questions for the two of them:

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Betsy Bird: Thank you so much for talking to me today! And congratulations on the 5-year anniversary of Heartdrum! I confess that I know very little about its early founding. Please tell us how it first came to be.

Cynthia & Rosemary: The initial spark came from Heartdrum’s fairy godmother, author and We Need Diverse Books co-founder Ellen Oh. She invited Cynthia out for breakfast at a teacher-conference hotel in Texas. Over the meal, the two chatted about their dreams for the literary community. That’s when Ellen shared her big idea: The need for more Indigenous representation, both on the page and behind the byline, might be best addressed by a dedicated Native imprint at a reputable publisher with the muscle to make a difference.

Ellen suggested that, given Cynthia’s history as a writing teacher and mentor—plus, the fact that she’s written for most age markets and formats, she would be the ideal person to step into a leadership role. At first, Cynthia was skeptical as to whether she had the industry status to make it happen and whether a major publisher would find the idea viable.

Months later, author Debby Dahl Edwardson invited her to teach at a lakefront retreat in Minnesota for Indigenous writers like Ojibwe Dawn Quigley and Choctaw Stacy Wells, both of whom would go on to be published by Heartdrum.

That experience was a reminder of promising Native voices struggling to find a foothold in the industry. Surely, kids and teens—especially those from tribal communities—needed to hear from voices like theirs.

After thinking it over, Cynthia reached out to her long-time editor, Rosemary Brosnan. Rosemary has been publishing books by and about underrepresented people for decades and, in fact, published Cynthia’s debut picture book, Jingle Dancer, way back in 2000.

To Cynthia’s surprise and delight, the answer was yes! Given Ellen’s critical role in the journey, it only made sense that Heartdrum would partner with We Need Diverse Books, and with respect to Indigenous values, plans were immediately underway for an annual writing intensive program that would nurture and develop new Native talent in the field.

The imprint launched our first list—featuring Dawn, Navajo Brian Young, Upper Skagit author Christine Day—not long after the world shut down for the pandemic. That spring we hosted an extraordinarily successful virtual event in conjunction with Ojibwe Louise Erdrich’s store, Birchbark Books and Native Arts in Minneapolis, and the following summer, our first writing intensive was held at the Writing Barn in South Austin.

BB: In the time since its founding, what are some of the challenges you’ve faced? Some of these may have been expected, and some may have been wholly unexpected and out of the blue. 

Cynthia & Rosemary: The biggest “challenge” has been a good one! When we founded Heartdrum, we thought we would publish two or three books per year. With the Native Writers’ Intensive every summer, and extensive word of mouth, we have found it impossible to limit ourselves to two or three. Our problem—which is a good “problem” to have—is that there is so much talent and brilliance within the Indigenous writing community!

Because of the number of manuscripts we just could not resist, we brought in another editor—the wonderful Senior Editor Alyssa Miele—who works with Rosemary on the Quill Tree Books imprint. Now Alyssa is publishing a number of excellent Heartdrum novels and picture books as well.

BB: Tell me some of the Heartdrum highlights you’re most proud of personally. This might include the awards or honors your books have received, or it might be something smaller and more personal. Whichever you prefer. 

Cynthia & Rosemary: While we are absolutely delighted with the many awards and starred reviews the books have received, even more critical to us is that Heartdrum has had a ripple effect on the children’s publishing industry. Other publishers have seen the success of Heartdrum and have been encouraged by that to publish Indigenous authors. This is a sea-change from how things had been for years, and we’re happy about the small part we have played in this improvement.

We’re also very proud of the Native Writers’ Intensive Workshop that we hold every summer in conjunction with We Need Diverse Books. In addition to creating a place where both published and aspiring authors can work on their craft, the workshop has given many writers a safe space. Particularly for a writer who might often be the only Indigenous person in a room, the intertribal workshop is a place for Indigenous folks to let down their guard and feel understood. That environment fosters courage, confidence, and creativity.

BB: Along the same lines, please tell us a personal story of a book you worked on, or helped bring to life, that holds a special place in your heart. 

Rosemary: I [Rosemary] would have to say Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. That was the start of a long, wonderful journey with Cynthia. In the late 1990s, I had put the word out that I was looking for Native-authored books, and Cynthia wrote to me. Jingle Dancer was unique at that time and so thoughtfully conceived and written. I acquired the book at Penguin, brought it along with me to Morrow Junior Books, and published it in 2000 at HarperCollins, which acquired Morrow in 1999. Quite the publishing journey! Without Jingle Dancer and the start of a long, wonderful friendship, I would not have had the opportunity to launch Heartdrum with Cynthia.

Now Jingle Dancer is a mentor text for many writers, and I can see that so clearly with many submissions. It’s still going strong twenty-six years after publication! Cynthia’s importance in the field of Native children’s literature cannot be overstated.

BB: With the recent fall of both the Dial and Roaring Brook imprints, many people are eyeing some of the other well-regarded, award-winning imprints out there with trepidation. No one can predict the future, but in light of this uncertain time, what do you hope Heartdrum can continue to provide young readers going forward? What does the future hold for this imprint?

Cynthia & Rosemary: Heartdrum has done very well over the past five years and, happily, continues to shine! The terrific sales have come as somewhat of a surprise, but we have found that there is a hole in the market and a tremendous need for our books, which have been welcomed by children, caregivers, teachers, librarians, and booksellers, within and outside the Native community. We hope to continue to provide young Native readers, in particular, with books in which they see themselves as the heroes of their own lives. Many of our authors are now repeat authors and are bringing other, newer authors along with them on the journey!

BB: And if you’re able, can you give us a little sneak peek into some of the upcoming titles we can hope to see in the near future? 

Cynthia & Rosemary: We’d be glad to! We have eight wonderful books that are still to be published in 2026—three picture books, one middle grade novel, and four YA novels.

On the Summer list, we have Free to Fly by Karina Iceberg (Aleut-Alutiiq), illustrated by Steph Littlebird (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde), a poignant story in which a grandfather tells his grandchild how thoughts of his future grandchild kept his spirit strong while he was in a federal Indian boarding school. Raven, Rising by Christine Hartman Derr (Cherokee) is a debut middle grade novel that features a Cherokee girl who, after the loss of her parents, tries to acclimate to her new school and a curious magic that her mother may have passed down to her. Shards of Silence by Brian Lee Young (Diné) is Brian’s first YA novel; he is the author of the award-winning middle grade Water Monster books. This contemporary YA follows a teen boy from the Navajo Reservation to an elite boarding school in Connecticut and explores the culture shock that follows. Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves (Ojibwe and Lakota), the author of Morris Award winner Rez Ball, features a teen boy who finds solace and community in skateboarding. And An Expanse of Blue is Kauakanilehua Māhoe Adams’ first book; it’s a lyrical novel in verse about a Native Hawaiian teen girl living in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s our first book on the list by a Native Hawaiian writer. All of the Summer books have already received starred reviews!

On the Fall 2026 list, we have Here Come the Grandmas!, a rollicking and exuberant companion to Here Come the Aunties!, celebrating all kinds of aunties—related by blood or not—by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee), illustrated by Aphelandra (Oneida). Christine Hartman Derr’s first picture book, illustrated by Morgan Thompson (both Cherokee), Until We Meet Again: Donadagohvi celebrates the passing down of the Cherokee language. And for YA readers, we will have Like Glass by Jen Ferguson (Métis), author of The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, with a compelling and thoughtful novel set in the French Alps about family, loss, and love and how travel can reveal life back at home.  

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Big time thanks to both Cynthia and Rosemary for taking the time to answer my questions today. Thanks too to Jenny Lu and that team at Harper Collins Children’s Books for helping to put this all together.

Filed under: Interviews