Blog Archives

I have a literary agent!!!

3/16/2021

I now have a literary agent for the first time in my #writerlylife. I am happy to say my three and a half year search for representation has landed with Hilary McMahon, senior agent and executive vice-president of Westwood Creative Artists. Hilary is highly recommended and has a 20+ year track record as a literary agent. After 5 years as a published author who has secured 9 book contracts on my own, the last several years in my personal life have been eventful. I think the timing for an agent couldn’t be more perfect and I look forward to this partnership with Hilary. I wish to thank the following authors who helped me to make this decision:
Rahma Mohamed
(for inspiring me to realize that it was time),
Richard Scrimger
(for making the introduction to Hilary after his initial offer to introduce me 3 years ago), SK Ali and Susan Yoon (for advice and listening ears), and
Joanne Levy, Susin Nielsen, and Susan Juby
(as well as Richard and Rahma) for their glowing recommendations of Hilary. Stay tuned for more projects!

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Have you ever thought of a degree in creative writing?

3/5/2021

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As you know, I have gone back to school. Currently, I am a first year student in the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing program at the University of Guelph. Join me on March 10 at 7pm EST and my kidlit colleagues authors SK Ali (York) and Karen Crossing (VCFA), hosted by Glen Huser (UBC) for the CANSCAIP Monthly Meeting.

Wed Mar 10

7:00 EST

Zoom
Meeting Start Times Across Canada
BC 4:00 | AB 5:00 | SK 6:00 | MB 6:00| ON 7:00 | QB 7:00
NS 8:00 | NB 8:00 | PE 8:00 | NL 8:30

CANSCAIP Members and Friends across Canada are invited to register for our membership meeting on Wednesday March 10. Our monthly meetings are via Zoom on the second Wednesday of each month. Registration is free, and the Zoom link will be in the email confirming your registration. Guests are welcome, and can contact office@canscaip.org to request the Zoom link. REGISTER
THIS MONTH'S MEETING TOPIC: Have you considered a degree in creative writing? What degrees are out there? What is the workload? What can I gain? And – was it worth the money? Our panelists are S.K. Ali, Nadia Hohn and Karen Krossing, and moderator Glen Huser. All of them have faculty and student experience and will shed light on programs and schools.
MEETING FORMAT:

Meetings start with announcements by Members and Friends, followed by the meeting speakers, with breakout rooms at the end.
During the meeting, attendees can use Chat to type questions and comments, which will be read aloud by the meeting coordinator.
Attendees are encouraged to linger after the meeting for breakout rooms where we can talk to each other in smaller groups.

Announcements by Members & Friends
Celebrating a new book? Having an event? Teaching a course? Other news? Announce it at the meeting! If you're making an announcement, please send office@canscaip.org the following info:

Your name
Book title, genre, publisher, publication date
Summary of your book, event, course, award, or other news
Email subject line: "Meeting Announcement by [your name]"

NOTE: Please keep announcements to about two minutes.
Meeting Topic & Speakers
Have you considered a degree in creative writing? What degrees are out there? What is the workload? What can I gain? And – was it worth the money? Our panelists and moderator all have faculty and student experience and will shed light on programs and schools.

S. K. Ali is the author of Saints and Misfits, a finalist for the American Library Association's Morris Award, winner of the APALA Honor and Middle East Book Honor Award, and Love from A to Z, a Today Show's "Read with Jenna'' Book Club selection. Both novels were named best YA books of the year by various media including Entertainment Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. She’s also the co-editor of the critically acclaimed middle-grade anthology Once Upon an Eid and co-author of the NYT bestselling picture book, The Proudest Blue.

Nadia L. Hohn is the award-winning author of children's books including A Likkle Miss Lou (Owlkids) and the Malaika series (Groundwood Books); Malaika's Surprise (Groundwood Books) was released in March 2021. Nadia is currently a student in the MFA Creative Writing program at the University of Guelph. She teaches elementary school, as well as courses in writing for children at University of Toronto School for Continuing Studies, Centennial College, and University of Guelph Open University. She lives in Toronto where she is working on novels and other projects.

Karen Krossing writes for kids and teens, including the novels Punch Like a Girl, Bog, and Cut the Lights. She graduated with an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2020. Her debut picture book Sour Cakes, illustrated by Anna Kwan, will be published by Owlkids Books in October. She has two nonfiction picture books forthcoming with Owlkids and Groundwood Books, and she conducts workshops to empower emerging writers.

Glen Huser has been a sessional lecturer in children’s literature and creative writing at UBC. His first work Grace Lake was shortlisted for the 1992 W.H. Smith-Books in Canada First Novel Award. His books for young adults include the Governor Generals’ Award-winner Stitches, GG finalist Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen, and Firebird released in 2020. His short stories have appeared in literary magazines. Glen lives in Vancouver where he continues to write as well as pursue interests in art and film studies.

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Malaika's Surprise is here!

3/5/2021

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My new picture book Malaika's Surprise is finally here!!!

When Malaika finds out she is going to have a new baby brother or sister, she worries that her mother will forget about her. But a surprise arrives on Malaika’s birthday that gives her more reason to celebrate her family’s love.

Buy your copy from your local bookseller TODAY or here: https://houseofanansi.com/products/malaikas-surprise

Written by Nadia L. Hohn
Illustrated by: Irene Luxbacher Direct message me to get on my newsletter mailing list.
Visit www.nadialhohn.com/books

Follow me at i: @nadialhohn_author t: @nadialhohn Facebook: Nadia L. Hohn Groundwood Books #malaikaseries #malaika3 #book7

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Nadia's Notable Newsletter Winter 2021

3/1/2021

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In this issue...

20, 10, and this Year Milestones
Teaching Writing
Malaika’s Surprise!
Crossword Feature
Heritage Minute
Freelance Articles
Virtual presentations
New book contract

Letter from the editor
What a year it has been! It has been exactly one year since my last Nadia’s Notables Newsletter in Winter 2020. So much has happened and continues to happen at this current time. Though it has been quite some time, I am pleased to say that I am healthy, well, and continue to be blessed. My attention had shifted away from my regular promotional cycle and tuned into supporting family, introspection, reflection, and creating communities. I am more affirmed now than ever that I chose the right direction. Writing has been a lifeline, income, and a necessary part of my everyday. I found new ways to use my words to heal and encourage. I have dreamt up projects and ideas. I have written a few new stories and pitched others. I continue on an agent search. And perhaps one of the most exciting is to fulfill a dream that I almost threw away— complete a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Writing at the University of Guelph. Some dreams are worth keeping. I pray that you and your families are safe and you are encouraged in this season.

Nadia L. Hohn

20, 10, and This Year’s Milestones
20 years ago, I started and ran a nationally touring film festival featuring #BlackCanadian films called #ICEDINBLACK : #Canadian #Black Experiences on Film
10 years ago, after my surgery from #thyroidcancer, before my #radiation, I began attending Canscaip meetings, became a #vegan, and started a blog about my #healing and #plantbased journey. This was the first time that I made the serious decision to write professionally. I applied to 2 #MFA in #CreativeWriting programs but did not get in.
This week, I signed the contract for my eighth book and am awaiting my ninth book contract from a different publisher. I am enrolled in an MFA program and teaching writing for children courses. I present to schools, libraries, conferences, and festivals globally. And, this year also marks my ten years of being cancer free.
I made my screenwriting debut with a short video about Canadian jazz great OscarPeterson.

On February 17, I made my screenwriting debut with "Oscar Peterson and Montreal's Little Burgundy" a short video about Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson to accompany the Heritage Minute both produced by Historica Canada. I had the pleasure of meeting Peterson once, almost meeting another time, showing his documentary at ICED IN BLACK (a nationally touring film festival I started featuring films by and about Black Canadians 2001-2003), and writing about for my first book Music in the Sankofa series. Like Oscar, I began studying Classical piano at a young age but eventually added jazz saxophone in high school. The pianist portraying Oscar Peterson is Thomson Egbo Egbo, a former student. And still, there are more connections with Oscar Peterson's legacy. The video was produced by Historica Canada which has made the iconic Canadian Heritage Minutes.

The fact that Historica Canada reached out to me was so serendipitous. The Historica Canada staff could not have known about all of my connections to Oscar Peterson and I am so thankful that they trusted me with this important work. Please check out the video and let me know what you think.

Here is the link for the English version: https://lnkd.in/e4kN6Nu
Voici le lien de la version francaise: https://lnkd.in/eha5i3b

Teaching Writing
As many of you know, I have been an elementary school teacher for almost 20 years. I am blessed with an opportunity to parlay these skills into the teaching of writing for children. My first class was supposed to be in person at the University of Toronto School for Continuing Studies in spring 2020. However, due to the pandemic as you know, the classes were offered online. Very quickly I had to adjust to being a creative writing teacher as well as online delivery. I am pleased to say that I am currently teaching my third session of 1717 Writing for Children at the University of Toronto. In addition, I am teaching CHLD 723 Children’s Books course as part of the Children’s Media program at Centennial College this term. I will also be teaching Writing for Children course at the University of Guelph Open University this spring.

Malaika’s Surprise
On March 1, 2021, my seventh book and third in the Malaika series, Malaika’s Surprise will be released. A lot went into the writing of this picture book. I am so very pleased about this recent work as I dive into Malaika, her family, and her community. So far, the reviews have been positive and I am glad to share this with the world. I wish to thank Irene Luxbacher for her amazing illustrations, my publisher Groundwood Books for greenlighting the manuscript, my critique group (Mary, Kathy, Laura), and my beta and sensitivity readers/advisors (Sajidah, Fartumo, Rabia, and Rahma).

Crossword Feature
Someone once said that if your name is in a crossword puzzle, you've “made it”. Well, I think I'm on my way. I attempted the crossword puzzle with my name and the title of my book Malaika’s Winter Carnival which is coincidentally at the number I will turn in age this year (#44 Across). I love #crosswords but I have always refused to Google the answers. This is where you come in. Do you know the missing answers? Thank you Kelly Ann Buchanan and The Toronto Star Sunday Star for the acknowledgement. I've got two more blank crossword puzzles in newspapers copies I bought at my local cornerstone which I will frame. Thanks editor Jessica Rose (who edited my Music and Media books) for first spotting it in The Hamilton Spectator on February 13, 2021.

Freelance Articles
I am thankful for the opportunities to write in recent publications:

“I Now Write Our Stories, But Who Else?” in the Winter 2021 Canadian Children’s Booknews magazine

“Going Up on the Rough Side of Black Canadian Kidlit” in the Winter 2021 Write! Magazine (The Writers’ Union of Canada)

Upcoming article… University of Waterloo magazine

Virtual Presentations
I am pleased to announce that I am booking 2021 virtual presentations. It has been a busy last two months. My presentations have included:

Public libraries (including Toronto, Ajax, Milton, North Vancouver)
Schools (including Toronto, Niagara, and Peel District, Alberta)
Hospital for Sick Kids

I present on a variety of platforms. Please contact me if you would like a presentation package including details and pricing.

New book contract
In February 2021, I signed my eighth book contract. I am excited about my new project which is an anthology of sorts. Stay tuned!
Upcoming in Spring 2021 Nadia’s Notables Newsletter…

Upcoming books
Agent update
MFA first year highlights

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Malaika’s Surprise: The Reviews are coming in Part 2

3/1/2021

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I have a literary agent!!!

Have you ever thought of a degree in creative writing?

Malaika's Surprise is here!

Nadia's Notable Newsletter Winter 2021

Malaika’s Surprise: The Reviews are coming in Part 2

Nadia L. Hohn

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