Note: Last name pronunciation is “dare.” The Writers’ Union of Canada, Manitoba Writers’ Guild, ACTRA Finalist: White Pine, Red Cedar, MYRCA, Violet Downey, Arthur Ellis, Diamond Willow.
Rates for in-person: $300 per single presentation, $200 for additional presentations at the same school per day.
Rates for virtual: $200 per presentation.
Anita Daher is an author, screenwriter, producer, and actor primarily of Icelandic and Irish heritage. She has been entrenched in the publishing industry since 1995, and helped found writing organizations in Yellowknife, NWT, and the Algoma region of Northern Ontario before landing in Winnipeg in 2004. From 2019 to 2021 she served as Chair of the Writers’ Union of Canada. She thinks too much, rises too early, and in her spare time enjoys renovating old campers.
Anita is a dynamic speaker who has presented in hundreds of schools in urban, rural and remote communities across Canada, primarily in the North and West. She can do up to four presentations in the same school or area in a day. She has power point presentations appropriate to the grade, which include a professionally filmed scene adapted from one of her novels.
Presentations
Grades 3 to 6
Grades 7 and 8
Grades 9 to 12
For younger grades the focus is plot and planning. For older grades, it is “the story underneath,” or the heart of the story. Each touch on the author’s journey, and what—besides inspiration—you need to write a book.
Presentations are generally 45 minutes, adaptable to school needs, and include time for Q & A.
Group size preference, preferred venues (for in person), tech required for your presentations.
Anita’s preferred venue is a library and is flexible regarding size of audience—whatever is appropriate to the space. She requires a projector with speakers to accommodate her power point presentation.
Writers’ Union Member. Winner of the Heart of Hawick Award (UK). Shortlisted for the Red Cedar (BC), MYRCA (Manitoba) and Audie Awards (USA). OLA Best Bet. Many of her books have been optioned for TV/Film.
$300+HST for a single session; $500+HST for two sessions; $900+HST for a full day. Prices for larger groups, workshops, panels, etc., to be negotiated*. For outside the Toronto area, add kilometrage/accommodation. Virtual Visits $100 – $200
ABOUT:
Adrienne Kress is an enthusiastic and creative presenter with a background in acting that makes her engaging for audiences of all ages. She has toured with TD Children’s Book Week and presented at MASC in Ottawa. She is a Toronto-born actor and author who, so far, has twelve novels to her credit (with an upcoming graphic novel in 2025), as well as essays, plays, screenplays and short stories. She has spoken to children and adults in a large variety of circumstances, from school assemblies and classroom workshops to writers’ associations and conference panels. Her presentations have taken her across Canada, the United Kingdom and the US. Adrienne is a dynamic, skilful speaker, insightful, knowledgeable and fun to be with.
PRESENTATIONS/READINGS/WORKSHOPS
“Adrienne first visited our school for a book reading and discussion about her writing career. We were so impressed with her dynamic and engaging approach to children that we immediately looked for other opportunities to bring this very talented individual back to the school. The almost-instantaneous connection she has made with our students is a testament to her extraordinary ability to work with young people.”
– Jonathan Harris, Head of School, Fieldstone Day School
READINGS:
Readings based on middle grade books are geared towards children in grades 4, 5, 6 and 7. They are 45 minutes to 11⁄2 hours in length depending on needs. She is comfortable with any group size. She has spoken to small groups in a cozy huddle on the floor in a library and to large groups of a couple of hundred in gyms and auditoriums.
As a passionate author, professional actor and teacher, Adrienne brings a large array of skills to her readings. She starts with a short talk about “how a book gets published” and “working with your editors is like working with your teacher,” continues with a dramatic reading from one of the books and ends with a question period and a book signing opportunity. When her session arises from one of her more swashbuckling books, Adrienne is happy to add a fencing lesson (no swords required!).
PRESENTATIONS:
Presentations can be geared to any audience, for example, Writer’s Craft classes, writers’ groups, book clubs. The length of the presentation varies according to the needs of the group, but is most often 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours in length. The content can be individualized to suit the interests of the group, but usually covers topics like the trials and tribulations of getting published (including how to get a literary agent), the writing process, working with an editor, identifying your audience, trends in modern literature and the importance of studying past works and authors.
WORKSHOPS:
“It was all amazing, Adrienne Kress is a fantastic author and person, she is very engaging and super nice.”
“I really liked all the exercises, and how all the exercises really make you think. I think it really helped with my writing!”
— MASC Young Authors & Illustrators Student Participants
Workshops can be geared to any audience, for example, elementary school students, Writer’s Craft classes, writers’ groups, book clubs. The length of the presentation varies according to the needs of the group but is most often 1 1⁄2 hours to 3 hours in length, though it can be expanded. The content usually covers topics like honing your writing skills, creating your own voice, creating a “world” for your stories, the use of dialogue, humour – its types and where to use it – identifying your audience, etc.
Comfortable in all venues. Equipment required: A glass of water, a microphone for larger groups or in the gym, a screen and projector for power-point.
