- Writer in Residence at Historic Joy Kogawa House Wrap-Up in 2019
- A LIKKLE MISS LOU in the media
- FOLD Kids 1st Festival
- Important Upcoming Tour and Launch Fall 2019 Dates
Letter from the editor
It has been a beautiful and productive summer. I did not travel to any foreign countries but instead went to new places within Canada and the United States— Winnipeg, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Whistler, Seattle, Chicago, Cleveland, Vancouver, and Victoria. This summer was incredibly busy (see Writer in Residence at Historic Joy Kogawa House Wrap-Up in 2019 below) but fun. Being on the West Coast, I was blessed with slow mornings and quick evenings, hot yoga and strolls along the Arbutus Trail. I marvelled at the variety of trees, flowers, and spiders. I found a church and connected with members of the writing, Jamaican, Caribbean, and #kidlit communities. I also met wonderful BC-based writers and creators like Junie Desil, Janice Lynn Mather, Kathryn Shoemaker, and Eva Campbell. I even had the opportunity to meet author, poet, activist Joy Kogawa in whose childhood home, I conducted my writing residency. It was also wonderful to meet again with author Sarah Ellis who I spoke with 8 years ago during her writing residency at the Toronto Public Library (TPL).
In the words of the late Miss Lou, “Walk good!”
Nadia
Writer in Residence at Historic Joy Kogawa House Wrap-Up in 2019
by Nadia L. Hohn
This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to be a writer in residence at the Historic Joy Kogawa House in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The summer was quite busy and I realized quickly that prioritizing tasks was necessary to realize my personal and professional writing goals. The following is a list of achieveables/achieved tasks this summer. I was able to accomplish:
- 4 morning workshops for students at Spare Time Day Care Summer Camp in Vancouver for children ages 3 to 12 years old. The workshops involved readings of my stories, Carnival peacock headpiece making, a neighbourhood parade, poetry writing, and a slam poetry performance on July 15 to 18, 2019
- 3 writing workshops in the Victoria Public Library (VPL) system on July 22 and 23, 2019
- Malaika’s Carnival Storytime with crafts and parades at Oakridge Public Library
- Teen Writing Workshop at Emily Carr Library
- Writing #kidlit and #yalit for adults at Greater Victoria Library
- Hosting 1 panel on Writing Diverse #kidlit and #yalit at the Historic Joy Kogawa House on July 25, 2019
- 1 A LIKKLE MISS LOU: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice Book Birthday party at the Historic Joy Kogawa House on August 15, 2019
- 1 presentation at the Jamaican Canadian Cultural Association of British Columbia (JCCABC) 57th Independence Gala in Coquitlam, BC on August 4, 2019
- 1 table display at the JCCABC Jamaica Day Festival in Surrey, BC on August 10, 2019
- 1 presentation at the Reverb: Songs, Poems, Stories at Tenth Church in Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC on August 17, 2019
- 1 talk at the Writing, Publishing and the Children’s Book Trade graduate-level class in the Library School at the University of British Columbia (UBC) on August 8, 2019
- 4 hour-long online Weekly Wednesday Write-in Workshop on Instagram LIVE and Facebook LIVE July 31 to August 21, 2019
- 1 A LIKKLE MISS LOU storytime at the Marpole branch of the Vancouver Public Libraries (VPL) on August 15, 2019
I would like to believe that it was a productive summer 2019.
A LIKKLE MISS LOU in the media
By Nadia L. Hohn
A LIKKLE MISS LOU: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice was officially released on August 13, 2019 in the United States and on August 15, 2019 in Canada weeks shy of what would have been her 100th birthday (September 7, 1919). In fact, in Jamaica, the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange declared 100 days of Miss Lou commemorations and celebrations. My new book, published by Owlkids and illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes, is available online (publisher website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indigo-Chapters) or a bookstore near you (if it isn’t, you can ask for it to be ordered). (However, several stores stocked this book on their shelves weeks before the release date.). All celebrations and upcoming book tours aside, the media response for this book has been positive. I was excited to have completed an interview with the Toronto Star which became the front page of the entertainment section. I was impressed that a photographer was sent to capture photos of me while I was in Vancouver. The Globe & Mail, Open Book, and an upcoming edition of the Quill & Quire magazine are all excited about A LIKKLE MISS LOU in Canada. In the United States, the reviews so far have also been favourable in Booklist, Kirkus Review, and Publishers weekly. To check out all of the media articles so far, please visit the link for A Likkle Miss Lou reviews and interviews. Have you bought your copy of a A LIKKLE MISS LOU today?
FOLD Kids 1st Festival 2019
I am excited to announce that the first ever Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) Kids festival will be taking place on September 27-29, 2019 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. As a member of the planning team, I am excited about the upcoming program and the amazing authors who will be part of this line-up. Visit www.thefoldcanada.org/kids for more information.
Important A LIKKLE MISS LOU Upcoming Tour and Fall 2019 Dates
My fall 2019 tour dates are filling up fairly quickly and I have other related events which are listed below. It is quite an exciting time! For updates to this schedule, please check my website at www.nadialhohn.com/events. To request a presentation or signing near you, please send me an e-mail at [email protected].
Spring 2021
Malaika’s Surprise release date
Details to follow
November 24, 2019
Bookstore Presentation
Washington, DC, USA
November 21-24, 2019
2019 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention
Baltimore, MD, USA
November 21, 2019
Enoch Pratt Library Presentation (details to follow)
Baltimore, MD, USA
November 20, 2019
School Book Fair (details to follow)
Manhattan, NY, USA
November 17, 2019
Draft Reading Series (details to follow)
Toronto, ON, Canada
October 30, 2019
Mentor, BIPOC Writers Connect (details to follow)
The Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC)
Toronto, ON, Canada
October 27, 2019
1-3pm
Chapters Ajax
Ajax, ON
October 6, 2019
12-4pm
Chapters Vega
Mississauga, ON
October 5, 2019
2-4pm
Knowledge Bookstore
Brampton, ON
September 27-30, 2019
FOLD Kids Festival
Brampton, ON
September 22, 2019
A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice Brooklyn Book Launch and Storytime
Greenlight Bookstores
11:30am Prospect Leffert Gardens location
1:30pm Fort Greene location
Brooklyn, NY, USA
September 21, 2019
10:30-11:30am
Storytime
Bank Street Bookstore
Manhattan, NY, USA
September 17, 2019
Celebrating Miss Lou: Queen of Jamaican Culture
5:30-8:00pm
Toronto Reference Library (TRL)
Beeton Hall (1st. Floor)
September 15, 2019
1:15pm
Telling Tales Festival
Westfield Heritage Village
Rockton, ON, Canada
Early Settlement Area
September 14, 2019
3-5pm
A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice Toronto Book Launch
A Different Booklist Bookstore and Cultural Centre
Toronto, ON
September 5-12, 2019
Miss Lou 100th Birthday Celebration
c/o Jamaican Canadian Association
Jamaica
© Nadia L. Hohn, 2019
Toronto, ON, Canada