Meet The Author
Casey Elisha is a London based author, writer and theatre producer. She self-published her most popular title, Love Thy Fro, in December 2015 which she went on to adapt into a sold out children’s musical. Serving as producer and co-writer, the show debuted at Theatre Peckham where it played during Black History Month in 2018 and 2019.
Recognising the lack of representation in publishing, Casey aims to diversify the scope of children’s literature by creating and promoting literary content that encourages, empowers and inspires. Her titles include My Mummy is Superwoman, My Daddy Does, My Empowerment Journal and I Can Be That Too which was released alongside a colouring workbook. Most recently, Casey wrote a collection of phonics books for Pearson including the Shola and Tate series as well as adaptations of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.
Casey promotes the importance of inclusive, accurate representation in children’s literature by curating spaces and experiences. Her I Am Festival in 2016 and 2018 allowed children to feel seen and be inspired. She also runs workshops at schools, both in-person and virtually, which are available to book here.
Casey is a true believer that #ItTakesOneBook to change a child’s life, and so launched this hashtag on World Book Day in 2021 to emphasise how crucial reading is. Keen to also encourage the next generation of writers, she created the I Am Short Story Competition which gave young writers aged 9-18 years old the opportunity to tell stories that reflected their experiences, their truths and their reality. The winning stories were published in a compilation book, I Am… Short Stories, with the top three entrants winning cash prizes sponsored by Jacaranda Books, Knights Of and the Bella and Logan series.
Casey has spoken about self-publishing and representation at a number of events and podcasts, including Shades of Beauty Live, Dope Black Dads and Black Girl Fest x Becoming Festival. Realising how often people would approach her for advice, Casey collated this advice into a self-help guide called #BeBold: So You Want To Self-Publish A Book, which supports new writers as they navigate the first steps of self publishing.
As is her mindset, Casey continues to #BeBold with her creative pursuits. Her success in self-publishing has reinforced the belief that you should not shy away from anything because if you don't try, you won't know!