Lina Maslo is the debut author and illustrator of FREE AS A BIRD: THE STORY OF MALALA and the forthcoming picture book biography of C.S. Lewis, THE DOOR TO NARNIA, which will be published in 2019. Lina was born in Ukraine and came to the USA at age five. She has an art degree from New College of Florida and now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four children.
In this Porchlight episode, Bethany Hegedus and Lina Maslo discuss Lina’s path to publication and how her life changed once she found an agent to represent FREE AS A BIRD: THE STORY OF MALALA. Lina was first drawn to Malala’s story after reading her autobiography and realizing that Malala’s relationship with her parents, and in particular her father, hadn’t yet been covered in other works. Through her take on Malala’s courageous story, Lina hopes readers will learn about the power of words and how they can be used to make a difference as well as learn about the power and privilege of receiving an education no matter where in the world you live. Lina and Bethany also chat about the need for authors writing biographies to find a personal connection with their subjects as well as discussing the encouragement a skilled, enthusiastic editor can give authors and illustrators. Finally, they talk about the many challenges of being both a working parent and a creative artist.