racism – Authors' Booking Service

Jones, Kevin (aka Kevin heronJones) Brampton, Ontario

(Writer’s Union), Hackmatack Award Nominee (2023) Named Brampton’s Official Writer-in-Residence (2025) Knowledge Bookstore nomination for best spoken word CD recording (2011) Telly Award: Video production of heronJones Presents The Season (2006) Golden Sheaf Award nomination for the Yorkton Short Film Festival multicultural category for heronJones Presents The Season (2006) Roots Lounge Slam Poetry Champion (Multi Awards) Wordlympics Team Poetry Slam Runner-up (2004) Urban Music Association of Canada nomination for best poetry recording (2001)

In Person and Virtual Visits. Grade four to University in age:

Workshops/Author Readings $400 per session (1 hr)

Workshops include Performance/reading along with lecture and coaching (up to 40 students per session)

Author Readings include Live reading and discussion (no restrictions on number of students)

Performances $400 per session (1hr)

Performances include Live show/concert with Q&A (no restrictions on number of students)

Travel rates .50 cents per kilometer, round-trip outside of the GTA

Multiple sessions up to 4 per day are negotiable

Kevin heronJones is a novelist, poet, journalist, editor, narrator and lecturer. This electrifying artist is best known for his profound and powerful delivery. He is currently serving as the city of Brampton’s first Writer-in-Residence. He grew up in Jane/Finch Toronto and Brampton. He studied journalism at Sheridan College and creative writing with the University of Toronto. He is the founder of PoeticSoul, an organization dedicated to promoting the poetic arts scene and providing lovers of poetry with quality entertainment. He’s held numerous workshops for students throughout the Greater Toronto Area, providing an interactive introduction to storytelling and spoken word where students are challenged to create their own prose and oratory creations and believe in their creative abilities. He has authored three published novels, three books of poetry, he has recorded three spoken word poetry CDs and narrates literature through his Listen Fiction platform.

Writing Fiction Workshop: Finding Inspiration

60 minutes, grades – 4-8

Students are encouraged to create their own stories with coaching from Kevin Jones

How do we know what to write? Inspiration comes from the places we least expect (the places we don’t pay attention to)

What is your favourite show, movie, song, poem?

What is your favourite saying, quote, lyric?

What excites you, makes you mad, happy, upset?

What are the top news stories? What did you read on a billboard today? What did you see in a commercial?

These are possible starting points when you are trying to figure out what to write

* Additional Writing Workshops can be constructed to suit your school’s writing goals and student interests.

Author Reading

60 minutes, grades – Elementary/Middle School/Secondary

Narration/reading excerpt of Half Court Trap or Not Talking About You (Elementary/Middle School)

Narration/reading excerpt of Hacking Heartbreak (Middle School/Secondary)

Discussion of novel’s themes

Half-Court Trap – Body image, sportsmanship and bullying
Not Talking About you – Racism and sportsmanship
Hacking Heartbreak – Social media ethics, romantic relationships and cyberbullying

Black History Month Assembly:

60 minutes, grades – Elementary/Middle School/Secondary

Spoken word poetry performance

Talk about equality

Celebration of African achievements

African History facts

Q & A

Writing Poetry Workshop:

60 minutes, grades – Elementary/Middle School/Secondary/College

Spoken word poetry performance

Storytelling and Poetry for Beginners (Elementary school students)

The Art of the Spoken Word (Secondary school students)

How to Write and Perform Slam Poetry (Secondary school, College/University)

Urban Griots (College/University students)

What You Think Is What You Are (Business/General public)

Preferred Venues

Workshops – Classroom or library

Poetry performances – Gymnasium or Theatre

Author Readings – No stipulation

Tech Required

Projector for workshopsand author readings

Book Kevin for a visit

Matas, Carol (Winnipeg, MB,)

Carol Matas, Winnipeg, MB, member, Writers’ Union of Canada, English. Grades K- 12.

One hour in person $350 plus GST, $600.00 plus GST for 2 sessions, plus travel. One hour virtual visit, $200.00 plus GST.

Carol is the internationally best selling author of over 45 books for young people, which have received over 100 awards and honours and been translated into 16 languages.

Photo: Chantal Picton Holowka.

Carol Matas will have a new Holocaust novel, A Struggle For Hope, out this fall with Scholastic Canada. It tells the story of Ruth, a Holocaust survivor who has made the dangerous trip to Palestine after the war. She and other survivors tell their stories as a way of making sense of the world and Ruth discovers how powerful stories can be – for good and for ill. Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Carol has written historical, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary novels. She is about to have her first picture book published. She has written early readers, middle grade novels and young adult novels and a YA crossover book. She often gets emails from young people telling her that they didn’t like to read until they discovered her books, and she is thrilled to cultivate new readers. Many of Carol’s presentations are about her Holocaust novels. In these sessions she delves into the roots of antisemitism and racism which informed Hitler’s worldview. She loves to talk about “big questions” using books like Cloning Miranda, when she encourages discussions about what it means to be a human being.

Who’s Looking for science based presentations.

There is no size limit as long as a microphone is provided for in person visits, even in small venues – although the perfect venue is a library.

Carol does virtual visits all over North America, most recently Atlanta, Georgia to present “The War Within,” a Civil War novel.

Writers’ Union; Canscaip; SCBWI. Also presents to adults.

Carol’s books have garnered over 100 awards and honours, including 2 nominations for the Governor General’s Award; the Silver Birch Award; a New York Times Notable book; a Sydney Taylor Award; a National Jewish Book Award finalist; an ALA Best Book of the Year for YA; a Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Award for Young People; CCBC Best Book for Kids and Teens; New York Public Library, book for the Teen Age; and the Geoffrey Bilson Award. They have also been translated into 16 languages and many have been best sellers. Daniel’s Story has sold over 1 million copies in the United States and Canada.

Contact Carol to book a visit

Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk (Brantford ON)

Writers Union Member. Fiction & NF, 2X Silver Birch winner, 2x Red Cedar Winner, Yellow Cedar Winner. Multi awards. All ages. $400 plus HST for 1 session, $650 for 2, $900 for 3 and $1100 for 4, + travel (.68 cents per kilometer, round-trip for SW ON).

Virtual Visits: $300 plus HST, for one session, 20-60 minutes, $200 for each additional session on the same day.

Camlot, Heather (Toronto, ON)

Writers’ Union Member. Fiction and nonfiction writer.

Heather’s rates are $300 for one session, $550 for two, $800 for three. For virtual presentations: $300 for one session, $500 for two. HST applies to all sessions. No travel costs within Toronto or if I am in your city (I travel to Montreal several times a year). Able to present in English and French.

Heather is an award-winning children’s author, journalist, editor and translator. Her two middle-grade novels, CLUTCH and THE OTHER SIDE, received Skipping Stones Honor Awards and nominations for Forest of Reading, among other honors. CLUTCH was also named a 2017 Best Book from Kirkus Reviews.

CCBC Book Awards: David Booth Award for Children’s and Youth Poetry nominee

Heather is also an accomplished nonfiction writer. SECRET SCHOOLS and THE PRISONER AND THE WRITER were named Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections and What If Soldiers Fought with Pillows? True Stories of Imagination and Determination received a Skipping Stones Honor Award. Her next nonfiction book, Becoming Bionic and Other Ways Science is Making Us Super,

In her presentations, Heather aims to entertain and educate, leaving the audience interested in writing fiction and nonfiction as well as looking into their own history for inspiration.

PRESENTATIONS (60 minutes, grades 3+)

Heather engages students with a fun and interactive presentation, customized to audience and interest.

Generally speaking: Heather shares the inspiration and the challenges of writing works that delve into history and social justice. She also discusses the basic elements of writing fiction and/or nonfiction, how to give stories life through research and why bringing the past to the present is so important. Q&A session and reading are included.

What does it mean to be a superhero?: This STEM/STEAM-related presentation draws on BECOMING BIONIC. We’ll delve get into how science is turning us into superbeings – powering up our bodies with what we may not have been born with and what we may never have thought we’d need. We’ll discuss what those powers look like in the real world, based on the sections of Becoming Bionic. We’ll create our own superhero identities and answer the ultimate question: Cape or no cape.

Stand up and speak out: This social-justice-related presentation, based on THE PRISONER AND THE WRITER, begins with a quote from Captain Alfred Dreyfus: “My only crime is to have been born a Jew.” How would students fill in the last word of Captain Dreyfus’s quote to reflect their lives or world around them? We’ll discuss the meaning of social justice, play a game of news fact vs news fiction, and discuss ways to stand up and speak out.

Maximum presentation size: 100 for virtual presentations; 60 for in-person reading/Q&A. Teacher and/or librarian must be present.

WORKSHOPS (60 minutes, grades 3+)

Look no further: A simple moment can kickstart the writing process. Students choose a moment in their own lives or family history and turn into a work of fiction or nonfiction. Based on CLUTCH and THE OTHER SIDE.

What’s news?: Bias in the media is not difficult to spot. This session will delve into media literacy and how to determine if what you’re reading is fact…or fiction. I’ll test students’ knowledge of news fact vs news fiction through a fun game and we’ll create a reference guide to better judge whether what they are reading, seeing, hearing is objective, biased or completely fake. Based on THE PRISONER AND THE WRITER.

A single object: A single object can inspire an entire world. Students will begin with an “item of interest” and learn how to add different layers — setting, storyline, character, big reveal — to build a short story. Based on THE OTHER SIDE.

Just the facts: How do you write a nonfiction book that makes tough subjects compelling and easy to understand all the while ensuring it stick to the truth? Based on her nonfiction books.

Get activ-ist!: “What cause would you defend…and how would you defend it?” We’ll discuss various forms of activism and what is important to students right now. We’ll come up with methods to get messages across and students will put ideas into action by creating a poster for their cause. Based on THE PRISONER AND THE WRITER and I CAN’T DO WHAT?

Customized topic: Heather is happy to tailor workshops to your needs and audience, including educators and the general public. Topics can include social injustice, advocacy, World War II, the Holocaust, antisemitism, soccer, baseball, media literacy, arts and entertainment, etc.

Maximum workshop size: 30 (flexible).
Equipment required: Flip chart and markers, screen and projector, microphone and podium (for large rooms), paper and pencils (for workshops). Teacher and/or librarian must be present.

Heather offers the services of professional editing, copyediting, proofreading and
translating. She also provides manuscript evaluations – fiction and nonfiction.

Contact Heather to book a visit:

Hohn, Nadia (Toronto)

The Writers Union member. Picture book. All ages. $350 for 1 session (60 min) $ 600 for 2 sessions of 60 minutes (1/2 day)$ 400 for 2 x 30 minute sessions (great for JK to 1). Full day (4 sessions) $ 1000. + kilometrage. Can present in English and French.

Malaika’s Costume (2016) and Malaika’s Winter Carnival (2017).

Hune, Bernice (Toronto)

Storytellers of Canada. Gold Mountain Stories. Traditional Asian folklore & Canada’s immigrant history (FDK – 12). Per session, 80-100 students. Three Sessions $625 + travel from Toronto. Continue reading “Hune, Bernice (Toronto)”

McKay, Sharon (Burlington ON)

Writers’ Union Member. Sharon travels across Canada several times a year. Sharon E. McKay (Mick-EYE) writes fact-based fiction for young adults. Multi-awards, all ages.

Flat fee of $900 for a full day, four sessions and includes a free (optional) brown-bag lunch for anyone interested in writing. Flat fee of $600 for an afternoon. Parents and media are welcome in all sessions.

Virtual Visits: $150, 60 minutes, Skype. Continue reading “McKay, Sharon (Burlington ON)”

Schmidt, René (Trenton, ON)

René Schmidt is the author of four books by Scholastic Canada on Canadian Disasters series, and received the Red Maple Honour Book award for Leaving Fletchville.

$275 for one session, $375 for two, $525 for three and for $750 for four sessions. No travel charge will be asked within 100 km of Trenton Ontario. Skype sessions are available for $150 per session.

FACT vs. FICTION. Where do you get your information from? As well as his regular presentations, René Schmidt is presenting on teaching students to separate known fact from rumours and fiction.

Do you teach any students that don’t have a clue

about fiction or non-fiction what’s opinion, what’s true?

Because in our world of media confusion

many students can’t tell between real and illusion.

They research something and come up with actual

opinions or hearsay but nothing proven factual.

Did they read it on Facebook or other media social

(because we all can be fooled by arguments emotional).

So I tell what I found researching Canadian Disasters,

including many times when rumors spread faster than truth…

My rule is: don’t trust any source that can’t be fired

for lying or misleading the public or whoever hired – them

Be it books or newspapers, TV or Internet media;

a lot of real facts can be found in Google or Wikipedia.

But trust only sources with something valuable to lose,

like a job, or tenure, or a reputation; they should have no excuse…

for lying.

To your students I’ll bring funny stories of misinformation

and tragic ones too, that fooled our nation.

Because the falsehoods we sift through are no real mystery

bogus stories are endemic through Canada’s history.

So invite me to your school if your principal has a budget

and you and I will teach research and how to judge it.

Q & A sessions follow all presentations.

As a member of the Writer’s Union of Canada, René’s presentations qualify for the Ontario Writer’s In The Schools grants (WITS) program.

Contact Rene to book a visit:

Poulsen, David (Alberta)

Writers’ Union Member. Alberta, Fiction, Multi-award winner. Grades 1-12 $325 plus GST for 1 session, $600 for 2, $850 for 3 and $1000 for 4, + travel.

The Unlikely Hero has been selected as the Ontario Library Association’s Best Bets (also known as their top ten titles) of 2024 in the Junior Nonfiction category!
Continue reading “Poulsen, David (Alberta)”