Member: Writer’s Union of Canada, Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators, CANSCAIP. All ages from 8 and up. Up to 100 or so participants.
Rates: $300 for one session, $550 for two, $800 for three, $1000 for a full day (four sessions). Plus a travel fee of $0.50/km to and from Brampton, Ontario. Virtual visits $200 plus HST for 30-60 minutes, $150 plus HST for each subsequent session on the same day.
Susan Currie is a Cayuga-Acadian author who has written 8 books for young people that focus on identity, friendship, music, social justice, and Indigenous history. Winner: Second Story Press’s inaugural Aboriginal Writing Award. Finalist: Silver Birch Award, CLA Book of the Year for Children, Hackmatack Award, Manitoba Young Reader’s Choice Award, First Nations Communities Read, CODE Burt Award (Honour Book), White Pine Award. Her books have been starred selections for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books for Children, selected for Top Grade, selected for JLG and Bank Street Children’s Book Committee, and included on several CBC and library lists of recommended books. Susan is an adoptee who was in the foster care system briefly as a baby, and only learned of her Indigenous heritage as an adult.
Susan engages and energizes students with an interactive and lively presentation focusing on what it is like to be a writer, the writing process, and how books get published. In each case, she will focus on one or two books in particular, exploring their big ideas and how they came to be written. She will include a short reading and leave room for questions. Susan is extremely flexible as a presenter and is happy to customize a presentation to fit the needs of each venue. After 26 years in the classroom, she is very comfortable engaging in conversation with young people.
Susan is also excited to do writing workshops with small groups. She is happy to work with educators to customize a topic.
Middle Grade Fiction (grades 3-8):
The Mask that Sang (Second Story Press, 2016)
• Indigenous history in Canada; overcoming bullies; friendship; foster care
Young Adult Fiction (Grades 6-12):
Iz the Apocalypse (Common Deer Press, 2023)
• Going after your dreams; foster care; critiquing unfair systems; music; creativity; identity; friendship
Fierce Voice (Common Deer Press, 2025)
• Developing your own fierce voice; finding courage to do hard things; standing up to bullies; music; friendship
Nonfiction (Grades 3-12):
Haudenosaunee: the People and Nations (Beech Street Books, 2023)
• Indigenous history to the present; customs and beliefs; art and music; social justice and fairness
Indigenous Peoples: Cayuga Nation (Beech Street Books, 2024)
• Indigenous life before and after first contact; traditions; political organization; modern Indigenous life; social justice and fairness
Amazing Women in Canada: Autumn Peltier (Beech Street Books, 2025)
• Water preservation; water walkers; raising your courageous voice; learning how we can all do our part
Indigenous Governance (Beech Street Books, 2026)
• First Nation, Metis and Inuit groups in Canada; how each group is governed; Indigenous history in Canada, Truth and Reconciliation
Tanya Tagaq (forthcoming from Beech Street Books in December 2026)
• Creativity; music; busting barriers; finding your own voice
Equipment required: a microphone for larger groups or in the gym; a screen and projector for presenting slides and doing shared writing.