Pura Belpré gold medalist author Yamile Saied Méndez to speak at Park City Library

The Park City Library will host Argentine American author Yamile Saied Méndez Monday evening at 5 p.m. for a free community event that will explore her writing journey and celebrate the power of storytelling.

Saied Méndez is an accomplished author of picture books, children’s literature, young adult novels and adult romance. She is best known for “Furia,” her critically acclaimed Young Adult novel that earned the prestigious Pura Belpré Gold Medal, awarded to works that best portray the Latine cultural experience in children’s literature. Her stories often reflect themes of identity, resilience and belonging, drawing on her upbringing in Argentina and her life as an immigrant in the United States.

Born in Rosario, Argentina — the same city, she proudly points out, as soccer legend Lionel Messi — Saied Méndez came to Utah at 19 to study international economics with an emphasis in Latin American Studies originally intending to become a diplomat. 

After college, Saied Méndez put her love of languages to use and worked for several years as a translator and interpreter, having studied Italian and Portuguese in addition to French. Still, she said, her first and deepest passion was always books and storytelling.

While raising her children, she returned to school and went on to earn an MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, building the craft and community that would fuel her career.

Since then, she has published more than a dozen titles across age groups and genres. Her bestselling picture book “Where Are You From?” published in 2019 continues to resonate with readers exploring questions of home and heritage. For Scholastic, Saied Méndez has written middle grade adventures such as “Blizzard Besties” — set during a family ski trip in Utah — and “Wish Upon a Stray,” which follows a girl from Argentina adjusting to life in the U.S. She often credits her own immigrant experience and her family’s stories as inspiration.

At the library event, Saied Méndez will share her personal writing journey, reflecting on the challenges and triumphs that shaped her voice. Through stories and readings from her published works, she will highlight how books can serve as bridges of cultural connection and self-discovery. The talk will be followed by a Q&A session and book signing.

Saied Méndez said she hopes to connect with aspiring authors and those simply curious about the publishing process, noting that many people dream of writing a book but don’t know where to begin.

“I’ve been in the industry for a long time, and I’ll be happy to answer questions,” she said. “Please write all the books. We need everybody to tell their stories.”

For more information and to stay up to date on future events, see parkcitylibrary.org.

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