Local Author Spotlight: Sharon Flake

By Emily King

Decades After her Debut Novel, Sharon Flake is Still Helping Kids Feel Seen

Pittsburgh author Sharon Flake released the second book of her three-book children’s series, Hattie Mae Begins Again, on January 13, 2026. The series chronicles the adventures and challenges of young Hattie Mae, who leaves home to attend an elite boarding school in Philadelphia. Her rural southern upbringing makes her feel like an outsider among the upper-society girls at Miss Abigail’s School for Exceptional Young Ladies. In this coming-of-age story perfect for readers aged 8-12, Hattie Mae learns the importance of following her dreams and finding confidence in yourself.

Sharon Flake has published over a dozen books, and she is a three-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning author. Her critically acclaimed first novel, The Skin I’m In, has been translated into several languages, with over 1.5 million copies in circulation around the world. Decades after it was first published, it is still a staple in many school libraries and curriculums. 

Flake’s penchant for capturing the attention of the young reader isn’t a mystery—she writes with truth and honesty that allows teens and tweens to recognize themselves in her beloved characters. She exposes their faults, mistakes, and missteps, as well as their truths and triumphs. 

Books and storytelling play an essential role in the life of a young person grappling with all the complex emotions, relationships, and identity issues that are so common in those years between childhood and adulthood. 

“Young people will not always share what they feel or think, not even with educators or parents.  But they may feel comfortable turning to a trusted friend or a good book for some of what they need,” says Flake. “Books do not criticize. They do not care about a person’s zip code, race, or reading level.”

This is especially true for children who don’t always see themselves represented in the pages of a book.

“I wrote my first novel The Skin I’m In because of my beautiful dark-skinned daughter, Brittney,” she says. 

Flake’s stories always have undercurrents of larger social issues, whether that’s race, socioeconomic differences, self-esteem, bullying. But her characters, like real life kids, are also living everyday life, experiencing their first crush, joking with friends, dreaming of the future, all the things that happen while boys and girls are coming of age, learning the hard lessons, sometimes without even realizing it. 

“The young people in my novels matter most, the communities they live in and the adults who show up for them, all drive the story,” she says.

Though Flake grew up in Philadelphia, she has called Pittsburgh her home for decades. A University of Pittsburgh alum, she spent her years after college working at a youth shelter and then with kids in the foster system. She eventually ended up back at Pitt, serving as Director of Public Relations for Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. The Skin I’m In was published in 1998, beginning her career as a professional writer. Flake credits the Steel City with giving her the freedom and support to help her flourish as a writer.

“I get a lot of support here from writers, Indie bookstore owners, the Carnegie Library and its staff, and everyday people who stop me on the street. My work has been embedded in curriculums at churches and synagogues, at public, charter, and home schools, and universities from Pitt to Duquesne. The Pittsburgh Foundation gave me grants to write and stage The Skin I’m In as a play. I feel very fortunate to have lived in this city and received such support,” she says. 

Recently, the University of Pittsburgh acquired Flake’s manuscripts, notebooks, letters, PR materials, and photographs to be archived within the University’s Library System. Her archives will be preserved and shared with scholars, instructors, students, and anyone interested in studying her work for decades to come. 

To learn more about Sharon Flake, visit www.sharongflake.com.