She's an advocate of diversity in literature, encouraging aspiring Black authors to use their voice

As a teenager, Latoya Belfon fell in love with storytelling and wrote consistently over nearly two decades.

But she never published anything.

"It was write, write, write, then put it on the shelf for 20 years," Belfon said.

But when she finally got over that hump, Belfon never looked back. She turned into a publishing machine, pumping out at least 15 books in four years, becoming a best-selling author and an advocate for diversity in literature.

As a writer who oversees every aspect of her work, from illustrations to publishing, she's built businesses that enable her to share everything she knows with other aspiring authors.

During this journey, Belfon has learned a lot, including these two lessons: Never underestimate the power of a story.

And no matter how long a passion project is put on hold, it's never too late.

'You should write this story'

Many of Belfon's books are children's books.

Shortly after moving to Montreal from Grenada at the age of 16, she regularly babysat twin brothers who, as she put it, were "obsessed" with books.

One night, she was laying down with them and felt too tired to get up and pick up another one to read them a story.

So she made one up — one about two adventurous cousins living in the Caribbean.

"And every night from then, they just kept asking me what happened to the different characters," she said.

"Their mom overhears this and says: 'You should write this story.'"

As much as Belfon wrote, she couldn't quite put it all together and get published. But things finally clicked when she started a family of her own.

A true sense of urgency kicked in.

"I really thought I was going to become an author and it's not happening. What am I going to tell my son?" she remembers thinking at the time.

"When you have someone looking like you and looking back at you, it reflects so much. The reflection is so strong. It's not just in the physical features but in the life that you want them to have and the life that you had hoped that you could have."

She locked in and gave herself a challenge: learn as much about publishing as she could within three days.

When those three days were up, she had published her first book. Belfon, who had caught the storytelling bug at 16, was now 36 years old.

"As a writer, the most rewarding thing is when you have an idea and you can see it in hard print," she said.

"It's such an incredible feeling…even without anyone reading it."

Diversity in literature

One of her best-selling books, Grandma's Hands, focuses on themes of heritage, ancestry and belonging through stories a woman shares with her daughter about her own grandmother's journey from the Caribbean to Canada to build a better life for her family.

Belfon is also a teacher with the English Montreal School Board (EMSB). Seeing students being made fun of because of their accents inspired her to write Izzy's New Life: The Way I Talk. The book's main character, Izzy, is a Caribbean child who struggles with her friend's derisive remarks before finally embracing her heritage, culture and voice.

"Getting into teaching, I saw how important it was for stories like the ones that I was telling to be seen and be seen very early: kindergarten, pre-K," she said.

"The earlier the better to get access to this content and to have these discussions with their parents."

Belfon's experience as an immigrant from the Caribbean has shaped much of her work, but she beams with pride at how her books have resonated with children within the Black community and also beyond.

During a workshop she gave at a school, she remembers seeing young children from Brazil, China and Japan, for example, express how much they related to Izzy.

"There were tons of other kids that were saying that they connected with this character, a Black character," Belfon said.

"It was incredibly beautiful to me that they could be told, at that age, that it was OK to sound different."

Belfon is even venturing into music.

Her book, Cadence Learns Self-Love, is based on a chocolate chip cookie character who learns about self-esteem after comparing herself unfavourably to cookies who looked different. There is a song in the book, which seems to be a hit with children who read it.

"So there we go. Let's make this an anthem," said Belfon, who collaborated with her brother-in-law, a producer and beatmaker who goes by CJ DWIZ, to create a full-length version of the song just in time for Black History Month.

"My kids, my friends' kids, they're obsessed with the song already."

An unmatched work ethic, says friend and collaborator

Belfon has a lot on her plate.

She organizes workshops and webinars, teaching people about publishing and advocating for more diversity in the world of literature. She founded her publishing company, Labworks Publishing. She also runs Empowered Women in Lit, an online platform that holds a virtual summit every year.

According to Gemma Raeburn-Baynes, the author's friend and collaborator as well as a fellow CBC Black Changemaker, Belfon's work ethic and determination are what make her stand out.

Nothing slows her down — not even a pregnancy.

CBC interviewed Belfon for this story just days before she was scheduled to give birth.

The same day she welcomed her third child into the world, she contacted Raeburn-Baynes to follow up about a project they were working on.

"A baby just came out of you, I said, 'what are you doing?'" Raeburn-Baynes recalled, laughing incredulously.

"Latoya, go on your maternity leave please and leave me alone!" she said. "But no, that has not stopped her. The work continues."

Belfon credits her time management skills for her ability to juggle multiple roles and tasks.

"I have goals for each thing and once I complete that goal, I rest that to the side and I move on to the next," said the author, who has also published goal-setting journals.

"I really had to put my goals down, prioritize and execute."

Trusting your voice

For Belfon, the more diversity there is among authors, the more readers — especially children — can be exposed to different ideas.

Diversity doesn't have to mean Black authors writing about the Black experience, Belfon points out. It can be Black authors using their experiences to inject a unique texture into a story, without race or racism being its focal point.

One of her upcoming projects, which is part of a collaboration with another author expected to be released in May, will be a Caribbean-based sci-fi story.

"A Black kid will be in class and be like 'I know that country…I know what she's talking about!" she said laughing. "They'd feel seen through that literature."

Her message to aspiring authors is to value what their ideas and stories can bring to the world of literature.

Their voices, she says, are sorely needed.

"It's really about understanding the impact that you can have … and putting time to it," she said.

"A lot of times, my content is to push people to understand the importance of their voice in literature and how much it's needed."

The Black Changemakers is a special series recognizing individuals who, regardless of background or industry, are driven to create a positive impact in their community. From tackling problems to showing small gestures of kindness on a daily basis, these Changemakers are making a difference and inspiring others. Meet all the Changemakers here.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.