Here’s a bit about me:
Born in Liberia, I was exposed to a culture of oral storytelling at a young age. After civil war afflicted my country in 1989, my family fled to Cote d’Ivoire where we lived for some time before emigrating to the Netherlands where I learned to stuff my klompen (wooden shoes) with carrots and developed a love for reading stories—especially the tales written by Roald Dahl. I wanted to climb inside his books and drink tea with Ms. Honey and Matilda, help Luke and his grandmother catch The Grand High Witch, and visit Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory with Charlie.
After living in the Netherlands for six years, my family relocated to America where I eventually pursued a liberal arts degree followed by graduate studies in teaching (K-5) at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, and then went on to teach preschool, pre-kindergarten, and first grade. During my work with children, I saw firsthand the power of storytelling—how it fuels curiosity, unleashes imagination, and settles the spirit. I taught for a few years, and then worked as an instructional designer for many years before meeting my agent, Sara Megibow of KT Literary, who sold my debut novel: The Leopard Behind the Moon. Other notable works include “There Flies the Witch” (Greenwillow Books, 2023) and a junior novel retelling of Marvel’s Black Panther and its sequel (Disney Publishing Worldwide).
Today, I live in Washington, DC, with my family. I enjoy drinking hot tea, taking family trips to the beach, taking walks, eating anything with chocolate, and daydreaming.
I’m represented by Sara Megibow of KT Literary.
Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev
(Mă-yonn) (Pass-sā-way Văl-chĕv)
Here’s a bit about me:
Born in Liberia, I was exposed to a culture of oral storytelling at a young age. After civil war afflicted my country in 1989, my family fled to Cote d’Ivoire where we lived for some time before emigrating to the Netherlands where I learned to stuff my klompen (wooden shoes) with carrots and developed a love for reading stories—especially the tales written by Roald Dahl. I wanted to climb inside his books and drink tea with Ms. Honey and Matilda, help Luke and his grandmother catch The Grand High Witch, and visit Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory with Charlie.
After living in the Netherlands for six years, my family relocated to America where I eventually pursued a liberal arts degree followed by graduate studies in teaching (K-5) at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, and then went on to teach preschool, pre-kindergarten, and first grade. During my work with children, I saw firsthand the power of storytelling—how it fuels curiosity, unleashes imagination, and settles the spirit. I taught for a few years, and then worked as an instructional designer for many years before meeting my agent, Sara Megibow of KT Literary, who sold my debut novel: The Leopard Behind the Moon. Other notable works include “There Flies the Witch” (Greenwillow Books, 2023) and a junior novel retelling of Marvel’s Black Panther and its sequel (Disney Publishing Worldwide).
Today, I live in Washington, DC, with my family. I enjoy drinking hot tea, taking family trips to the beach, taking walks, eating anything with chocolate, and daydreaming.
I’m represented by Sara Megibow of KT Literary.
Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev
(Mă-yonn) (Pass-sā-way Văl-chĕv)