This interview originally appeared in the May/June 2025 Horn Book Magazine as part of the Publishers’ Previews: Diverse Books, an advertising supplement that allows participating publishers a chance to each highlight a book from its current list. They choose the books; we ask the questions.

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In At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom, two-time Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly documents the life and times of a Filipina heroine of WWII.

Photo: Matt Godfrey Photo.

1. What has writing fiction taught you about writing nonfiction?

The goal is to tell a good story, whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction. From a craft perspective, they have a lot in common. Both need to be well paced, with strong character development and a solid emotional core.

2. And what did you have to “unlearn”?

When writing fiction, you rely on your imagination to conjure an interesting narrative. When writing nonfiction, you use your imagination to craft an interesting narrative. It’s like building a house with someone else’s blueprints.

3. How did the boxed historical information arise from the main narrative?

In nonfiction — particularly historical nonfiction — readers need context that may not fit organically in the prose. The boxed historical information gives readers a bigger picture, which helps them understand the person in the center.

4. Joey Guerrero was guided by her strong Catholic faith. What guides you?

I want to add value, love, and light to the world, whatever that looks like. When people interact with me — whether through a book or face-to-face; whether they’re my family or a stranger — I want them to feel better than they did before I entered the room. That’s what guides me.

5. Newbery speech ready for The First State of Being?

Yes! Believe it or not, I love public speaking. I never thought I would. When I was a freshman in high school, I wanted to be on the speech team. I even memorized a monologue from Butterflies Are Free. As each person got on stage to give their monologue, I looked down at my trembling hands and thought, I’ll never be brave enough to do this. And I quietly slipped out before it was my turn. I kept a printout of that monologue for years before I threw it away. My freshman self would be very proud of me today.

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