Kathryn is thrilled to announce her debut book, co-authored with the remarkable Mary Verdi-Fletcher and beautifully illustrated by Nabi H. Ali is now available for pre-order.

A beautiful picture book biography about the first professional wheelchair dancer, Mary Verdi Fletcher, who changed the rules of dance and helped make it accessible to all.

Born to Dance tells the true story of Mary Verdi-Fletcher, who was born with spina bifida and dreamed of being a dancer from a very young age. When Mary’s parents introduced her to music, her unsinkable love of dance flourished—and she vowed she would not be limited by her disability.

But the world needed to catch up. In the 1980s and 1990s, it was unheard of to see a wheelchair user on stage with a dance company. But Mary persevered, and she ultimately redefined what it means to be a dancer—founding the groundbreaking Dancing Wheels Company, where people of all abilities perform together.

This beautifully written and empowering biography of Mary’s life celebrates determination, creativity, and the power of believing in yourself.

– published by Penguin Random House

Pre-order now from these booksellers

RELEASES FEBRUARY 2027

Amazon
Bookshop
Target
Barnes & Noble
Hudson Booksellers
Walmart
Books A Million
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ANNOUNCEMENT

Erin Clarke, while at Knopf, acquired at auction world rights to Born to Dance: Mary Verdi-Fletcher and Her Dancing Wheels, a picture book biography by Mary Verdi-Fletcher (l.) and Kathryn Hagen (c.) illustrated by Nabi H. Ali (r.), about a remarkable dancer with a disability who invented a new way to dance, and who is paving the way for others to see their possibilities and reach their dreams. Marisa DiNovis will edit; publication is planned for spring 2027. Eve Adler at Red Fox Literary represented the authors, and James Burns at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.