Brave, though provoking, often unsettling, Hollay’s work takes you deep inside singular moments and experiences, sometimes pushing at the edges of your expectations, and other times exploding them all together. Her debut poetry collection, Rebellion Box, is available now from Radiant Press.
Jennifer-Mook-Sang is the author of three fantastic books for young readers! Her latest, The Care and Keeping of Grandmas, is available now and would make a fantastic gift for kiddos and grandmas alike!
Brooke Lockyer is the painfully cool and mysterious big sister I never had. She’s also the author of Burr, an electric new work of Southern Ontario Gothic fiction that investigates the nature of grief and longing that reach beyond the grave.
Lana Button is a born storyteller. Early on, this calling took the form a love of acting. After studying to become an Early Childhood Educator, Lana fell in love with picture books and began writing for children. Today, she is the author of 10 published books for young readers, with 4 more on the way.
Alana Johnson is a fancy-pants actress, sketch comedy performer, podcaster, and writer living and working in LA. Once upon a time, though, she was a girl just like me, walking the halls of Orangeville District Secondary School. Except that she was much braver, and much funnier, and had much, much better hair.
Jaimie Franchi is a Montreal-based writer, editor, gardener, and mother of three. Her picture book text, Melt, was shortlisted for the 2022 CANSCAIP Writing for Children Contest. She is also the founder of Récolte, which produces beautiful accessories using foraged and pressed botanicals.
Naseem Hrab is the author of several picture books including the Ira Crumb series, How to Party Like a Snail and Weekend Dad, a 2020 Governor General’s Literary Awards finalist. Naseem is also the author of The Sour Cherry Tree, which won the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Award for Young People's Literature—Illustrated Books. Her latest book, Otis and Peanut, a graphic novel series about a long-haired guinea pig and a naked mole rat, is available now for pre-order.
Erin Pepler is many things — freelance writer, mom of two, music lover, reluctant suburbanite. She is also the author of Send Me Into The Woods Alone: Essays On Motherhood, a gem of a book that you are going to want to go out and buy right now. Seriously. Run, don’t walk! On February 25th, Erin will be speaking about the use of humour in nonfiction writing at the Sharp Words winter book fair in Hamilton.
Sometimes I wonder if Susan Yoon has designed her Instagram feed specifically to make me smile; it’s packed full of so many of the things I love most in the world— picture books, art, wildflowers, coffee shops, nature, and so much delicious food! Like me, Susan’s debut picture book drops this October, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!
Jen Vasic is a force for joy and justice in my community! A city councillor for Ward 5 in Waterloo, a PhD candidate, social worker, writer, researcher, and parent, she is also one half of the amazing duo behind the blog Bookstore Love, which features interviews with independent booksellers, along with her best friend Natasha Steer.
Robin Lefler has a holiday gift just for you— her debut novel, Reasonable Adults, out next month from Harper Collins Canada. It’s the cozy, un-put-downable read you to didn’t even know you needed. My gift to you is this delightful peek into Robin’s world, which is chock full of all the good stuff, from delightful dogs to savory pies.
Author/Editor/Sneaker Enthusiast, Kendra Brown may just be the coolest person you’ve ever met!
Middle grade author Anna Humphry loves solitude, Zumba, and smearing snail slime on her face (really!)
I am super excited to introduce a new series here on the blog. I’m calling it 7 Wonders, and it going to be a place for creatives of all kinds to shout out things they love. The things they choose to celebrate might be big or small, silly or profound, physical or abstract. If you are someone who loves a list, this series is for you!
With her ability to stitch together the perfect assortment of sensory and historical details into a rich, compelling whole, author and academic Jennifer Harris knows how to tell stories so people care about them. Her first picture book, She Stitched the Stars presents the life of Ellen Harding Baker, a storekeeper’s wife and mother from Iowa who, beginning in 1876, created a quilt that accurately depicted the solar system.
Carolyn and I talk family secrets, summer reading, and the excitement of finally getting the in-person launch of her dreams!
Lindsay Zier-Vogel is the author of Letters to Amelia and the creator of The Love Lettering Project. Her first picture book Dear Street, is forthcoming from Kids Can Press in 2023.
Once upon a time, Sean Ross and I were just two fresh-faced kids connecting in our university residence kitchen over our shared love of Fiona Apple and Tori Amos. Flash forward to today, and Sean is the co-creator of Miss Thing, a podcast devoted to diving deep into the very music we loved back then. Grab your Diskman and your Columbia House membership and prepare to dive deep into the music and lore of the Lilith Fair era.
Kerry Clare is the author of the novels Waiting for a Star to Fall and Mitzi Bytes and the blog Pickle Me This. She is also a devoted swimmer, a lover of waffles, and a tea cup enthusiast. I know you are going to get along just fine.
