Kia DuPree

Kia DuPree grew up in Southeast, Washington, D.C. in one of the poorest areas of the city with her mom, six of her seven brothers and with one of her two sisters. Yes, she comes from a big family. But it is from this very background where Kia pulls many of her story ideas. This former college English instructor loves to explore the complex relationships between families in her writing. She received the Fiction Honor Book Award from the Black Caucus of American Library Association for her debut novel Robbing Peter in 2005, a story whose theme centers around fatherless households. Kia’s short story, “Lost One”, was included in national bestselling author Shannon Holmes’ anthology Hood 2 Hood, in 2008. She received a B.A. in Mass Media Arts from Hampton University, an M.A in English from Old Dominion University and a Professional Studies Publishing Certificate from New York University. Kia lives in Washington, D.C. with her family.