The Coach and Penguin Random House Collaboration Needs Latino Authors

The Coach and Penguin Random House Collaboration Needs Latino Authors

Literacy is receiving renewed cultural attention as access to books faces pressure in classrooms and libraries. Book clubs are expanding, Gen Z readers are rediscovering literature, and established generations continue sustaining a long commitment to reading. So, when Coach partnered with Penguin Random House to place books at the center of a global fashion collaboration, the moment felt encouraging. Yet one detail stood out immediately. Latino/a/e authors were absent from the collection.

The partnership introduces readable micro book charms, available in early March, transforming well-known titles into wearable accessories. The campaign, titled “Explore Your Story,” leans into the idea that in a digital culture shaped by short form content, books offer identity and connection. Seeing literature positioned within fashion signals that reading still carries influence and that’s exciting within itself.

Literature in the Spotlight

The selected titles focus on courage and self-expression. Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun explores estranged twin artists navigating grief and rivalry. Camryn Garrett’s Friday I’m in Love centers on a Black teenager planning a coming out celebration while confronting financial strain and first love. Glennon Doyle’s Untamed chronicles a decision to reject expectations and reclaim an inner voice.

Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere examines race and class inside a carefully managed suburban community. Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility revisits love and social constraint through the Dashwood sisters. Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings traces her early life through racism and trauma toward self-discovery through language. Angelou remains a personal hero in my own reading life and her inclusion reinforces the seriousness of the project.

The collection makes literature visible again. That visibility matters.

Latino Authors We Would Love to See Included

Latinos represent the second largest demographic group in the United States and our literary contributions span centuries. The following examples represent only a fraction of the classic and contemporary voices that belong in collaborations celebrating storytelling. Perhaps, if there’s a second rollout to this campaign, some of these books can be included.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

A defining novel of magical realism that follows generations of the Buendía family in the fictional town of Macondo, reshaping global fiction through its layered narrative and historical scope.

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

A sweeping family saga set against Chilean political upheaval, weaving personal memory with national history through the lives of the Trueba family.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

A National Book Award winning novel in verse about Xiomara Batista, a Dominican American teenager who discovers slam poetry as a means of self-expression while navigating faith, family expectations, and first love.

Sirena Selena by Mayra Santos Febres

A novel centered on a young drag queen in Puerto Rico, exploring gender, performance, and survival within Caribbean society.

The Prince of los Cocuyos by Richard Blanco

A memoir recounting Blanco’s Cuban American childhood in Miami and his path toward becoming the first Latino and openly gay inaugural poet, offering insight into identity, language, and belonging.

The Book of Awesome Latinas by Mirtle Peña Calderón and Ashley Stoyanov Ojeda

A collection profiling trailblazing Latinas whose achievements have shaped culture, politics, science, and the arts.

Financially Lit by Jannese Torres

A contemporary guide to financial empowerment that blends personal storytelling with practical strategies, encouraging readers to build wealth and financial independence while navigating systemic barriers.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno García

A gothic horror novel set in 1950s Mexico that follows a young socialite investigating disturbing events in a remote mansion, blending suspense with themes of colonialism and family legacy.

For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez

A collection of essays addressing identity, belonging, and the lived experiences of Latinas navigating culture, family expectations, and systemic inequality.

These works illustrate the breadth of Latino storytelling, spanning magical realism, memoir, young adult fiction, horror, personal finance, and cultural commentary.

Celebrating Literacy Means Expanding the Table

There is genuine value in placing books at the center of cultural conversation, particularly at a moment when literacy levels face decline and educational resources remain uneven. There really is no denying that public celebration of reading deserves recognition.

At the same time, projects that center identity and self-expression benefit from reflecting the full spectrum of readers who sustain the publishing industry. And Latino voices form a significant part of that readership and authorship. Including them in future installments would align the collaboration with the diverse literary landscape it seeks to celebrate.

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