Okie Craft: An Interview with Mariana Llanos
The Okie Craft Series focuses on the Oklahoma writing life. We interview writers across the state about their writing practice and about what it means to be part of the Oklahoma literary community.
We asked writer, translator, and educator Mariana Llanos about her work. Here’s what she said.
You can also read one of her poems “Invisible Children,” which was first published in Poetry Magazine Young People’s Edition 2021
How has working in Oklahoma influenced your writing?
Oklahoma is home to me, and being able to represent it and pour my talents here is a privilege that I don’t take for granted. Oklahoma has such a diverse culture reflected in the population, food, music scene, etc., but not many people outside the state see it. As an immigrant from Peru, I am often asked “Why Oklahoma?” and my answer is that this is a great state to call home.
Winning the Oklahoma Book Award twice with books rooted in Peruvian culture was something that I didn’t expect, but made me feel validated in my conviction that people from Oklahoma appreciate the rich melting pot we are.
What/who are your biggest influences? Literary or otherwise.
I grew up in Peru, so most of my earlier literary influences come from Latin American literature. I grew up reading Vallejo, Neruda, Abraham Valdelomar, Garcia Marques, Cortazar among others. I read lots of classic literature translated into Spanish. Shakespeare was one of my favorites. My grandmother loved poetry and I think it’s because of her that I love it too. Both my parents were journalists, avid readers, and writers. I consider them my biggest influences because they allowed a very young Mariana to explore their bookshelves without any restrictions. They allowed me to fall in love with literature.
What is the best advice you have for young writers?
Don’t compare yourself to others. And I say this from experience. I started writing as a child, but what kept me from pursuing a writing career was my fabricated fears of not being “as good as x writer”. The trick is to find your own voice, and you only do that by writing and reading lots.
What (if any) are a writer’s responsibilities to the place(s) they call home?
I don’t think there’s a responsibility, but there’s always something that pulls you towards it. I explore my Peruvian culture and identity in my writing, not as an obligation, but as something that resonates with me. At the same time, I’m not only Peruvian, I’m a mom, a woman, a music lover, an Oklahoman, among many other roles…there are so many facets of me that I like exploring. The challenge, though, especially with immigrant writers or writers who write across cultures is to not get pigeonholed into one category. It has happened often, when I’ve seen that my books are placed under a “multicultural” or “foreign” label. I disagree with this, as I think that books like mine touch on universal themes, seasoned with culture. They belong on the main shelves.
You do a lot of work in education through school visits. Would you tell us about how your literary work and your education work come together?
Visiting schools is part of my work as an author. I have developed a program for school visits where I merge my books with other informational and fun activities. My purpose is to celebrate reading and writing by helping children associate books with fun, uplifting, interesting moments. Then, hopefully, they will pick up a book to read on their own, or be inspired to write their own stories. I have had students tell me that they don’t like reading at all, but after my visit they were willing to try. I don’t know if they did it or not, but I love to think that they did. Other kids, the ones who are artistically inclined, feel validated after a visit with an author. It can be life changing for many of them.
Tell us about your writing practice. Do you have a favorite time to write or a favorite place? Where do you find ideas for your stories?
I usually write when I’m alone at home during the day. I need time and space to pace, read out loud, stare out the window, listen to music, daydream, etc. Ideas for stories usually pop up unannounced in my head. I let them simmer for a while, until they are ready to be delivered on paper with some sort of structure. I am very much a panster. The only time I plan is when I write for the educational market, and I have to show the editors a summary of my story before it's written. Some other times I have started a story with only a character and a purpose. I let the character unravel its story on its own. The character guides me and reveals what it has to say. When I’m not feeling too productive I try to write at least a short poem, to keep my brain inspired.
When you write, do you have a specific audience in mind? Who do you imagine reading your work when you sit down at your desk?
Yes, I usually write for children, so that’s my main audience, but sometimes I don’t know if it will be a picture book, a novel or anything else. For example, when I set out to write my Vampirita and the Angry Mob book, I began only with the character and the situation– she was a Peruvian vampire who had moved to Sunny California and didn’t like it. At that moment I thought it would be a picture book. But when I finished the first draft I realized that it was a young middle grade novel (chapter book for independent readers). I wanted to develop the story further and there were many more situations that I wanted to explore in a humorous way. It became my first chapter book series! Now there are two Vampirita books with a third one set out to release in the Spring of 2027.
How does bilingualism and biculturalism shape the characters you write and the stories you tell?
I don’t do it on purpose, but most of my characters are rooted in bilingualism and biculturalism. It has become part of my voice. I also think it’s important to represent who I am at the core and bring that example to children. Children appreciate when they see themselves represented, but also, children who do not come from bilingual homes appreciate the fact that they are learning something and the world is opened in front of them.
You are one of the co-founders of LatinxPitch. Would you tell us about your work with the organization?
We started LatinxPitch 5 years ago, after a literary agent posted on Twitter (now X) that there were not enough Latino writers in the U.S. Obviously it was an inaccurate statement. From that moment on, a group of 12 writers of Latino origin– including me– decided to offer a once a year virtual event to connect Latino creators with editors and agents with the goal of having more representation in the industry. The Latino experience is grossly underrepresented and misrepresented in the children’s literature field. During these years, we helped multiple writers connect with editors and publishing houses, resulting in book deals in different genres. With all the changes in social media we decided to make the event biannual and host it on our website instead of the social media platform. We should have one this year, and we’ll see how it goes. A lot of people are discouraged with the current state of the publishing industry, the book bans, the division, etc, etc. It has taken a toll on us, but I still feel determined to bridge a gap and help wherever I can.
In addition to your own writing, you do work in translation. Do you find your work as a translator influences your work as a writer?
It’s incredible how much I learn about writing when I translate other books. Especially the ones that are really well written. I enjoy translating, and I’ve learned things about my own abilities that I didn’t know. I have been able to translate rhyming books in English, for example, into rhyming books in Spanish. I never thought I’d be able to do it, but it was a challenge that I was glad to take. It also brings me personal joy when books I’ve translated do well with readers. I have worked on In Every Life (En cada vida) by Marla Frazee which won a Caldecott medal, and Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa (Alberto Salas juega a la paka paka con la papa) by Sara A. Fajardo, who won a Sibert medal. I also work with publishing houses by proofreading the work of other translators.
Do you read your books to your children and if so, do they have a favorite?
My children have always been my first readers. My oldest boys are busy with school and work, so now it’s rare if they listen to my stories before they are published. But my youngest daughter (who is also an artist, a musician and songwriter) does hear my first drafts and gives me feedback. I just LOVE seeing my kids’ eyes sparkle with pride when they see another of my books published. It’s an incomparable feeling.
Invisible Children
By Mariana Llanos,
first published in Poetry Magazine Young People’s Edition 2021
Invisible children fall
through the cracks of the system
like Alice in the rabbit hole.
But these children won’t find
an eat-me-cake or a drink-me-bottle.
They won’t wake up on the lap
of a loving sister.
They’ll open their eyes on the hand
of a monster called Negligence
who’ll poke them with its sharp teeth
and bait them with its heartless laughter,
like a wild thing in a wild rumpus.
But the children won’t awake
to the smell of a warm supper
nor they’ll find a purple crayon
to draw an escape door or a window.
Instead they’ll make a mirror
of a murky puddle on the city street
which won’t tell them they’re beautiful
but it’ll show their scars, as invisible to others
as these children are.
Mariana Llanos is an award-winning writer, poet, translator, and teaching artist from Lima, Peru. In 2024 her picture book Benita and the Night Creatures/Benita y las criaturas nocturnas received a Pura Belpre Honor (American Library Association) and was the winner of the Oklahoma Book Award in the children’s category. She’s also the author of the 2022 Oklahoma Book Award winner Run Little Chaski/Corre Pequeño Chaski! And several other titles. Her latest published work is the chapter book series Vampirita. She’s a co-founder of LatinxPitch, a virtual event that boosts the representation of Latino creatives in the children’s publishing industry and co-chair of the Latino Committee for the Firehouse Arts Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Mariana is also a recipient of an Arts in Education Award at the 46th Oklahoma Governor's Arts Awards. In addition to writing and translating, Mariana is an experienced speaker who visits schools regularly. She resides in Oklahoma City with her children.
