National Book Award Finalist Shelia P. Moses will visit us to present and sign her books, which include We Were the Fire: Birmingham, 1963; Who is Ketanji Brown Jackson? and Who is Stacy Abrams?

In addition to the books she’s written for adults and children, Shelia P. Jackson is a historian, director, producer, curator, and playwright. Born the ninth of ten children in Rich Square, North Carolina, the Shaw University graduate spent the last thirty years telling stories about the African American experience.

Shelia is best known for her National Book Award-Nominated novel, The Legend of Buddy Bush and Dick Gregory’s memoir, Callus on My Soul. Her novel, I, Dred Scott, was named Georgia Book of The Year and “Joseph” was nominated for the NAACP Image Award in 2009. Shelia has authored twenty-five books, including, The Baptism, The Sittin’Up, The Return of Buddy Bush, Sallie Gal, Dark Girls, I’m A Grady Baby, A Price Was Paid: The History of W.S. Creecy School and Joseph’s Grace. Her most recent books are We Were the Fire: Birmingham,1963, Who is Ketanji Brown Jackson? and Who Is Stacey Abrams?

Shelia’s first picture book for children, Sharing the Dream, will be released in 2025 along with her adult picture book, Black and Beautiful: A Photographic Story of the African Americans Family during Slavery, Reconstruction, The Civil Rights Movement and Today. She is also a member of a small group of writers at Penguin Random House, called Persisterhood, who have authored books for Chelsea Clinton’s She Persisted series. Her first 2025 release for this series is She Persisted: Opal Lee.

Shelia is currently writing a screenplay adapted from her book, We Were the Fire: Birmingham, 1963 and curating an exhibit adapted from her upcoming book, Black and Beautiful. She lives in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia.