About me…

Hey there! I’m Zoelle Bellitto (she/they) and I’m an aspiring YA author and illustrator. I’m a current grad student at Hollins University about halfway through my studies as a Children’s book author/Illustrator.
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I graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN with a double degree in English Creative Writing and Religious Studies. Both of them I took for the joy of learning and creating and I firmly believe they are some of the best programs at Mac.
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Since then I’ll admit to being a bit at a loss. I was burnt out and had finished my degrees in the midst of COVID. I thought I was done with higher education. But as is the case with many creatives little ideas for stories started to run across my mind, teasing my sleep and twitching my fingers.
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Most of these ideas I found to be perfect for a YA or NA audience; stories about stubborn girls and emotional boys, stories about people looking for community and direction like I was.
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That’s when I restumbled upon the Children’s Lit and Illustration program at Hollins. It was perfect. It mixed the art which I’d done since I was a child and the writing that I’d fallen in love with in high school. And unlike many other programs was designed to teach you to write for young people. Since starting I’ve found the students kind and the professors passionate. There’s very little more I could ask for.
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—Zoelle Bellitto