#north of happy

¡Qué bonita bandera! AKA what heritage(s) do you claim?

Mexican and Israeli, but also Bulgarian and Syrian and who knows what before that. 

When was the first time you saw yourself represented?

It’s hard to pinpoint, because of all the little facets of my background. The first time I read about a Mexican with a varied background was in the book Mexican High by Liza Monroy, which was inspired by the international school I attended. I read it in college and didn’t love it, but it’s the first concrete memory I have of kids like me who find it hard what to call themselves or answer ‘where are you from?’ only to get a repeat follow-up with added emphasis on the 'from.’

How do you connect to your heritage through your books (if at all)?

I like to try to write about people that are not just one thing, ethnically or culturally, since so few of the people I grew up with fit into a neat box in that regard. Just like in most regards, we are multi-faceted, and I want my books to reflect that. 

What do you hope for the future of Latinx books?

Ubiquitous representation. I want Latinx kids to be able to see themselves in literature as widely as white children do, reflected not in stereotypes but in varied, nuanced, and informed ways.

What is the book that inspired you to write for kids/teens?

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert

What are you writing now?

I’m kind of working on three books right now, all in different stages. The one that is releasing soonest isBrief Chronicle of Another Stupid Heartbreak,which is about a teen girl who writes an online love column until she gets dumped and is struck by writer’s block.

Adi Alsaid was born and raised in Mexico City. He is the author of Let’s Get Lost, Never Always Sometimes, and North of Happy. He really loves the idea of a funny bio, but keeps failing to write one. He now lives and writes in his hometown.

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