Q&A with Kamilah Cole, debut author of "So Let Them Burn"!

Hello from the other siiiiiide (Pennsylvania, I’m in Pennsylvania)

Y’all. It’s snowing SO MUCH here in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, which is where I’m staying for the next week for my final (final???) grad school residency1. I’ve been driving this week, because the car rental is under my name and so I’m the only one who can drive the car, lol. Terror, for someone who’s lived in Brooklyn for over half a decade and doesn’t have a car.

But! That’s not why we’re here! We’re here for the Q&A! Carry on and read!

Welcome to the interview 🗣️

Kamilah Cole is the debut author of So Let Them Burn, a YA fantasy with dragons. The Jamaican-inspired story follows an ex-Chosen One as she has to choose between killing her sister and saving her country — and it sounds simply stunning. I am so eagerly anticipating, Jan. 16, when the book releases, and I just know I’m going to fall headfirst into a delicious, delightful world.

I was so delighted to get to do a Q&A with Kamilah to celebrate the book’s launch! It’s coming out about a week and change before the book does, so you’ve got plenty of time to stretch out your fingers and preorder2 the goodies3 and then settle in with a nice cup of tea, a blanket, and a splendid book. Let’s hear from Kamilah!

Karis Rogerson: How did you first get started writing & telling stories?

Kamilah Cole: I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. It feels like writing and reading went hand in hand for me; as soon as I learned how to read, I wanted to tell my own stories. I would steal paper out of the printer at school — not to date myself, but this was back when it was unusual to have a home computer — and then staple them together like a script and write and illustrate a story that took up the length of those pages. I wrote fanfiction. I carried a notebook for scribbling story ideas wherever I went. I started researching publishing. I was a very theatrical child, so it was always my dream to tell a story and force everyone to listen to it.

KR: Why do you write — like what drives you?

KC: I want to do for others what Black authors did for me. Tracy Deonn. Tomi Adeyemi. Kacen Callender. Ibi Zoboi. Reading their books made me feel seen, heard, and empowered to be the hero of my own story. These days, there are so many more books starring Black characters that were written by Black authors, but they still make up such a small percentage of the books being published every year. I write because I want to be a rung in the ladder that allows future generations of Black people to climb into a world where seeing themselves in books is expected — and not just in February but all year round.4

KR: Let’s chat about So Let Them Burn! What is your favorite thing about this book?

KC: My favorite part is definitely the dragons. I’ve loved dragons since I first read Eragon, but I was worried that readers would be tired of dragons by the time this book came out. I’m so relieved that that doesn’t seem to be the case!

KR: What is a secret dream that you have for this book (that you’re okay sharing)?

KC: I actually made a list of small author dreams after I got my book deal, and most of them have already come true. But my biggest, pie-in-the-sky dream that isn’t on the list is that somehow, some way, this book makes its way to Zendaya and she likes it. After all, her 2018 Met Gala outfit inspired it, and I’ve been a fan of hers since she was on the Disney Channel. As for my remaining small dream … I just can’t wait to see my book in a bookstore.

KR: Is there anything about So Let Them Burn that may surprise readers?

KC: I’ve seen a lot of people be surprised by the fact that in addition to regular dragons, the book features mecha dragons. To defend themselves from the dragon-riding empire of Langley, the island nation of San Irie built giant metal dragons, called drakes, to pilot into battle.

KR: What was the most challenging part of the publication process for this book?

KR: I think the most challenging part of all parts of traditional publishing is the waiting. I’ll have weeks where I don’t hear from my editors or my agent, plenty of time for my anxious brain to go, “Is the book doing well? Do they hate me? Oh, gosh, the book is going to flop and they hate me.” Then, suddenly, I’ll get four emails in a single day. The “hurry up and wait” of it all is really wild.

KR: Is there something you’re celebrating lately, and how are you celebrating it?

KC: I’m currently gearing up to celebrate my book launch. I have no idea how I’ll celebrate it, but there will probably be a vanilla ice cream cake involved. A fun fact about me is my idea of celebrating anything involves an ice cream cake or going to Red Lobster (because I love seafood).

KR: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

KC: Don’t self-reject! BIPOC writers are very familiar with how hostile the publishing sphere can be to us and our stories, and determination and spite can only carry us so far. There are times even I despair that things that seem to come so easily to other people are things I have to fight for, simply because my story is seen as worth “less” in a predominantly white publishing space. But you deserve to tell your story. Your voice matters, and it could change someone’s life. Don’t give up on yourself before you, and they, have the chance.

KR: Can you recommend 1-3 books you’ve read & loved recently?

KC: I read Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat, who I’ve been a fan of for years, and it altered my brain chemistry in all the best ways. I also loved The Borrow a Boyfriend Club by Page Powars and I Feed Her to the Beast, and the Beast is Me by Jamison Shea.

KR: Is there something else I should’ve asked that you’d like to answer?

KC: Can I give a shoutout to some upcoming 2024 releases? If anyone is looking for books to preorder besides So Let Them Burn (please preorder So Let Them Burn, I’m poor), I’d love to suggest The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin, Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova, Blood Justice by Terry J. Benton-Walker, We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim, Wrath of the Talons by Sophie Kim, The Loudest Silence by Sydney Langford, and Build a Girlfriend by Elba Luz.

Alla prossima 👋

That’s all for this week! I’m gonna spend the next week learning, writing, and giving a lecture (terror!).

There is still a genocide going on in Gaza, and Palestinians are being killed in extreme numbers. They’re being starved and bombarded and if you have a moment to call your reps and advocate for a ceasefire … you should do that.

Good-bye, friends. See ya next Sunday.