Hohn has written seven books and contributed to three anthologies and various newspapers and magazines with more content on the way. Her primary goal is to publish books for the younger generation so they can stay connected and learn more about the origins of their parents and grandparents. But, she also wants everyone to feel represented.

“Seeing their cultural elements in print legitimizes their culture, gives them a space of their own and helps them see themselves from a positive perspective. But on the other hand, non-Black kids could also learn and be part of other cultural experiences,” says Hohn.

The long path to writing

Hohn was a creative girl who was fond of drawing, playing the piano and reading stories at a very young age. She would actively search for books that had Black characters or were written by Black people. “There were very few books about Black culture, if at all. So, if there was a Black person in a book, it was a big deal,” she recalls.

Hohn started her writing career when she was in grade three. She encountered prejudice and racism throughout her school. “I was teased a lot for my facial features, skin colour and hair,” she says.

She believes that her artistic talent, a shortage of books with Black characters, and the traumatic experiences from her earlier years had an overarching impact on her writing career. In addition, getting diagnosed with cancer in 2011 was a significant turning point in her career.

“When I was diagnosed with cancer, my biggest regret was never publishing a book. So, I began a life-long commitment to publishing my books,” Hohn confirms.

Finding her voice

As a teacher, Hohn wanted more stories to have Black representation. So, she decided to write those stories herself. As a result, her books are primarily aimed at children and young adults.

“I can connect with the voice of young people thanks to my background in teaching children who are Black or biracial,” explains Hohn as she discusses her reasons for focusing on children and young adults.

Hohn's first books, Music in the Sankofa and Media in the Sankofa, were published in 2015. Then in 2016, her first picture book, Malaika's Costume (part of the Malaika Series), which celebrates the story of immigration to Canada through family and Carnival, followed. The other books in the series are Malaika's Winter Carnival and Malaika's Surprise. Malaika, Carnival Queen, is due for release in 2023.

Recognition, praise, and rewards

In 2018, Hohn was awarded the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Writers’ Award. Malaika's Costume also received a few awards, including:

• Helen Isobel Sissons Canadian Children's Story Award (2014)
• The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario Children’s Literature Award (2016)

The book was listed as an outstanding international book by the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) in 2017 and received an Americas Award Honour the same year, which Hohn received at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

Malaika's Costume was also selected for the 2021 TD Grade One Book Giveaway—the annual prize that distributes one Canadian picture book to all first graders (over 550,000 copies) across Canada. In its 20-year history, Hohn is the first Black author to have her book selected for this award. Malaika’s Costume Float was also in the 2021 Santa Claus Parade.

“This was a huge honour for me because I've specialized in teaching grade one students, and my book was the first of its kind to receive this honour,” explains Hohn.

Malaika's Winter Carnival was also nominated as an outstanding international book by the USBBY in 2018. Malaika's Surprise was nominated for a 2022 Blue Spruce Award by the Ontario Library Association (OLA) Forest of Reading Awards. It was one of the 10 picture books nominated for that award, and Hohn was one of the three Black authors with Forest of Reading Award-Nominated books.

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Writing about the challenges that children face

Hohn has just completed her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and teaches writing for children courses to adults at post-secondary institutions. All topics, including the taboo ones, are fair game for children's books. What ultimately matters is how the books are written.

“These are real issues that children are experiencing. We can't run or hide from them. We must know how to discuss tough topics with children. We have to listen to them, honour their experiences, and broach the subjects wisely," explains Hohn.

She believes that her experience of working with children gave her the gift of talking about challenging issues like immigration, family separation, having a family member in prison, identity, and many more that significantly impact children’s development and the community as a whole.

Hohn's preferred method of discussing complicated subjects is to start with something children like and then appropriately drop in little hints. This can take the form of an illustration or a pictorial book.

While discussing what to consider when writing for Black children, Hohn borrows a quote from Dr. Rudine Bishop about mirrors, windows, and sliding doors. “My books provide Black children with a mirror to see their reflections, yet the books also act as a window for other children to look through. They also act as a sliding door so that children can enter and interact with the world,” explains Hohn.

Advice to aspiring Black authors of children’s books

Hohn invites aspiring authors to read other children’s books and learn about the latest trends. Learn as much as possible about the industry, get to know other authors, and take classes. Though the path to getting published is slow, Hohn encourages aspiring authors to stay resilient.

“Learn about the craft and provide enough time for editing and collecting feedback so you can put together the best possible book. Don't rush the process for the sake of putting something out there. Traditional publishing is slow and methodical, but you will have a better product that will sell better.”

Hohn’s ultimate goal is to do everything she can to continue writing her books. She has two books planned for next year and is also working on plays. She encourages readers to follow her on Instagram and sign up for her fall course at the University of Toronto, Introduction to Writing for Children.