Newbery Medalist and Newbery Honor recipient Kwame Alexander, author of more than 45 books, is embarking on a new chapter in his creative journey. Spring 2027 will mark the debut of his eponymous imprint at Sourcebooks, which will publish picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult books, encompassing projects by Alexander and works by emerging and established authors. Kwame Alexander Books will also serve as a platform for discovering and mentoring new voices, per the announcement.

The imprint’s early lists reflect the breadth of its offerings. Titles include a paranormal YA novel by Lola StVil; a middle grade horror novel from Marie Arnold; a YA thriller-in-verse by Carnegie Medalist Sarah Crossan; a picture book by Laura Mucha that presents a fractured fairy tale celebrating reading; a middle grade adventure by Laura Rocha inspired by Mexican folklore; and a keepsake edition of Alexander’s own inspirational 2025 book for adults, Say Yes, originally published by Andrews McMeel.

Due in fall 2027 is the cornerstone of the imprint, the as-yet-untitled fourth novel in Alexander’s middle grade series that began with the 2015 Newbery Medal–winning The Crossover (Clarion) and has sold more than two million copies worldwide. In 2023, the author won a Children’s and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Young Teen Series for the Disney+ television adaptation of The Crossover (for which he served as writer, executive producer, and showrunner).

Alexander recalled a propitious anecdote about being a guest on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert after receiving that award. “He asked me if winning an Emmy was a dream come true, and I said ‘no,’ because that was never a dream of mine,” the author told PW. “I’ve started dreaming bigger these days, and starting Kwame Alexander Books is definitely the result of that new envisaging.”

A collaborative mission

There are many hands on deck as Kwame Alexander Books sets sail.

“We have a robust team for the imprint,” said Jenne Abramowitz, editorial director of Sourcebooks Fire, Young Readers, and Jabberwocky, who worked closely with Alexander to develop the first lists. Also contributing to the imprint are editorial director Elise McMullen-Ciotti, who joined Sourcebooks this week from Lee & Low; and Margaret Raymo, editor-at-large, most recently executive editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

“The four of us, along with publishing director Jennifer Gonzalez, look at every potential project together to ensure each one speaks to the imprint’s goal of publishing bold voices and fostering community,” Abramowitz said. “We aim to publish across all age levels and genres. Anything goes, so long as it speaks to us and we see the audience that wants it. We view publishing as a team sport, so the work is very collaborative and open.”

Abramowitz estimated that Kwame Alexander Books will publish 12–18 books a year. She noted that Alexander, who is writing two of the 2027 releases, “will also be workshopping concepts for other authors via packaging and entertainment companies. So, I’d say that 10–15% of the list will come from Kwame in some form.”

This is not Alexander’s first association with an imprint. In 2018, he curated the launch list for the Versify imprint at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, now under HarperCollins Children’s Books, but the author currently has no involvement with Versify.

Alexander is eager to introduce his eponymous imprint to readers—and thankful for the timing of its launch.

“The world right now seems akin to a garden that has not been attended to so well, and it needs clearing and enrichment,” he said. “I’ve always believed it is my calling to create a literature that builds and restores. I want this imprint to breathe new life, to help young and old readers bring this space we call home back to life. That sounds ambitious and audacious I’m sure, but I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to continue planting seeds of better change.”