Ballerina Michaela DePrince Lands Book Deal

By Maryann Yin 

18-year-old ballet dancer Michaela DePrince has signed a book deal to write her memoir.

DePrince appeared in the 2011 documentary, First Position. Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers will publish the book in fall 2014.

Executive editor Erin Clarke negotiated the deal with Full Circle Literary agent Adriana Dominguez. DePrince’s adoptive mother, Elaine, will co-write the book.

Here’s more about the memoir:

DePrince was born in Sierra Leone and orphaned by a brutal civil war at the age of three. It was there that she found a picture of a ballerina that ultimately changed the course of her life. In her memoir, Michaela will share her experiences growing up as an orphan in war-torn Sierra Leone and her journey to becoming a professional ballet dancer in New York City.

The publisher also plans to release a nonfiction book for younger readers titled Ballerina Dreams: The Story of Michaela DePrince.