Cindy Pon

Cindy Pon is an accomplished author, known for her work in young adult fantasy novels with strong heroines in ancient Chinese settings. She has written several series, including the Want series, of which Want is the first book, and the Serpentine series, which includes Serpentine and Sacrifice. Additionally, she penned the Kingdom of Xia (Phoenix) series.

Beyond her writing, Pon is an American author of Taiwanese descent who is passionate about promoting diversity in literature. She is the co-founder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and serves on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Pon's commitment to diversity is also reflected in her writing, which often features diverse characters and settings.

Pon's work has received critical acclaim and numerous accolades. Her novel Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow) was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association’s Booklist and one of 2009’s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA. Her most recent duology Serpentine and Sacrifice (Month9Books) were both Junior Library Guild selections and received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal. WANT (Simon Pulse), a near-future thriller set in Taipei, was also a Junior Library Guild selection and received positive reviews.

In addition to her writing, Pon is a Chinese brush painting student of over a decade. She is also an advocate for representation and diversity in literature and is committed to promoting these values through her work and advocacy. Readers can learn more about Pon and her art at her website, which is a valuable resource for those interested in her work and her advocacy for diversity in literature.