Professional Bios
Short Version
TONYA DUNCAN ELLIS is author of SCBWI Crystal Kite Honor picture book, They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park (HarperCollins, 2024), Cupcake Chemistry (Charlesbridge, 2027), and novel-in-verse, Knowledge’s Crown (Peachtree, 2028). She successfully self-published the 13-book Sophie Washington chapter series, which has sold over 175,000 copies. Tonya’s books have been featured on NPR, PBS Kids, Common Sense Media, Great Day Houston, and The Houston Chronicle, among other outlets. She lives in Houston, Texas. Find her online or follow her on social media @tonyaellisbooks.
Long Version
TONYA DUNCAN ELLIS is author of SCBWI Crystal Kite Honor picture book, They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park (HarperCollins, 2024), Cupcake Chemistry (Charlesbridge, 2027), and novel-in-verse, Knowledge’s Crown (Peachtree, 2028). She self-published the 13-book Sophie Washington chapter series, which has sold over 175,000 copies. Tonya’s books have been featured on NPR, PBS Kids, Common Sense Media, Great Day Houston and The Houston Chronicle, among other outlets. A diversity advocate, Tonya is a member of the Brown Bookshelf’s Amplify Black Stories cohort. She mentors authors through PB Rising Stars and We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) organizations. A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Tonya presented on marketing for SCBWI’s 2023 Winter Conference in New York City. She is a winner of SCBWI’s 2022 Independently Published Book Marketing Grant and SCBWI Austin’s 2021 Cynthia Leitich Smith Writing Mentor Award. Tonya founded the Write This! Instagram Live show, featuring bestselling and award-winning authors, illustrators and publishing professionals. She lives in Houston, Texas. Find her online or follow her on social media @tonyaellisbooks.
Representation
I’m represented by Adria Goetz of KT Literary Agency.
Headshots
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Book Covers
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