So this just happened...

#MalaikasSurprise was nominated for the 2022 Forest of Reading (Blue Spruce Award).🌳 

This is a huge honour.  The Forest of Reading is basically the #Canadian equivalent of the Kids’ Choice Awards but for books.  This is my first Forest of Reading nomination.

It’s been twelve years now since I had read Blue Spruce nominated picture books 📚 to my second graders and helped them vote on their favourite.  That year, Chester by Melanie Watt won!

And now, it’s my turn to be a part of the festivities as an author. 

Congratulations to all of the nominees.

To see the full announcement on the Forest of Reading website, click here.

Guess what came in the mail!

2021 TD Grade One Book Giveaway copies of #MalaikasCostume!

This book takes me all the way back at 2016 when Malaika's Costume was first published. 

This was my very first picture book and it was illustrated by #IreneLuxbacher.  Irene has worked hard to redo and revise several illustrations for the TD Grade One Book Giveaway 2021.  I think they look gorgeous.  (One revised illustration is shown here.)

My editor at the time, the late Sheila Barry, said Malaika's Costume would be big before I even signed the contract. I still wonder how she knew. 

I've taken this story all over the world and now over 550,000 children will get a copy.

Enjoy!

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Okay, maybe a few months off the press so the press has cooled down now.  I’m excited to share that I’m excited to be one of the spotlighted children’s picture book creators in CONTEMPORARY CANADIAN PICTURE BOOKS: A Critical Review for Educators, Librarians, Families, Researchers, & Writers by Beverley Brenna, Richard Dionne, and Theresa Tavares.

The book was published earlier in 2021.

Buy your copy here: https://brill.com/view/title/60329 or at the link here: linktr.ee/nadialahohn.

First week of year 2 #MFA #CreativeWriting program at 44 years old.

How'd it go?

This is my second Masters degree and it feels like such a better fit.

During my "first go" at grad school, I was 24 years old and no longer sure that I had made the right choice.  I started with a clear idea of my research focus but then became lost and jaded for several reasons. The material was difficult and dense, the other students were older and seemed more knowledgeable, and I was exhausted constantly. As a result, my goal became to finish my degree as quickly as possible and I did, thankfully, complete my Masters in Education with a focus on Equity (MEd) in 2005.

The goal now is to graduate with my MFA in Creative Writing in summer 2022.

Here goes!

The story of Caribbean migrant labour has not been an easy one.

From the Panama Canal to migrant farm workers, #tradeunions and my own experiences, Caribbean people have often filled labour shortages and did undesirable jobs, travelling far to provide for themselves and their families, sometimes risking their lives to do so. 

This is part of my family’s story and an inspiration of Malaika’s Costume and the series.

In this slide carousel, I share about about Caribbean migrant work. 

This Labour Day, I reflect on Caribbean migrant workers, labour unions, books, and my work in teaching and writing.

Books featured here are:

• They Call Me George: The Untold Story of Black Train Porters and the Birth of Modern Canada by Cecil Foster

 

• My name's not George: The story of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters : personal reminiscences of Stanley G. Grizzle by Stanley Grizzle 

​

• Malaika’s Costume  by Nadia L. Hohn (aka me)

 

• Dying to Better Themselves: West Indians and the Building of the Panama Canal by Olive Senior

Fun facts: Stanley Grizzle was born in Toronto in 1918 of Jamaican parents and was the president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. He eventually became a Canadian Citizenship Judge. His daughter Nerene Virgin. Stanley died in 2016 and I had the pleasure of speaking with him on multiple occasions. 

Please note: Stereotypes of the happygolucky or lazy Caribbean person are racist and utterly false.

To learn more about more Caribbean migrant experiences, read stories about domestic workers, nurses, trades people, and the Windrush generation.

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.