Author and illustrator Celia Krampien at Larkspur Books in Southampton, Ontario.

I first encountered Celia Krampien’s writing when I tucked a borrowed copy her debut middle grade novel The Bellwoods Game into my tote bag as I headed off to CANSCAIP’S annual Packaging Your Imagination Conference in Toronto last October. It was the perfect creepy-cozy autumn read to carry around with me as I spent a solo weekend in the city, something to get lost in as as sat on a park bench with a coffee or enjoyed a solo bowl of noodles at restaurant.

I first encountered Celia herself this summer ,when I coincidentally stepped into Larkspur Books, just as she was setting up for the launch of her new novel Remember Me Daphne. It was a lovely, serendipitous meeting, and I left with a signed copy of her beautiful book.

Remember me Daphne turned out to be the perfect creepy-cozy read for a lazy weekend on the beach. TBH, I had intended to leave it behind as a gift for the owners of the we had rented for the week, but I liked it so much that I brought it home with me. I loved that while the story’s supernatural elements felt genuinely spooky, they were underpinned by very real fears and anxieties faced by kids during those often-tough middle grade years. In other words, this is a story about a ghost, but it is also a story about the wonders and heartaches of friendship.

Celia Krampien grew up in a house in the woods in a small town near Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. She studied illustration at Sheridan College and currently lives in St. Catharines, Ontario, with her partner, a mischievous cat, and a nosy beagle. In addition to her middle grade novels, Celia is the author and illustrator of the picture book Sunny (Roaring Brook Press, 2020), as well as the illustrator of several other picture books.

Q/ Both your debut novel The Bellwoods Game and your newest work Remember Me, Daphne explore supernatural themes and deal in decidedly creepy vibes. What is it about the scary stuff that you find so compelling? How do you approach creating genuine suspense and chills while still keeping things approachable for young readers?

A/ I’ve always loved anything scary, weird, or mysterious, even when I was really young. I was way into Goosebumps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, The Bailey School Kids series, and more. I read Stephen King books far too young and loved watching Scooby Doo, Hocus Pocus, Beetlejuice, Are You Afraid of the Dark? and X-Files. I think my taste in books and TV often surprised people because I was a sensitive, anxious kid. I was quiet and often scared of trying new things or doing anything outside my comfort zone. I almost always had a book with me because reading let me avoid potentially uncomfortable social interactions (by pre-occupying myself with a grisly story about ghosts, haha!)

I didn’t actually believe in the stuff I read about or saw on TV, but I liked the idea of a world where these things existed. Fantastical worlds are strange and scary, but they can also be fun! Problems could be overcome by finding the right spell, befriending a talking cat, or by becoming a tween-age paranormal investigator. The real world (in my mind) is much scarier because problems are not so easy to fix, especially when you’re a kid. You’re constantly being thrust into new situations, feeling misunderstood, having to do things and go places because adults tell you to, having to trust others to take care of you—it’s a lot! Scary stories validated my real-life fears, letting me experience intense emotions like terror, anxiety, and grief in ways that felt safe because the stories were filtered through a magical or paranormal lens.

My approach to writing scary stories is to do what the stories I grew up with did; use spooky subject matter to express the real, deeply felt fears that real kids experience. The Bellwoods Game, for me, is about being misunderstood and how it feels when our stories are twisted and used against us. And Remember Me, Daphne is about the fear of being unlovable and the grief of losing those we care about. In someways, I feel like the “fictional” aspects of my books are sometimes the most honest parts. There might not literally be monsters or ghosts in the world (that I know of) but many kids do feel misunderstood, they do fear being rejected, they do fear losing the people they love, and struggle to navigate those feelings. In my books, I try to offer validation while still making sure to deliver the scares, thrills, fun, and friendship vibes that also make for (I hope!) an engaging read.

Meet Celia in person:

She’ll be at the Word on the Street festival in Toronto on September 26th and at the Telling Tales Festival at the Royal Botanical Gardens on October 4th.