Guest Post by author Christina Matula
Becoming a writer was not something I dreamt about while growing up. My parents guided me into the path of math and science so I could get a good, stable job, which for them was of paramount importance like it was for many immigrants of their generation. Writing is something I fell into accidentally, but it’s something I cannot imagine not doing now that I’m here.
Growing up in suburban Ottawa, I felt like I was one of the few Asian kids at my school, let alone the only mixed one. Although I had a huge extended family on my Taiwanese side (20+ first cousins!), I spent a lot of my childhood shying away from this part of my heritage. Perhaps it’s because I wanted to be the same as everyone else. Perhaps it’s because no one in the books I read looked anything like me. Perhaps it’s because I knew I would never have what it took to be a heroine in a teen novel – blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. (I’m looking at you Sweet Valley High!).
It wasn’t until I moved to Hong Kong in my 30s that I really started to embrace my heritage. I had always felt a bit guilty about not speaking Chinese – I refused to attend Chinese Saturday school when I was younger – so when I found an intensive Mandarin program at the local university, I jumped at the chance. In learning the language, I also learned more about Chinese culture and customs. I developed a newfound appreciation of the food, festivals, and folktales. It was an epiphany for me, a new window into my heritage.
A while back, my daughter was celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival in school. It’s the second biggest festival in Chinese culture after Lunar New Year. I tried to find a picture book about the legend behind the festival to read with her, but couldn’t find anything. So, on a whim, I decided to write one myself!
My writing journey was not typical. I linked with fantastic illustrator Pearl Law and self-published the book in Hong Kong. Shortly after, I attended a writing workshop given by visiting author Susan Blumberg-Kason (@Susan_BK). She was so kind with her encouragement and generously introduced me to her agent, the fabulous Carrie Pestritto (@literarycarrie). The book was soon picked up by Charlesbridge and my debut picture book will be launched in the US and Canada this summer!
The Shadow in the Moon is about two sisters listening to their grandmother tell them the tale of Hou Yi and Chang’e, the archer and the Lady in the Moon, and how the Mid-Autumn Festival came to be.
View the trailer premiere here!
I love that I’ve been able to share a little piece of myself and my heritage through this book. I hope that young readers will be able to see themselves and their families in the book, regardless of their background. And I hope that I can continue to share my passion for writing stories that are a reflection of the people who may read them.
Shadow in the Moon {ISBN: 978-1-58089-746-4} will be available on July 17. Preorder your copy from Charlesbridge Publishing today!
Author Christina Matula
Christina Matula is a Canadian author living in Hong Kong with her family. She is a Board Member of Bring Me A Book HK, which is a non-profit organization that encourages families to read aloud together and provides quality books to under-served communities.
She is also the author of two stories that have been set to music composed by Alexis Alrich and turned into chamber music concerts for children, Both concerts feature western and Chinese classical instruments, and were commissioned by Premiere Performances of Hong Kong.
You can find Christina on
Website: www.christinamatula.com
Twitter @christinaaa_hk
Instagram: christinamatula
Facebook: @christinamatulaauthor
