Authors’ Booking Service is pleased to announce that Young Adult author Lesley Livingston, is now scheduling visits to Ontario schools for the coming school year.   

Lesley would love to plan a visit to your school or library.  Her rate is $250 per session (plus travel if outside of Toronto).

Lesley is a member of The Writers' Union of Canada, and so schools wishing to invite her may be eligible for a travel and fee subsidy to off-set the cost of her visit. Contact us for details of this program. Time slots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, so please respond early if you are interested in booking Lesley.

Published Works

The Wondrous Strange Trilogy

Wondrous Strange (HarperTeen, 2009)

“Wondrous Strange, the debut novel (and first book in a trilogy) from Toronto writer Lesley Livingston, manages to stand as a powerful and largely original work in its own right. Rooted not only in faerie traditions but also in previous treatments of those traditions, Wondrous Strange will serve as a perfect introduction to the unseen world for younger readers.”—Quill & Quire (Starred Review) 

“There have been plenty of urban fairy fantasies recently (by Holly Black, Melissa Marr, Cassandra Clare), but what sets Lesley Livingston’s Wondrous Strange apart is her liberal use of Shakespearean allusions… in this clever, action-packed debut.”—Horn Book Review

Darklight (HarperTeen, 2010)

“Livingston's follow-up to Wondrous Strange will enthrall fans, and its cliffhanger ending will leave them screaming for more. She injects an element of Celtic legend and lore that adds a different dimension to this dark, sinister, and violent urban faerie tale… Sonny and Kelley are likeable and interesting, and readers will be pulling for them. A complicated plot with many major unexpected twists and a full cast of well-crafted characters make this title stand ahead of many others in the genre.”—VOYA

“In the world of Twilight read-alikes, Livingston's novels stand out. Kelley has personality and spunk that Bella and others are missing, and the “star-crossed” romance between Kelley and Sonny is more emotional and genuine than others in this genre.”—School Library Journal

“Urban faerie killers, star-crossed lovers, rival courts and a spot of Shakespeare vie for center stage in this sequel to Wondrous Strange… Fans of the first volume will especially relish the ending, which hints at darker things to come.”—Kirkus Reviews

Tempestuous (HarperTeen, 2011)

“Kelley and Sonny are caught in the middle of a war involving fae and Greenmen, and only their faith and trust in each other can offset the treachery that surrounds them. This book brings the trilogy that started with Wondrous Strange and Darklight to a careening, crashing, chaotic conclusion. Livingston’s artistry at creating imaginary worlds that exist side by side with contemporary New York remains strong, and while it isn’t a good place to enter the series, fans of the first two entries will gulp this one down with gusto.”—Booklist

“The third and final entry in the series that began with Wondrous Strange, this ends the story just right. … The romance! And the battles! And all the Shakespeare! It’s enjoyable [and] well-plotted.”—Kirkus Reviews

(Audio-book versions of all three books in the Wondrous Strange trilogy, narrated by the author, are also available.)

Once Every Never (Penguin Canada, 2011)

“Once Every Never swept me up in its blood magic spell and shoved me straight back into Britain's past. I can't begin to describe how much fun this book was to read. So much fun. Thank you, Lesley, for feeding the sci-fi and history nerd living inside my head.”—Lindsay at MeOnBooks

“Memorable characters, history, and humour make this a compelling and all too fun read.”—Lost For Words

Lesley’s books have sold to eleven different countries, and counting.

Awards and Nominations

Wondrous Strange:

Winner of the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book of the Year, 2010

White Pine Honour Book

Shortlisted for the Sunburst Award for excellence in Canadian Speculative Fiction

Nominated for the 2011 Stellar Award

CCBC “Best Book”

Darklight:

Shortlisted for the Indigo Teen Read Award for Best Canadian Read.

Presentation Details

I am a classically-trained Shakespearean actress with over 2 decades of stage experience, much of which had involved performing for high school audiences, always with in-depth Q&A sessions. My presentations, as a result, are always as dynamic and interactive as I can make them.

• I will always do a reading, comprised of 1-3 excerpts from either my Wondrous Strange trilogy, or from Once Every Never, the first book in my latest trilogy. The reading can last anywhere from 10-20 mins, depending on the amount of time available.

• Before the reading, I will talk about my path to publication, my experiences in the worlds of literature and performance, and the impetus to become a writer.

• After, I am more than happy to do an in-depth question and answer period with students on a wide-ranging assortment of topics including, but by no means limited to: the work itself, my personal experiences in the writing and theatrical professions, the mechanics of novel writing, mythology and folklore, Shakespeare, pop-cultural influences, historical and literary references, the business of writing, making a living as a writer or an actor (or not), and the importance of story-telling in our culture.

• I believe that humour is a powerful tool, especially when used in communicating with young people, and I try to keep my talks entertaining as well as informative.

Grades I will present to: 8 and up

Is this flexible? Yes! I have successfully presented to younger students and certainly have no problem speaking with upper-grade high school students and beyond. I like adults, too!  

Maximum number of students per session: I can work in very small groups right up to large auditorium gatherings, provided I have a microphone in larger venues.  

I also have story-crafting workshops available for grades 9-12.  

Maximum participants for workshop: A maximum of 15 for optimum results, although I have done larger workshops if there is a greater amount of time available (usually 2-3 hours).   

Venues I’m comfortable in: classroom, library, auditorium, gymnasium—essentially, I am comfortable in all settings, from sitting on the floor in a corner of the library to taking over the school gym (provided I have a microphone for larger venues and maybe some water and a stool to perch on.)

Equipment and other requirements:  None. Although, if a projector is available with a computer hook-up, I have book trailers to show.

Praise for Lesley’s Presentations:

“Lesley has the talent to sweep her audience into her world. She was funny and connected to the audience almost instantly. They were riveted with her speaking and kept her captive for many questions after the presentation. When I asked the students what they thought, they commented that they learned a lot and they loved Lesley reading from her book “in character” and also that her love of reading and writing were inspiring. Lesley is a charismatic presenter and we were fortunate to have her speak to our students. Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board looks forward to more books and hopefully more author visits from Lesley in the future.”
Joanne Hipkin, Teacher-Librarian
Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School
(Peterborough, Ontario)

“Lesley's presentation was dynamic and very engaging. She spoke about the trials of beginning as an author and the heartbreak that follows when rejected, all with good humour. She read from the sequel to Wondrous Strange – Darklight, and gave us a preview of the novel through the book trailer. Lesley had many great ideas for the students as they follow their path to become writers. The students had many questions, which she answered with sincerity. Her warm and personable approach, as well as her sense of humour, made her a pleasure to listen to.”
Kimberly Scuglia, Teacher-Librarian
Cardinal Carter Catholic High School
(Aurora, Ontario)

“Amazing presentation! Great sense of humour, completely honest, interactive. Very inspiring, good author with great advice. Hope to see her again next year.”
Student
Harrison Trimble High

“Excellent. I admired how free spirited, honest and outspoken Lesley Livingston was. She was very inspiring and you could sense her enthusiasm and high energy… I can’t wait to read her work! She, Lesley Livingston, seriously needs to come back. So many of us would love to have her back.”
Student
Harrison Trimble High