Interviewed by Caitlin Fisher

Shelley Hrdlitschka is the author of nine young adult novels, most recently Allegra. She has received a number of awards for her emotionally charged novels that explore complex and often sensitive subjects. Kat’s Fall was chosen as a White Pine Honour Book for 2005 and Dancing Naked won the 2002 White Pine Award. Her novels have been on the CCBC Our Choice list and the International Reading Association Young Adult’s Choices list; as well, Kat’s Fall was included on the 2005 New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age list. Sister Wife was a Governor General’s Award Nominee for 2009. She lives in North Vancouver

I was fortunate enough to get to speak to Shelley over email, and serendipitously in the baking aisle of our local supermarket, about her career, her advice for emerging writers, and her greatest influences.

What was the process for you of publishing your first novel Beans on Toast?

I had been writing for many years before Beans on Toast was offered a publishing contract. I had tried writing picture books, with no success. Then I wrote a couple middle grade novels, and although there was some interest in them, they were never published either. I collected dozens of rejection letters.

Shortly after I submitted Beans on Toast to Orca Books I met the publisher at Word on the Street, a literary festival held in downtown Vancouver. He was there to speak about the publishing business. I introduced myself and told him he had a submission of mine. He said he recognized my name and shortly after that I received a contract. I’ve often wondered if it helped that he could put a face to the name in deciding whether to offer a contract for that book. [Read more…]

Interviewed by Aaron Chan

Evan Munday is the author and illustrator of The Dead Kid Detective Agency, a finalist for the Sunburst Award for fantastical young adult literature and the Silver Birch Fiction Award. He sometimes makes comics and worked for eight years as book publicist for indie press Coach House Books. He lives in Toronto.

A few years ago, when I took a Children’s Lit class in college, The Dead Kid Detective Agency was the only book on the reading list written by a Canadian author. As the instructor told the class, “He’s not that much older than you guys, too.” Charmed by the snappy humour as well as the unabashed Canadiana of the novel and the sequel, Dial M for Morna, I had the opportunity to chat with Evan via email about his illustrating background, rejections, and The Postman.

When/how did you know you wanted to pursue writing as a career? 

I’m not sure it is my career yet! Really, I don’t do it full-time. But I think I knew something was up by third or fourth grade. At that point, I was already writing and drawing my own X-Men comics. (I was really into the X-Men then; still am.) I really enjoyed it – kept writing and drawing these comics – so I always hoped some kind of storytelling, whether written, drawn, or both, would be in my future. [Read more…]

Interviewed by Beth Pond

Jennifer Iacopelli was born in New York and has no plans to leave…ever. Growing up, she read everything she could get her hands on, but her favourite authors were Laura Ingalls Wilder, L.M. Montgomery and Frances Hodgson Burnett, all of whom wrote about kick-ass girls before it was cool for girls to be kick-ass. She got a Bachelor’s degree in Adolescence Education and English Literature, quickly followed up by a Master’s in Library Science, which lets her frolic all day with her books and computers, leaving plenty of time in the evenings to write and yell at the Yankees, Giants and her favourite tennis players through the TV.

I am an admirer of Iacopelli’s debut Young Adult novel Game. Set. Match. and was delighted when she agreed to speak with me by email.

When did you first discover your love of writing?

Eighth grade, sitting in an Honors Earth Science classroom bored out of my mind, a friend, who shall remain nameless and I would pass a notebook back and forth writing stories starring our favorite celebrities and characters conveniently with our names as their love interests. I didn’t do nearly as well in Earth Science as I should have, but at least one thing stuck. [Read more…]

Interviewed by Clara Kumagai

Susin Nielsen credits her big break to her time as a caterer for the cast and crew of Degrassi Junior High, though she had been writing long before that. It was Degrassi that began her career, though, after a spec script led to her writing sixteen episodes, as well as four books in the Degrassi novel series. After graduating from Degrassi—so to speak—Susin went on to write for and work on TV series, including Ready or Not, Madison, The Adventures of Shirley Holmes and Heartland.

Susin’s writing is not limited to the TV screen, however. She has written three children’s books: Mormor Moves In, The Magic Beads and Hank and Fergus, which won Mr. Christie’s Silver Medal award. In 2008, Susin published her first original young adult novel, Word Nerd, followed by Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom. In 2012, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K Larsen was published, and subsequently won the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Text.

Having read all of Susin’s young adult novels, I was struck by her ability to capture the hilarious highs and troubling lows of the teenage experience. Sensitive without sugar-coating and humorous without belittling, Susin is one of the most engaging young adult authors in Canada.

Did you want to write from a young age?

Yes. I found my first diary, written when I was 11 years old, in the garage a few years ago. It starts with this paragraph: “This is the first day I’ve really written in a diary. The reason I am is ‘cos I LOVE writing stories, and if I do grow up to be a famous writer, and later die, and they want to get a story of my life, I guess I should keep a diary.”!! Although I did have other ideas for a while, like “I’m going to be a famous actress” and “I’m going to be a TV news reporter.” [Read more…]