Authors

Adrian Mitchell

was one of England's finest wordsmiths and storytellers. He wrote numerous children's books, and his poetry is represented in the Oxford Book of Contemporary Verse. He lived in London, England.

Alex Epstein

is an author and screenwriter for film and television specializing in science fiction and fantasy. He lives in Montreal with his wife and two children. 

Alison Acheson

has written many books for children and young people. Her young adult novel Mud Girl was a finalist for the Canadian Library Association's Young Adult Book Award. Alison teaches writers of all ages and works as a freelance editor. She lives in Ladner, BC, with her spouse, three sons and an old rescue dog named Rocky.

Alyxandra Harvey-Fitzhenry

studied Creative Writing and Literature at York University and has had poetry published in several magazines. She lives in Vancouver, BC.

Ann Chandler

has a Master's Degree in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and has been published in magazines such as The Beaver and Reader's Digest. She lives in Vancouver, BC.

Arushi Raina

grew up in South Africa. She now lives and works in Vancouver, BC. This is her first published book.

Beverley Brenna

is the award-winning author of nearly a dozen novels for children, young and old. She teaches children’s literature at the University of Saskatchewan and lives near Saskatoon.

Bruce McBay

is a school teacher interested in writing books for reluctant readers.

Cynthia Nugent

is the award-winning illustrator of the Mister Got to Go trilogy and Honey Cake, and the author of Francesca and the Magic Bike and Fred and Pete at the Beach. She also makes book trailers and apps and has animated several Tradewind titles.

Ellen Schwartz

is a highly acclaimed author of seventeen books for young children and teens, including several historical novels dealing with issues of social justice. She has written Abby's Birds and Mr. Belinsky's Bagels for Tradewind Books. Ellen lives in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Emilie Smith

was born in Argentina and now divides her time between Vancouver, B.C and Guatemala.  She wrote this story with her friend, Margarita Kenefic Tejada who lives in Guatemala. They met many years ago when they were both living in a Mexican village about a day’s horeseback ride from Emiliano's home. 

Farrukh Dhondy

is a highly acclaimed British Indian writer of fiction, non-fiction, stage drama, TV and films. His latest books include "Prophet of Love", "Rumi: A New Collection" and an autobiography entitled "Fragments against My Ruin: A Life". He is the recipient of numerous prizes, including the prestigious Whitbread Book Award for the novel "Bombay Duck". He lives in London, England.

Glen Huser

has written many highly praised novels for young readers. He has won a number of awards such as the Mr. Christie Award, the Governor General`s Award, and the R. Ross Annett Award. A teacher-librarian for most of his life, he lives in Vancouver where he continues to write, pursue his artwork and coach students working on their own books for young people.

Glen Petrie

has published eleven novels. He lives in London with his wife and their four children.

Glenda Leznoff

has had worked produced in theatre, animation and television. She has written magazine articles for publications such as McLean's and Vancouver Magazine. She teaches creative writing and lives in Vancouver.

Hanako Masutani

is a former creative director of Ricepaper, whose work has appeared in the internationally acclaimed literary journal Grain. She lives in Victoria, BC.

Hans Christian Andersen

is Denmark’s most highly acclaimed writer. His works are known and translated around the world.

Heidi E.Y. Stemple

writes stories and poetry for children and adults. She lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts, where she shares an office with her mother, the author Jane Yolen.

Irene Watts

was born in Berlin, emigrated to Britain on a Kindertransport in 1938, and moved to Canada thirty years later. She was the author of many books and plays for children and young people.

James Heneghan

is one of Canada's most celebrated authors of fiction for young people. His award-winning books often tell the stories of teenagers struggling to overcome personal difficulties and have been applauded for their story-telling.

Jane Yolen

one of America's foremost children's writers is the recipient of numerous Coldecout Medals, has earned many awards and her books have been translated into many languages.

Joan Betty Stuchner

1947-2014. Joan was a storyteller, library assistant and teacher. She loved ballet, theatre, art galleries and museums—and hot, strong sweet tea. She lived in Vancouver with her family until her passing in 2014. Joan is high regarded and remembered in the literary community, with a number of awards named in her honour.

Joanna Weston

Joanna M. Weston came to Canada in her early 20s. In 1967 she married her husband Robert and they soon raised a family together. An accomplished author, Joanne wrote a number of books including Tradewind's title Frame and the McGuire and her collection of poetry,  A Summer Father published by Frontenac House. Joanne passed away in August 2020. She spent her final years on Vancouver Island with her husband, two cats, and, in her own words, "multiple spiders, a herd of deer, and two derelict hen houses".

Karen Needham

Author of Strange Beginnings, Karen Needham is the curator of the Spencer Entomological Museum and teaches a variety of biology courses in the Dept. of Zoology at UBC. She has been fascinated with creepy crawlies since a young age.

Kari-Lynn Winters

is a picture book author, poet and performer. She enjoys being in the classroom in any capacity—as a presenter, a teacher or as a student. She works at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, where she teaches drama-in-education.

Karim Alrawi

was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt. He has over 30 professionally produced plays to his credit and has won many national and international awards for his writing, including the prestigious John Whiting Award. He was writer-in-residence at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in the UK and at the Meadow Brook Theatre in the USA. He has also supervised international aid and development programs in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. In 2021, Karim won the Wallace Stegner Award (Canada), awarded by the Saskatchewan Arts Council. Karim now lives in Vancouver, BC.

Katarina Jovanovic

was born in Belgrade, Serbia, where she worked as a journalist in radio broadcasting. She now lives in Vancouver, where, as well as writing for young people, she is in charge of educational leadership, teaching and curriculum development in a post-secondary institution. She is the recipient of The Christie Harris Children’s Literature Award (The BC and Yukon Book Prizes) for The King Has Goat Ears (Tradewind Books) and the Chocolate Lily Award for The Blue Vase (Tradewind Books).

Leslie E. Owen

worked as an editor and agent in children's publishing in New York City and Vancouver. She now lives in Florida with her chidlren and many tree frogs.

Liliane Leila Juma

Leila grew up in Uvira, a city in the western Congo on the shore of Lake Tanganyika near the border with Burundi. She now lives in Vancouver, where she works as a Women’s Support Worker. She is fluent in three languages—Swahili, French, and English.

Margarita Kenefic Tejada

is a playwright living in Guatemala.

Mark David Smith

Mark David Smith was born and raised in Vancouver. He teaches English for the Burnaby School District and has travelled extensively with his work, teaching in both Uganda and Kuwait. He resides in Port Coquitlam with his wife and children, a cat, a liziard, several fish and an ever-growing number of aquatic snails.

Melanie Harby

is a musician and songwritter and has written lyrics for Walt Disney and Warner Bros. She lives in California with her husband and two sons.

Michelle Superle

lives in British Columbia and teaches children's literature at the University of the Fraser Valley. 

Mus White

was born and raised in Cophenhagen. She has translated Little Rhymes Little Photos by Hans Christian Andersen. She also wrote From the Mundane to the Magical, a bibliography on photographically illustrated children's books. She now lives in Los Angeles.

Nhung N. Tran Davies

Nhung N. Tran Davies is a physician and works as an advocate for social justice through education. Her family came to Canada as refugees from Vietnam when she was a young child. Nhung and her family live just outside Edmonton, Alberta.

Nicola Campbell

Nicola I. Campbell is Nłeʔkepmx, Syilx, and Métis, from British Columbia. A finalist for numerous children’s literary awards, including the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. In addition to writing for young people, she teaches literature at the University of the Fraser Valley.

Olive Senior

was born and raised in Jamaica and is one of its most celebrated writers. She is currently the Poet Laureate of Jamaica. Olive is a recipient of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Gold Medal of the Institute of Jamaica. She divides her time between Jamaica and Toronto.

Paul Yee

had his first book for children published in 1983. His most recent book, The Three Sisters, is his tenth title with Tradewind Books. Yee's books have won numerous prizes, including a Governor General’s Award, and his body of work was recognized by the Metcalf Award in 2012. Paul lives in Toronto now, but much of this writing is set in Canada’s west coast.

Paulette Sarmonpol

was born in London but spent the early part of her childhood in Thailand. Paulette and her daughter now live on the edge of Hampstead Heath, London where the story of Where Are My Onions? takes place.

PJ Reece

is a former filmmaker who has been a professional writer for the last twenty years. PJ divides his time between Vancouver and Mexico. Wherever he is, you can catch him on his blog at http://www.pjreece.ca/blog/wordpress/

R. David Stephens

is a writer, actor and voice artist. He was born in Los Angeles and is now living in Vancouver. He has taught at the University of San Francisco, Tufts University and Shoreline Community College. 

Rachel Sa

is a freelance writer and journalist. Her first book, What Rachel Sa: A Field Guide for Parents, a collection of her newspaper columns, was published in 2002. The Lewton Experiment is her first novel. Rachel lives in Toronto with her fiancé and her fabulous kitty, Leia.

Rachna Gilmore

is a Governor General's award-winning Canadian author. Her publications include picture books, early readers, middle-grade and young adult fiction, as well as adult fiction. Her books have received multiple honours and awards and have been translated into several languages. Rachna was born in India, but moved to London, England, with her family when she was fourteen. She currently lives in Ottawa.

Randy Boyagoda

Randy Boyagoda is a novelist and professor of English at the University of Toronto. His novels, which include Original Prin and Dante’s Indiana, have been nominated for the ScotiaBank Giller Prize, and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Prize. He lives in Toronto with his wife and four daughters. Little Sanctuary is his first novel for young readers.

Robert Heidbreder

has been enchanting children with his joyful poems and rhymes and his brilliant performances for more than two decades. Robert is the author of nearly a dozen books for children, including the award-winning Drumheller Dinosaur Dance. He is recipient of the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Teaching, presented to him by Jean Chretien. Robert lives in Vancouver, BC.

Robert San Souci

is the author of many award-winning retellings of legends and folktales for children. He also wrote the screen story for the Walt Disney animated feature, Mulan. He lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

Roy & Slavia Miki

Roy Miki's book of poetry, Surrender, won the Governor General’s Award for Poetry. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and a Member of the Order of British Columbia. Slavia Miki is a life coach and studied feng shui under the late Henry Dorst. She earned her teacher’s licence in ikebana while living in Tokyo. Mariko Ando was born and raised in Osaka, Japan. She is an artist and illustrator and has exhibited widely in Japan and Canada. Her work has garnered much critical acclaim. She has lived in Vancouver for many years.

Shahnaz Qayumi

Shahnaz Qayumi was born and raised in Kabul. Zia's Story is her first book for young people and is closely based on other Afghans and her as a refugee from war-torn Afghanistan. After fleeing Afghanistan, she found refuge in Canada. She now lives in Vancouver and teaches at Langara University.

Sheldon Oberman

started writing in the mid-seventies, inspired by bedtime stories he told his children. He acted and directed in both film and stage plays, and toured North America as a professional storyteller.

Sheree Fitch

is an educator, literary activist and author of poetry, picture books, nonfiction, plays, and novels for all ages. After completing her course work for her masters in English with a focus on children's literature, she has been a full-time writer. She has additionally taught Children's Literature at St. Thomas University and Teaching Poetry and Writing in the Faculty of Education at the University of New Brunswick. Sheree currently lives in Nova Scotia. In June 2023, Sheree was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada for outstanding contributions to children's literature and to the Canadian literary community, as a writer, poet, and literacy advocate.

Shulamith Levey Oppenheim

is the award-winning author of many books. Albert Einstein was a family friend and the best man at her wedding! She lives in Massachusettes.

Silvana Goldemberg

was born and raised in Argentina. She is the author of more than twenty books published in Spanish and English, and leader of creative writing workshops for all ages since 1992. She lives in Port Moody, B.C.

Simon Rose

was born in Derbyshire, England. He graduated from university with a degree in history and has lived in Canada since 1990. He is also a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature of West Redding, CT. Simon offers a wide variety of presentations, workshops and author-in-residence programs for schools and libraries, covering such topics as the writing process, editing and revisions. He is a regular speaker at conferences and festivals, and has served as a juror for numerous literary prizes and awards, including the Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature in 2007. Simon, his two children, and his dog and cat live in Calgary. Brit Writers speaks with Simon Rose

Stefan Czernecki

was born in a refugee camp in Germany and now lives in a small glass apartment one hundred and fifty feet above the ground. For inspiration he travels to faraway places like Tokyo, Mexico City, New York and Marrakesh. Sometimes he just takes a walk around the block. A number of his books are inspired by folk art and set in other countries. He won the Aesop Accolade, the American Folklore Society Award, in 1997.

Sue Ann Alderson

is one of BC's foremost writers for young people. She has published 16 children's books, including Sure As Strawberries, and Bonnie McSmithers You're Driving Me Dithers. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia and taught creative writing at the University of British Columbia for many years.

Tara White

Tara White is a Mohawk woman from Kahnawake, Quebec. She has always dreamed of being a writer. Her first book, I Like Who I Am, was published in 2008. Tara currently resides in Bowmanville, Ontario. 

Tiffany Stone

  Tiffany Stone wonders why nothing rhymes with orange. She is the author of Floyd the Flamingo and his flock of friends and Baad Animals, published by Tradewind Books.

Vi Hughes

has been fascinated by the art of storytelling all her life. She is a writer and educator who teaches the importance of reading aloud to children, especially before bedtime. She lives in North Vancouver near her grandchildren who are her main advisors.

Victoria Miles

Victoria Miles is the award-winning author of Magnifico, Old Mother Bear and numerous other books for children. She lives in North Vancouver, Canada, with her husband, photographer David Nunuk, and two daughters—Emily and Daphne—otherwise known as Waby.

Virginia Frances Schwartz

has won many awards including the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction, the Silver Birch Award, Red Cedar, MYRCA, and IODE Violet Downey Book Award. In addition, two of her books were ALA notable books. Born in the fruit belt of Ontario, she now lives in New York City. She is currently a full time writer and teaches writing at UCLA Extension online. Her next book may be a memoir. Check out her website or look for her on facebook.

William New

is a recipient of the Governor General's Award and his books have won widespread international recognition. He has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to Canadian literature. William lives in Vancouver, BC.

X. J. Kennedy

is one of America's celebrated poets for children, he has published numerous works including more than 10 collections of verse and two novels. He is the winner of the 2009 Robert Frost Medal awarded by the Poetry Society of America for distinguished lifetime of service to American poetry and the prestigious National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. He lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Yayo

Yayo is the author and illustrator of many children’s books, including 'If I Had a Million Onions' and 'The Mysterious Stones' for Tradewind Books. He lives in Quebec. He won many awards for his artwork including the Charles Biddle Award , the Concours Lux.