Giving a Voice to the Voiceless: An Interview With Ruta Sepetys (Part 1) [S5 E152]

Listen to the full episode below:

We cannot even begin to contain the excitement we have to share this episode with you. We had the pleasure of interviewing author Ruta Sepetys about her journey as a writer and her latest novel, I Must Betray You.

The interview begins with Ruta reading an excerpt from I Must Betray You. This is the perfect clip to play for your students if you practice “First Chapter Friday”! 

Then we delve into Ruta’s decision to write for young adults and her choice to focus on historical fiction. She believes that this genre has the power to bring fading pieces of history to life and connect readers to the human experiences of the past - and we couldn’t agree more. 

For Ruta, writing historical fiction is a way to provide context and inspiration to young readers, especially in the present-day era where students need engaging work that connects them to young people who have endured hardships. Sharing underrepresented pieces of history through storytelling can create true progress.

We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did. If you do, please share with a teacher friend! Don’t forget to tune into episode 153 for part two of this conversation.

Meet Ruta:

Ruta Sepetys (Rūta Šepetys) is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Sepetys is considered a “crossover” novelist as her books are read by both students and adults worldwide.

Winner of the Carnegie Medal, Ruta is renowned for giving voice to underrepresented history and those who experienced it.  Her books have won or been shortlisted for over forty book prizes, are included on over thirty state reading lists, and are currently in development for film and television.

Ruta is the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee. Born in Michigan, she was raised in a family of artists, readers, and music lovers. Ruta is passionate about the power of history and story to foster global dialogue and connectivity. She has been invited to present at NATO, European Parliament, the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, and Embassies worldwide.

She was awarded The Rockefeller Foundation’s prestigious Bellagio Fellowship for her studies on human resilience. The New York Times Book Review declared, “Ruta Sepetys acts as champion of the interstitial people so often ignored—whole populations lost in the cracks of history.”

Ruta was bestowed the Cross of the Knight of the Order by the President of Lithuania for her contributions to education and memory preservation and was recently honored with a postage stamp containing her image. She is extremely proud to be of Baltic heritage, even if that means she has a name no one can pronounce.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

  • Ruta Sepetys shares her childhood love for writing and how she eventually found her way back to it after working in the music business.

  • What went into Ruta’s decision to write for young adults

  • The power of historical fiction and how knowledge of the past gives context to the present

  • Reverse mentorship and how some of the most illuminating conversations come when we truly listen to what the youth has to say

  • The evolution of historical fiction as a genre

  • How sharing stories and history can help to facilitate human understanding and bridge gaps between people

“I wanted to bring fading pieces of history to deep thinkers and deep feelers who are going to carry these stories into the future.”
— Ruta Sepetys

More about Brave New Teaching:

Join hosts Amanda Cardenas (Mud & Ink Teaching) and Marie Morris (The Caffeinated Classroom) in discussions about being brave, trying new things, and all things teaching! As seasoned classroom teachers, Amanda and Marie bring their experience, insight, energy, and oh, so many opinions and ideas... It's time for all teachers to take their classroom and teaching practice into their own hands!

Tune in on your favorite podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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