Anita Crawford Clark is a writer and illustrator of fiction and nonfiction books for children. She is an inaugural recipient of the SCBWI OMA (Out from the Margins) Award for her manuscript of her debut picture book, OLD TO JOY, which released on September 5, 2023.

 

A veteran K-12 teacher, she especially enjoys directing musical theatre productions and sharing tips on keeping our brains healthy. Anita states that artistic expression and storytelling always seemed like DNA traits that went hand in hand. Everyone in the family were natural storytellers.  But according to her aunt, Dr. Margaret Washington of Cornell University, Anita’s artistic talent came from being born with an individually creative soul and with an infectious happiness about ostensibly mundane experiences. Perhaps those combined qualities led Anita into developing her thoughtful reflections and artistic depictions celebrating ordinary Black life and culture.  Anita’s art focuses on the heart and soul of Black culture, community, and daily life.

 

While at first glance, her compositions seem germane to Black culture, it is representative of human qualities of any culture – love, fear, heartbreak, loss, grief, joy, hope, faith, etc. The athlete in Anita enjoys shooting hoops. The musician in her enjoys playing the drums, piano, and banjo. The cook in her enjoys treasured family recipes such as Gumbo, sweet potato pie, and too many others to list.