Jessica Dunrod

Jessica Dunrod is a Cardiff writer and linguist and believed to be the first Black children’s author born in Wales. She has also set up her own translation services, Ambassadora and Lily Translates, under which, formed the official Welsh translation of "Black Author" and "Black Journalist".

Becoming an author wasn't something Jessica planned to do. It was a comment from Welsh historian Abu-Bakr Madden Al-Shabazz about the lack of Black writers that inspired Jessica to begin writing children’s books- creating characters and stories which promote and celebrate Wales’ multicultural society and her Welsh-West Indian heritage. Jessica's titles "Your Hair is Your Crown" and "Outstanding" were written for all children as a long term solution to racism and misogyny, teaching Welsh children to celebrate each other's natural features and inspire girls to break stereotypes and envision themselves in any role they choose.

Recently winning the Chwarae Teg Womenspire "Rising Star" Award in 2021, Jessica continues to diversify Welsh language and establish space for authors and people of colour to feel included in the Welsh language. In the last year she has made a huge impact on literature and the Welsh language in an effort to diversify Welsh literature by bringing 10 titles to the Welsh market in less than a year. 6 of these titles were Welsh translations of books by Black authors fundraised though Jessica’s establishment of the “AwDuron Fund” in collaboration with Mudiad Meithrin.