Mima Tipper is an award-winning author of Children’s fiction. She’s published YA fiction in several literary magazines, and her debut novel Kat’s Greek Summer (ISBN-978-1684633067) won the 2025 Vermont Book Award for Children’s Literature, as well as winning silver medals for YA fiction in the 2025 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, and for Best New Voice in Children’s and YA in the 2025 IBPA Book Awards. Her new novel Channeling Marilyn (ISBN-979-8896363200) is a YA paranormal, freshly released on June 2, 2026 in time to celebrate Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday. Beyond devoting most of her time to writing and being an author, Mima helps at Inklings Children’s Books in Waitsfield, VT, volunteers at her local library, and is committed to promoting literacy and supporting the writing community. Mima lives in Vermont with her family; find her on Facebook, X/Twitter, Substack, and Instagram.
About Mima
Questions, questions
Is “Mima” your real name?
It’s a nickname. I am named for both of my grandmothers, so Katharine Kalomira is my official name. My mother is Greek, so she called me by the common shortening of Kalomira, which is “Mira.” As babies, my brother—one year older—couldn’t pronounce the “r” and called me “Mima.” Mom and Dad thought that was pretty cute and different, and the rest is history.
How do you pronounce your name?
It sounds like “Nina” but with Mms instead of Nns. “Mee-Ma”
Pronouns?
She/Her
Do you have kids?
My husband Charlie and I are lucky to have three children: Jack, Willy and Marley. And in case you are wondering, even though our kids have inspired me greatly in my writing, I haven’t ever written stories based on them or their actual lives.
Do you have pets?
Not at the moment. We recently lost our rescue-mix pup Gabe (in the photo with the Whimsy Wagon). He was from Louisiana originally, and adjusting to Vermont winters was pretty tough on our southern baby boy. His favorite activity was snoozing on the couch near the woodstove. He is greatly missed.
Favorite color?
Blue, blue and more blue!
Hobbies?
Reading is my ultimate favorite activity. Other things I like doing are: skiing (lift serve and touring), cold-water dipping (coldest water yet about 33 degrees), yoga, walking, hiking, cooking, movie-watching, and mushroom-foraging.
Favorite book as a kid?
D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths. I pored through this book year after year, never tiring of the tales of gods and goddesses, and reveling in the incredible illustrations. As many of my own stories have Greek mythological references, I keep a copy close at all times.
Where do you write?
I like to think of myself as able to write anywhere, but for a special birthday gift my husband designed and constructed a tiny house on wheels that we named “The Whimsy Wagon.” I tuck myself away there to write from about May through October.
Did you always want to be a writer?
I didn’t find the stories I wanted to write until pretty late in life, but I have always adored reading. I learned to read before I started kindergarten, and was rarely without a book in my hand.
Photo by Charlie Tipper
