Camlot, Heather (Toronto, ON)

The Writers’ Union of Canada 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 CAMLOT is an award-winning author of a dozen books for young readers.

Her middle-grade nonfiction include What If Soldiers Fought with Pillows? True Stories of Imagination and Determination, The Prisoner and the Writer, and One Goal: How Soccer Can Help Save the Planet. Heather is also an accomplished fiction writer. Her two middle-grade novels are Clutch and The Other Side. 

Fall 2026 will see two new nonfiction books, Have a Bite! How Food Connects Us and Beyond Words: The Meaning and Impact of Signs and Symbols. Two more books are slated for 2027  Champions for Change: How Athletes are Making a Difference and Poster Child: The Story of Artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, her first picture book. 

Heather’s books have been honoured as a Best Book pick from Kirkus Reviews, a Canadian Jewish Literary Awards winner (juvenile category), Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections, an Outstanding Science Trade Book (NSTA/CBC) and Skipping Stones Honor Awards. They have also been shortlisted for provincial, national, and international awards, including Forest of Reading, CCBC Book Awards, and Prix littéraire FETKANN – Maryse Condé. 

PRESENTATIONS (60 minutes, grades 3+)

Heather aims to entertain and educate, engaging students with a fun and interactive presentation, lively discussion and themed activities. We’ll talk about a specific book (choose from the list below), inspiration, challenges, themes and of course writing.

Heather is happy to collaborate to create a customized presentation.

Books and themes:

  • Clutch: Baseball, family, tradition, 1940s, Montreal, Jackie Robinson, Judaism, World War II, Holocaust, Canada, government of Canada, historical fiction, sports, courage, injustice
  • The Other Side: Mystery,family secrets, illness, soccer, 2014 World Cup,World War II, Germany, Canada, inter-generational, injustice, courage, history, present
  • What If Soldiers Fought with Pillows?: Social justice, human rights, imagination, real-world crises, asking big questions, courage, change, peace, reconciliation, bravery, injustice, leadership, history, present
  • Secret Schools: School, underground, hiding, current, history, present, education, learning, courage, perseverance, resilience, determination, change, injustice
  • I Can’t Do What?: Laws, rules, human rights, sports, art, entertainment, injustice, technology, family, crime and punishment, weird, governance, social justice
  • Becoming Bionic: STEM, science, biology, technology, superheroes, comics, cartoons, science fiction, technological innovations, medicine, pop culture, history, present
  • The Prisoner and the Writer: Dreyfus Affair, antisemitism, Judaism, advocacy, racism 19th century, France, media literacy, bias, fake news, treason, betrayal, courage, true story, justice, equality, prejudice, scandal, misinformation
  • One Goal: Soccer, climate change, World Cup, Olympics, sports, social justice, human rights, sustainability, environment, reduce, reuse, recycle
  • Beyond Words: Symbols, hate, peace, support, protest, social justice, human rights, history, racism, 2SLGBTQI+, sexism, physical and mental health, marginalized
  • Have a Bite: Food, food history, social justice, family, tradition, climate change, history, culture, trade, geography, connection, politics, food safety, food waste

WORKSHOPS (60 minutes, grades 3+)

  • Where do ideas come from?: In this idea-generating workshop, we’ll discuss where to look for fiction and/or nonfiction book ideas – starting in our own lives. Students will get writing with two exercises to jumpstart the creative process. Based on ONE GOAL: HOW SOCCER CAN HELP SAVE THE PLANET.
  • What’s news?: Bias in the media is difficult to spot. In this media-literacy workshop, we’ll look into 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, and hearing is objective, biased or completely fake. Based on THE PRISONER AND THE WRITER.

You can find more presentation and workshop descriptions available on Heathercamlot.com.

Maximum presentation size: 100 (flexible) / maximum workshop size: 30 (flexible)
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:

    Sherrard, Valerie (Miramichi NB)

    GG nominated, award-winning author. Valerie Sherrard has been named the 2024 Literary Arts Laureate of the New Brunswick Lieutenant Governor’s Award for High Achievement in the Arts.

    Virtual Visit: $125.00 for a 45-60 minute presentation.

    In school visits: $250 for a single presentation or $400 for two. No additional costs within the GTA – travel may apply beyond that parameter. Please contact Valerie to find out when she plans to be in Ontario.

    Valerie is an experienced presenter who uses humour and an interactive style to engage her audience. Feedback from her school and library visits has been enthusiastic.

    Presentations: Grades 4 – 8. Signed mementos will be provided for all students at in-person presentations.

    Middle Grades/ Young Adult: Engaging and interactive presentation with personal sharing and a focus on literacy as well as issues related to specific titles (as requested). Valerie ends with a short reading and about 10 minutes for Q & A.

    Valerie is flexible on audience size but in her experience, groups of 100 or less result in the greatest benefit to students. She is comfortable in all settings, including classroom, library, auditorium or gymnasium.

    A sound system may be required depending on audience size and acoustics.

    Titles shown above, in brief:

    Absolutely No Body Parts: The Gross Busters team, Nick, Khenan, and their eleven-year-old helper Florrie are raking in cash doing icky jobs other people have been avoiding. But when they uncover a secret that shocks the whole town, it stirs up a bigger mess than any of them could’ve expected.

    A Bend in the Breeze: An uncharted island, a village’s fate, a mysterious storm, and a small, bewildered visitor. Could Pascale Chardon be the Long Awaited, foretold in island legend? Has she come to decide the island’s destiny?

    Birdspell: Corbin’s mom has an illness that causes lost jobs, constant moves, new schools and friendships that never grow. Then a talking bird brings a chance to fill the gap in his life. But when things spiral out of control, Corbin is forced to do the one thing he fears the most.

    Random Acts: Good deeds gone hilariously wrong.

    More than Words: Non-fiction. Your students will love the fun approach and activities in this comprehensive guide to communication. 

    Driftwood: A summer full of quirky characters, youthful adventures, and mysterious tales of driftwood.

    Contact Valerie to book a visit:

      Kacer, Kathy (Toronto)

      Writers’ Union Member.Historical fiction and non-fiction, multi-award winner, and experienced speaker. Kathy’s rate in and around the GTA is $400 per session. HST and mileage charges are also applicable. Virtual Visits: $250 plus HST, 60 minutes, Skype/Google Talk

      2025 Nominee CCBC Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award for Two Pieces of Chocolate

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