All in 10 questions with
In Jennifer Whiteford's debut romance novel, a guarded punk-rocker-turned-barista meets a big-hearted sound tech who charms his way into her life and helps her revisit her musical past. If you're in the market for a smart, cozy, romantic fall read, this one's for you!
Novelist, editor, and translator Susan Ouriou has had quite the career. Among her many accomplishments, she's written two novels and been a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Translation seven times, winning for her translation of Pieces of Me by Charlotte Gingras. She's also served as an interpreter for both the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. I had the pleasure of talking to Susan about her path to becoming a translator, her approach to her work, and her recent collaboration with author Quebec author Fanny Britt on Fanny's novel Sugaring Off , out this week from Book * Hug Press.
Anita Yasuda is the author of Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei A Life In The Mountains, Diwali: A Festival Of Joy, Bollywood Beat, and many other books for young readers. She lives in the rolling hills of Ontario.
Kate Rogers is a Toronto-based poet, essayist, and reviewer, as well as co-director of Art Bar, Toronto’s oldest poetry reading series. Her new poetry collection, The Meaning of Leaving (AOS Publishing), takes as its subject the broad theme of leaving, examining its many facets and angles in precise, often painful detail.
Originally from Malta, John P. Portelli is a writer of poetry and fiction, as well as a professor emeritus in the Department of Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto. His remarkable poetry collection, Here Was, navigates the tensions and contradictions between closeness and distance, past and present, what unites us and what separates us from each other.
Jamaican-Canadian picture book author Sadé Smith discusses the power of food and story to bring people together and shares a bit about her writing process and journey to publication. She also touches on her love of tacos, the importance of following your own path, and her winning approach to social media promotion.
With her ability to stitch together the perfect assortment of sensory and historical details into a rich, compelling whole, author and academic Jennifer Harris knows how to tell stories so people care about them. Her first picture book, She Stitched the Stars presents the life of Ellen Harding Baker, a storekeeper’s wife and mother from Iowa who, beginning in 1876, created a quilt that accurately depicted the solar system.
Carolyn and I talk family secrets, summer reading, and the excitement of finally getting the in-person launch of her dreams!
Lindsay Zier-Vogel is the author of Letters to Amelia and the creator of The Love Lettering Project. Her first picture book Dear Street, is forthcoming from Kids Can Press in 2023.
Once upon a time, Sean Ross and I were just two fresh-faced kids connecting in our university residence kitchen over our shared love of Fiona Apple and Tori Amos. Flash forward to today, and Sean is the co-creator of Miss Thing, a podcast devoted to diving deep into the very music we loved back then. Grab your Diskman and your Columbia House membership and prepare to dive deep into the music and lore of the Lilith Fair era.
Kerry Clare is the author of the novels Waiting for a Star to Fall and Mitzi Bytes and the blog Pickle Me This. She is also a devoted swimmer, a lover of waffles, and a tea cup enthusiast. I know you are going to get along just fine.
Catherine Wiebe is the owner of Firefly and Fox Books, in Norfolk, ON. She is also an elementary school teacher, sewist, mother of three, and rainbow in human form.
Michelle Grierson is so many things— painter, dancer, educator, feminist, mother, and writer. Most recently, she is the author of Becoming Leidah, her stunning debut novel from Simon and Schuster.
If you aren’t follow @neighbourbecci on Instagram you need to be. Smart, wacky, kind, and honest, Becci is the real deal. Come for the snack foods and pictures of cats, stay for the book recommendations and pictures of puppies.
Katie Scott is a children’s book editor at Kids Can Press who’s worked on oodles of beautiful and inspiring books for young readers. We sat down to catch up, and ended up covering everything from #OwnVoices, to wall anchors, to Nancy Drew.
I spoke with author Loretta Garbutt and illustrator Carmen Mok about their book A Stopwatch from Grampa (Kids Can Press, 2020) and their approach to craft and collaboration. It was such a fun and illuminating conversation, and I am so excited to share it with you!
I was so excited to talk to Lisa about her about her process as an author of scientific non-fiction, a genre which works totally differently than the type of picture books I write. Her debut book, In the Dark: The Science of What Happens at Night (Kids Can Press 2020), is as beautifully written and illustrated as it is informative.
I sat down with novelist, picture book author, and middle school teacher Carolyn Huizinga Mills to talk about her debut novel, The Good Son, out this month from Cormorant Books.
I sat down with Emily to talk about the joys and challenges of building both a garden and a business from scratch.
Introducing Ten Questions With, a new series launching this week, where I pick the brilliant brains of creatives I admire.
