Hannah Dias (’12) to publish second children’s book related to diversity
By Rose Rementer
Imagine growing up in a world where you are constantly asked “What are you?” based simply on the color of your skin. For WKU alumna, Hannah Dias of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., it’s a reality she is all too familiar with.
“From the time I was very young, complete strangers would inquire about my ethnicity,” explained Dias. “As an adult, I learned this was something many other girls had struggled with whether they were mixed, Hispanic, African American, Indian, etc.”
It was a reality, however, that she never imagined for her own children.
“One day my oldest daughter and I were checking out at a store when the cashier looked at her and said, “She’s beautiful. What is she?” My daughter was 2 years old at this time and while I had gotten this question all my life, I had never had this question directed toward my daughter,” added Dias. “It was then that it hit me. She would be living her life hearing this question over and over again just like I had. My brain bulb flashed—someone should write a book about this—so I did. Also, just for kicks, I told the cashier she was part alien and part dinosaur,” laughed Dias.
With these experiences, Dias wrote and published her first children’s book, Beautiful, Wonderful, Strong Little Me in August 2017 through Eifrig Publishing.
“This book deals with a little girl named Lilly being asked the question 'What are you?' in reference to her skin color,” said Dias. “The book encourages kids to affirm and celebrate themselves inside and out. It’s important for kids to see themselves not just for their skin color.
Children should be recognized as being beautiful on the outside no matter their complexion. In addition, as adults we need to recognize them for their skills and inward strengths, and point out how beautiful those things are too.”
Her next book, Dazzling Travis, will be released in April 2019 through Cardinal Rule Press. The children’s picture book follows a boy named Travis who is different, filled with positive spirit and shows confidence in himself.
Dias’ journey to becoming a two-time published author wasn’t an easy path, which is why she encourages others to keep trying and be persistent.
“My rule of thumb is to submit a project 120 times before shelving it and moving on,” commented Dias. “Every 40 or so submissions, I took a step back and reevaluated the project to see if any changes should be made. Around submission number 100, in August of 2017, I received an email from Eifrig Publishing saying that they were interested in my manuscript. The rest is history.”
Besides being an author, Dias is also the co-owner and founder of the Collective Art School of Tennessee (CAST), a passion she discovered during her time on the Hill studying and graduating with a Musical Theatre degree.
“I fell in love with children’s theatre my senior year at WKU,” stated Dias. “However, at the time what I thought I wanted to do was perform for children. It wasn’t until after I graduated and got a job as a Director in North Texas Performing Arts that I fell in love with the other side of things and realized that teaching and directing children in theatre was where my heart lay.”
“After four years in Texas, we decided to make the move back to Tennessee,” she continued. “One of my coworkers from North Texas Performing Arts was also moving to Tennessee and it seemed like fate was bringing us together. We decided to open our own theatre for children in the Mt. Juliet area and opened the doors to CAST in the summer of 2017.”