Thompson, Allister (North Bay, ON)

Writer’s Union member, Children’s Book Centre member, Editor’s Association of Canada member, Hackmatack Children’s Choice nominee

$300 plus HST for 1 session, $600 for 2, $800 for 3 and $1000 for 4, + travel (.50 cents per kilometer +HST south of Huntsville, west of Sudbury, and north and east of North Bay).

Virtual Visits: $150 plus HST for one session, 20-60 minutes, $100 for each additional session on the same day.

Allister Thompson is a lifelong book editor in all genres and for all age groups and a writer with a passion for books that grapple with the biggest issues of our time. He has a gift for writing and speaking about climate change and environmentalism in a way that can spark hope and activism in young readers. His presentations on Birch and Jay, his speculative fiction/post-apocalyptic young adult novel set in northern and southern Ontario, thoughtfully examine how we came to be in the dire situation we are in as a species and how generations of the future can walk a different path.

Presentations are for grades 10-12, preferred size of group around 30 but larger possible

Interested participants may be developing a passion for writing or members of an environmental or climate change club.

Only requirements for participants are pen and paper

Example of presentation:

Allister begins by presenting the plot and themes from his young adult post-apocalyptic climate-change novel, Birch and Jay, and then talking about how climate change is affecting young people and their perception of their future, but also how it has entered the popular consciousness through art: books, film, TV, gaming, and music, giving examples that the teens can relate to.

He examines what kinds of stories are out there: hopeful, bleak, etc., and asks students for examples they have seen or read.

Several music prompts are used (original music by the author, and also examples from popular music) to get students brainstorming about how climate change is affecting them personally. Students are asked to decide if the music is hopeful/bleak, and they will write something in response to that.

Lastly, students have a few minutes to come up with their own hopeful scenarios through writing prompts such as “The future to me looks like…?” The outlook for coming generations will be very challenging. What does hope look like for them? What would they like the world to look like in a hundred years? Allister will specifically be asking them to think about positive change, not bleak scenarios, as an entry point for them to think about things they can do in their own lives to embody positive change where climate and the environment are concerned. The group will discuss some of the provided examples.

Themes: Earth Day, activism, conservation, feelings and social situations

Book Allister for a visit:

Frayne Sharon, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Writers Union Member. Young Adult and Adult genres. $300 plus HST and travel ($0.50/km outside Niagara) for 1 session, $500 for 2, $700 for 3 and $900 for full day.

Virtual Visits: $100-200 plus HST (depending on time required)

Background: Sharon Frayne was born in St. Catharines, grew up on a Niagara farm and in Muskoka, and now divides her time between Niagara and Northern Ontario. She was a high school Visual Arts and English teacher, an Arts Department Head, and Elementary Principal. During her career, she worked with many special needs children, their families and teachers. She’s an award winning short story writer and novelist, whose contemporary tales include diverse characters, environmental issues, Canadian history and outdoor settings.

Public Speaking and Workshops: Sharon is a dynamic, engaging, experienced teacher and Principal who is comfortable leading small groups, individual classrooms or presenting in assemblies. She enjoys speaking to adult groups and book clubs. Presentations include visuals and are interactive, tailored to individual and group needs.

Workshop Themes (samples, more are available and can be customized)

How to Self-Edit (suitable for students in grades 4- 12. Meets Ontario Curriculum Guidelines)

How to create amazing, realistic, empathetic characters (for short stories or novel length)

Does Setting matter? It sure does – let’s do some world building to enhance your story.

Seven Steps to writing a prize winning Short Story.

What’s a plot line? How to develop one for a short story or novel.

Who needs conflict? Your story does – here’s how to create some.

For Better or for Worse – How does Social Media Affect Us?

Materials Required for School Presentations:

Classroom or Library setting preferred. Microphone (if acoustics are problematic), table for computer and materials, screen and data projector. Preference is for individual classrooms, or similar age/grade groups up to 100.

Free Virtual Visits!

15 minute virtual visits, with a short teacher/moderator led Q & A session are available to classes or clubs who are reading one of my books. This works best with small groups.

Writer in Residence option:

This is a fantastic opportunity to develop a working relationship with a group over a pre-arranged time period. This could be writing workshops, feedback sessions, book discussions and can be arranged to suit interest and ability levels.

Publications:

Magazines and Newspapers: Eden Mills Writers Festival Chapter Publication (winning writers), CommuterLit, Agnes and True, The Ekphrastic Review, Uproar, The Local (NOTL Paper), The Lake Report (NOTL Paper), Stage of Life (USA online publication) and others

Novels: The Sound of a Rainbow, (Latitude 46 Publishing),2023 (gr. 8 -12)

Caught Between the Walls, (Bygones Press), 2016 (gr. 6 -12)

Awards:

Frayne’s short stories and poems have won in the South Simcoe Arts Festival, Eden Mills Writers Festival, the Northern Ontario Writer’s Workshop, the Banister Poetry Contest and Stratford Rotary Writing Contest. She won the Best Novel Award in the Muskoka Novel Marathon in 2019, 2020 and 2022. She’s been a frequent winner of the NOTL Rising Spirits Writing competition for both short stories and poetry. Her personal essay, ‘Stepping into a Lifetime’ was the USA national winner in the Stage of Life writing competition.

She won the Halton District School Board’s Award of Distinction for Creativity in Education and was nominated for the Ontario Premier’s Award for Education.

Associations: In addition to belonging to the Writer’s Union of Canada, she’s an NOTL Writer’s Circle board member, past president of the Niagara branch of the Canadian Author’s Association. She’s a past Editor of the CAA Niagara annual Anthology and has appeared as a guest speaker at numerous Arts Festivals. She was featured in a televised production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ with the CBC. She also belongs to the NOTL Pumphouse Art Gallery, and is a past board member with NOTL Newcomers Club.

Contact Sharon To Book A Visit:

Varga, Andrew (Oshawa, ON)

Member of the Writers Union of Canada, the Royal Historical Society, and the Historical Novel Society. 2024 Red Maple Award Nominee.

Rates: $250 for one session, $450 for two, $675 for three, $900 for a full day (four sessions). Plus a travel fee of $0.50/km if outside the Durham Region.

Virtual visit fees range from $100 – $200

Andrew is an experienced and passionate speaker who tailors each presentation to the group in front of him. As someone who has studied history all his life, he loves speaking to children and adults about the lesson-known sides of history and why historical fiction is important for people to read. But he is also more than happy to work with teachers and educators if there are certain topics they wish to see covered and he can quickly adapt if the situation calls for it.

The Last Saxon King is a 2024 Forest of Reading Red Maple Nominee

Andrew’s presentations involve a fun and immersive deep dive into the past, with audience participation a crucial part of the presentations. He doesn’t want to just talk to the audience, he wants them there with him as he takes them on a tour through the past. His presentations work best with students in grades 7 through high school. He prefers to speak to a maximum of 125 students at a time. He can be a bit flexible on this.

Since his presentation is power point, he requires an LCD projector (provided by the school), or a smart board, a screen, and a microphone (if the audience size is over 50 kids). He will bring his own laptop.

Contact Andrew to book a visit:

Marion, Kirsten (Victoria, BC)

Member: The Writer’s Union of Canada, SCWBI (West)

$250 for one session, $450 for two, $675 for three, $900 for a full day (four sessions). Plus a travel fee of $0.50/km for short trips outside Victoria. Longer trips can be negotiated.

Virtual visit fees range from $100 – $200.

Kirsten has had two upper middle grade fantasy novels published and a third book in the series is underway. She has travelled extensively over six continents and uses the experiences she has had in her writing. When not travelling, she can be found buried in a book or working on her publishing company, Common Deer Press which publishes books for children and teens.

She is an experienced and enthusiastic speaker who tailors each presentation to the needs of the group. She can do up to two presentations or workshops in the same school or area in the same day. As the author of middle grade and YA novels she is very comfortable with grades 4 through 12.

Presentations are unique as every group is unique. She prefers to have conversations with the audience rather than lecturing to them.

For most presentations she works in why she fell in love with books and libraries as a child and why she is particularly drawn to fantasy adventure novels. Kirsten talks about why her books include universal issues faced by children such as bullying, friendship, problem solving, decision making, navigating difficult relationship experiences and other thorny bit of growing up and just being human.

She also talks about the joy of research and how she does it plus the intricacies of worldbuilding.

Kirsten prefers to work with groups of 40 or fewer for maximum audience participation but will present to up to 100. She loves doing workshops! Small groups of 15 or less preferred for workshops.

Tech requirements – a blackboard or whiteboard, materials to write on it, a glass and a jug of water, a comfortable place to sit.

Contact Kirsten to book 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

Payne, Mary Jennifer (Toronto, ON)

Mary Jennifer’s rate is $300 plus HST per session, plus travel from Toronto. For multiple visits within the same day (maximum of 4), each session is $250 plus HST. Virtual visits via Zoom are $200 plus HST. Each session is 60 minutes long. Author readings with a Q&A and/or writing workshops are available for booking.

Jennifer Payne is an internationally published writer who’s widely known for her YA fiction, including her contributions to the award-winning Boldprint and Timelines series and her Daughters of Light trilogy. Her novels often centre around the themes of gentrification, poverty, climate change, prejudice, marginalization, resilience, etc. and feature strong, female protagonists. Mary Jennifer’s YA hi-lo novel, Enough, was praised by CM magazine as a book that, “In trying to address issues of poverty, race, and gender, the author creates a thought-provoking tale that would be useful for opening up reflection and/or discussion around inclusivity and social struggle.”

Mary Jennifer Payne is an internationally published writer who’s widely known for her YA fiction, including her contributions to the award-winning Boldprint and Timelines series and her Daughters of Light trilogy. Her novels often centre around the themes of gentrification, poverty, climate change, prejudice, marginalization, resilience, etc. and feature strong, female protagonists. Mary Jennifer’s YA hi-lo novel, Enough, was praised by CM magazine as a book that, “In trying to address issues of poverty, race, and gender, the author creates a thought-provoking tale that would be useful for opening up reflection and/or discussion around inclusivity and social struggle.”

Sample Writing Workshops (These can be tailored to relate more directly to my
novel and the characters/themes therein):

There Are Two Sides to Every Story…. You’ve heard the phrase, “There’s always two sides to a story,” right? In this workshop, I’ll unlock your imagination and allow you to give voice to those characters that didn’t get their fair shake at the spotlight in their original narrative. From Voldemort to Cinderella’s stepsisters to Anansi the Spider, the sky’s the limit in terms of who you can bring to life. Step into your character’s shoes and tell the story from his/her point of view. The workshop leads into discussions around marginalization and the inclusiveness (or lack thereof) within different narratives. This workshop will incorporate fun improvisation to get us warmed up. Suitable for ages 10 and up.

Believe in Me! How to Create Realistic Characters in Your Stories. Your protagonist and antagonist, as well as your entire cast of characters, need to come alive on the page in an authentic way. Like everyone, each of your characters is a mix of complex emotions and characteristics. And they have a backstory that motivates them to behave in particular ways in different situations. This workshop will help participants really develop their characters. From deciding your protagonist’s favourite food to his/her greatest fear, you’ll end this session with a character that is “fleshed out” and real enough to step off the page. This workshop will incorporate drama exercises such as hot-seating as the character being developed to help get the creative juices flowing. Suitable for ages 10 and up.

Create, Collaborate, Celebrate! Many modern workplaces are collaborative. In this fun and fast-paced workshop, participants will collaborate in groups of two to three to develop a story from a current news headline. Each story will be shared and celebrated at the end of the session. After briefly plotting some of the elements of your story, you and your partner will take turns writing sentences (or paragraphs, if you’re really daring!) to bring your narrative to life. During our sharing of work at the end of the workshop, there will be an opportunity to discuss what worked, what frustrated us, and what sparks of discovery were made along the way. Suitable for children aged 10 and up.

Book editing and coaching for writers is available as well.

Contact Mary Jennifer to book a visit…

Withers, Pam

Writers’ Union Member. Red Maple nominee 2013, 2019 and 2020. YA. Silver Nautilus Book Award 2012. Numerous other award nominations. $225 virtual visit with Pam, co-author Arooj Hayat*, or both; $300 for one session, $500 for two, $700 for three. No HST; includes all expenses. No maximum audience size. Occasional pickup/drop-off requested.

Writers’ Union Member. MYRCA Northern Lights 2026. Chocolate Lily nominee 2024. Red Maple nominee 2013, 2019 and 2020. Silver Nautilus Book Award 2012 and 2020. $225 virtual visit; $300 for one session, $500 for two, $700 for three. No HST; includes all expenses. No maximum audience size. Occasional pickup/drop-off requested.

Latest release: Cave-In (Sept. 2024). Pam has written 23 best-selling YA sports and outdoor adventure novels particularly popular with teen boys. A former journalist, editor and outdoor guide, she’s a high-energy, humorous presenter who tours extensively. Just ask when she’s next in your area.

Silver Nautilus Book Award 2012

Silver Nautilus Book Award 2012 and 2020

Pam has written 21 best-selling YA sports and outdoor adventure books particularly popular with teen boys. A former journalist, editor and outdoor guide who has kayaked the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, she’s a sought-after speaker for her high-energy, humorous presentations. She has presented extensively across North America for 30 years. The Parkour Club (written by Pam and co-author Arooj Hayat*), promotes cultural diversity and counters Islamophobia (while being a nail-biting sports and adventure story). One Egyptian YA book reviewer wrote, “a story for the whole world to read and learn from.”

Her lively one-hour presentation for grades 4-12 includes:
 Short readings
 Tales of her own adventures
 Humorous anecdotes of how she researches her material
 The patience & persistence it takes to achieve success
 Special encouragement to boys
 The importance of rewriting & accepting criticism
 Tips on writing & getting published
 Extreme-sports video clips
 Q & A time

Writing workshop: Pam also offers a fun, one-hour interactive workshop on doing research to make your writing more real.

Equipment required for in-person visits: Projector and laptop for my USB flash drive; table and water.

Contact Pam to book a visit:

Bow, Erin (Kitchener, ON)

Writers’ Union Member. $250 virtual visit or $400 in-person, plus travel. $700 for a day with two visits (two schools can share). Travel costs waived in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, and the townships.

Erin writes YA science fiction and fantasy middle grade books. With multiple awards, she’s considered one of Canada’s rising stars: Quill and Quire calls her “a new master,” and the CBC says she’s “so close to YA superstardom she can probably taste it.” As a presenter she’s down-to-earth and funny, working to give students real answers and emotional honesty.

CCBC Book Awards: TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award nominee

“I’ve had many novelists visit my classes over the years, but I can honestly say I’ve never seen one connect so well with a teenaged audience. —A.J. Blauer, Acting Head of Literary Arts, Canterbury High School (Ottawa, Ontario)

Free Virtual Visits!
I do free 10-15 minute virtual visits with classes or clubs who are reading one of my books. There’s no presentation, so I’m counting on the teacher or moderator to run a short, informal conversation or a Q&A

Audience: Any small group

Timing: 10 to 15 minutes

Presentation-style School Visits

For upper elementary and middle schools: How to Fail

A funny presentation on how I became an author by failing every step of the way. (Step one: don’t have a dream.)

I’ll give your students a peek behind the scenes of my creative process — research, writing, editing, and more — but the heart of the presentation is grit, growth, and being a little easier on yourself.

Audience: Targeted at grades 5 – 9. Single classes or whole-school gatherings.

Timing: Adaptable to your timetable, but generally 30-40 minutes plus a Q&A, for a total of 45-60 minutes.

For middle schools, high schools: How to Fall off a Roof

This presentation uses that answer — and other insights from modern neuroscience — to introduce new ways to think about how details and pacing change the emotional intensity of a scene.

Audience: Targetted at grades 7 – 12, writers’ craft classes, university classes, writers’ master classes. Works as a workshop for single classes, but can also be run as a presentation for a gym-ful.

Timing: Adaptable to your timetable, but generally 45-60 minutes plus a Q&A, for a total of 60-90 minutes.

For upper elementary and middle schools: Sort of Simon

Simon Sort of Says is my newest middle grade book.

This presentation takes your readers behind the scenes of writing this book — and creativity generally — starting from “where do your get your ideas” and covering everything from an ordinary writing day to the big phone call day where something amazing happens.

This presentation works for both classes who have read or are reading Simon, and for classes who are just curious about books, writing, and creativity.

Content note: there is a school shooting in the backstory — not on the page — of Simon Sort of Says. That comes up in the backstory — not at the heart — of this presentation.

Audience: Targetted at grades 5 – 9. Single classes or whole-school gatherings.

Timing: Adaptable to your timetable, but generally 30-40 minutes plus a Q&A, for a total of 45-60 minutes.

Workshops

Writing Workshop: How to Walk Across a Room

This highly interactive, on-your-feet workshop draws on improv exercises and group brainstorming to help students make characters come to life on the page.

This workshop is at its absolute best as a series of short workshops and writing exercises that build on each other over the course of several writing days. Some of these can be teacher-run — I have sharable lesson plans. Contact me if you’re interested.

Audience: Targeted at grades 7 – 12, writers’ craft classes, university classes, writers’ master classes. Best for single classes.

Timing: Adaptable to your timetable, but generally 45-60 minutes plus a Q&A, for a total of 60-90 minutes.

Writing Workshop: How to Fall off a Roof

Neuroscientists have a question: when you’re falling to your death, does time really slow down? Being scientists, they’ve tested this by dropping volunteers from a great height. Any guesses on what they learned?

This workshop uses that answer — and other insights from modern neuroscience — to introduce new ways to think about how details and pacing change the emotional intensity of a scene.

Jam-packed with weird science and fun examples, this workshop is the least interactive one I do, and can also be a presentation to a gym-ful.

Audience: Targetted at grades 7 – 12, writers’ craft classes, university classes, writers’ master classes. Works as a workshop for single classes, but can also be run as a presentation for a gym-ful.

Timing: Adaptable to your timetable, but generally 45-60 minutes plus a Q&A, for a total of 60-90 minutes.

Writer in Residence options

Want to take it up a notch? These workshops add together to create a great program for a writer in residence. Think every day for a week, or twice a month for a semester, or even more.

This is my absolute favourite thing to do — it’s a game changer for me, for the kids, and for the teachers I work with.

Contact Erin to book a visit.

Narsimhan, Mahtab (BC)

Mahtab Narsimhan- H20-209960 8x10 300 Writers’ Union Member. Silver Birch winning author available for school, public library, and conference visits. Member of The Writers’ Union of Canada. Continue reading “Narsimhan, Mahtab (BC)”

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.