about the author

Layla Fallah is a Kurdish author, artist, and advocate for diverse storytellers.

An active member of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA), Layla is the literary assistant to agents Emily Forney and James McGowan at BookEnds Literary Agency, where they support 100+ clients, including award-winning, critically-acclaimed, and bestselling authors and illustrators.

In addition to their role at BookEnds, Layla co-directs the PB Rising Stars Mentorship, a program dedicated to mentoring emerging authors and illustrators from historically excluded communities. In all things, Layla is wholeheartedly committed to breaking down barriers in publishing and creating space for diverse voices.

Layla creates for the young readers who ran out of choose-your-own-adventure books and began inventing their own paths, writing everything from picture books to young adult novels so that dreamers of all ages can find themselves somewhere in the pages.

When her pen is at rest, you can find Layla painting Kurdistan, planting seeds, or collecting picture books from the public library.