BIO

Kinya Shakur Travis is a writer of sci-fi and fantasy for a young adult audience. Her stories accentuate girl power featuring black, female protagonists. Growing up, Kinya indulged in these genres, but she’s never had the opportunity to see much of herself within them or in the mainstream media.

After receiving her Bachelor’s degree, Kinya lived in New York City performing in the theater, films, and commercials, but she found a better fit behind the camera, producing and starring in her own short film. She is the author of Victorianne Phoenix is a Real Princess. Touched by the impact her book has had on black and brown girls, Kinya was motivated to hone & expand her writing skills for entertainment as well as educational purposes by obtaining her Masters in Creative Writing.

Kinya writes for the youth because she believes transformation & change comes from nurturing the seeds. She appreciates the work her parents put into her, by building a connection to her African & Native American ancestry; and insists it aided in her self-worth. Today, educating her children about their heritage & encouraging respect for others is a priority. Writing allows Kinya to connect her people to their culture on a larger scale; & makes her contribution to world change, seem more probable.

 “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”  – Toni Morrison