In this issue...
● TD Children’s Book Week Tour 2019
● Spring 2019 Tour and Events Recap
● LIVE FROM VANCOUVER: Writer in Residence is in the House
● A Likkle Miss Lou Reviews are Rolling In
● Important Upcoming Dates here to edit
Dear Reader:
It is summer time. When it is summer time for me, it means a time in which I get a bulk of my writing and editing completed. It also means working on new projects and reprioritizing. There have been a few challenges along the way. My laptop "died" a month ago and I've been working from my ipad and cell-phones, but I need to still see what can be retrieved from the damaged harddrive (sadly a very costly endeavour), but I managed to salvage unpublished novel and picture book manuscripts from various other sources. (Another reminder for writers to backup EVERYTHING.) I placed my writing in five separate binders. After 5 published books between 2013 to 2018, a 6th forthcoming in August, and a 7th in 2021, I still look at these manuscripts with disbelief, wonder, amazement, anticipation, and fear. Pinch me. My s.o. says, "I got this" and I'm trying to remember that. Happy reading and writing but most of all happy summer!
Nadia
TD Children’s Book Week Tour 2019
● TD Children’s Book Week Tour 2019
● Spring 2019 Tour and Events Recap
● LIVE FROM VANCOUVER: Writer in Residence is in the House
● A Likkle Miss Lou Reviews are Rolling In
● Important Upcoming Dates here to edit
Dear Reader:
It is summer time. When it is summer time for me, it means a time in which I get a bulk of my writing and editing completed. It also means working on new projects and reprioritizing. There have been a few challenges along the way. My laptop "died" a month ago and I've been working from my ipad and cell-phones, but I need to still see what can be retrieved from the damaged harddrive (sadly a very costly endeavour), but I managed to salvage unpublished novel and picture book manuscripts from various other sources. (Another reminder for writers to backup EVERYTHING.) I placed my writing in five separate binders. After 5 published books between 2013 to 2018, a 6th forthcoming in August, and a 7th in 2021, I still look at these manuscripts with disbelief, wonder, amazement, anticipation, and fear. Pinch me. My s.o. says, "I got this" and I'm trying to remember that. Happy reading and writing but most of all happy summer!
Nadia
TD Children’s Book Week Tour 2019
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May 4-10, 2019 was Canadian Children’s Book Week. To commemorate this occasion, TD Canada Trust Bank teamed up with the Canadian Children’s Book Centre to tour 38 authors, illustrators, and storytellers to hundreds of schools across Canada. After having applied to participate for three consecutive years, I was selected to participate as a touring presenter. Alberta was not my first choice to be honest. (I chose Nunavut, Yukon, and Prince Edward Island— the only Canadian province I have not yet visited— as my top picks.). However, southern Alberta won me over as I discovered regions of Canada I had never visited before— Calgary, Lethbridge, and small towns skirting the Rocky Mountains. Below you will find a recap of my week.
To see my cover on the Strathmore library news click here.
To see my cover on the Strathmore library news click here.
The stats:
- Countless times I was asked about having kids, being married, my age, why I write, and if I can live off my earnings as an author (sounds like my mom)
- 3,238 km or 2,012 miles is the distance from Toronto to Calgary, almost 1,800 students saw my presentations
- 403 is the area code of Calgary and southern Alberta
- Pincher Creek is 136km to the closest US border crossing
- 70.4 lbs was the weight of my heaviest suitcase
- $18.20 is the cost to go up the Calgary Tower
- 16 presentations in all
- 12+ meals consumed in which cheese was in the veggie option (my herbivorous digestive tract was working overtime)
- May 11th was the last day of Children's Book Week
- May 10th was the last day of my presentations
- 9:30pm was sunset at this time of year in southern Alberta,
- 8th graders were the oldest students I presented to
- 7 schools visited
- 6 nights on my tour
- 5 cities and towns visited (Calgary, #Strathmore, #Coaldale, #Lethbridge, #PincherCreek + 1 #Hutterite community called #Parklandcolony outside of Fort Macleod)
- continued my fitness routine with 4 runs to prep for my 5km event in June
- 3.75 hr was the length of my flight from Toronto to Calgary
- I stayed at 3 hotels in #Calgary and #Lethbridge
- 2 libraries visited and difference of time zones between Toronto and Calgary, and
- 1 front page spread in the Strathmore weekly newspaper during an amazing TD Children's Book Week.
- Countless times I was asked about having kids, being married, my age, why I write, and if I can live off my earnings as an author (sounds like my mom)
- 3,238 km or 2,012 miles is the distance from Toronto to Calgary, almost 1,800 students saw my presentations
- 403 is the area code of Calgary and southern Alberta
- Pincher Creek is 136km to the closest US border crossing
- 70.4 lbs was the weight of my heaviest suitcase
- $18.20 is the cost to go up the Calgary Tower
- 16 presentations in all
- 12+ meals consumed in which cheese was in the veggie option (my herbivorous digestive tract was working overtime)
- May 11th was the last day of Children's Book Week
- May 10th was the last day of my presentations
- 9:30pm was sunset at this time of year in southern Alberta,
- 8th graders were the oldest students I presented to
- 7 schools visited
- 6 nights on my tour
- 5 cities and towns visited (Calgary, #Strathmore, #Coaldale, #Lethbridge, #PincherCreek + 1 #Hutterite community called #Parklandcolony outside of Fort Macleod)
- continued my fitness routine with 4 runs to prep for my 5km event in June
- 3.75 hr was the length of my flight from Toronto to Calgary
- I stayed at 3 hotels in #Calgary and #Lethbridge
- 2 libraries visited and difference of time zones between Toronto and Calgary, and
- 1 front page spread in the Strathmore weekly newspaper during an amazing TD Children's Book Week.
Spring 2019 Tour and Events Recap
Spring 2019 was an extremely busy time of year as I continued to teach as well as participate in TD Children’s Book Week, school visits, a literary festival, and a conference. In addition to Alberta, I visited New Brunswick and Montreal in addition to other commitments that brought me to New York City and Ottawa. Truthfully, this was perhaps the most busiest time I have had as an author but I have said this a few times already. Nevertheless, I embraced and enjoyed every minute of sharing my stories and meeting people along the way.
Spring 2019 was an extremely busy time of year as I continued to teach as well as participate in TD Children’s Book Week, school visits, a literary festival, and a conference. In addition to Alberta, I visited New Brunswick and Montreal in addition to other commitments that brought me to New York City and Ottawa. Truthfully, this was perhaps the most busiest time I have had as an author but I have said this a few times already. Nevertheless, I embraced and enjoyed every minute of sharing my stories and meeting people along the way.
LIVE FROM VANCOUVER: Writer in Residence is in the House
In fall 2017, I began to seek out opportunities for being a writer in residence. My challenge was that many of these residencies took place during the school year. Also, many of the residencies took place up to two years after the application date. It was difficult for me to envision where exactly life might bring me so far in advance. However, last year I was blessed with some great news! In April 2018, I received some news. My application was selected to be a writer in residence at the Historic Joy Kogawa House in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) but they could only offer it in July and August. Would I accept? Of course. Fast forward to 2019 and here I am! The house is named after Japanese-Canadian author and activist Joy Kogawa who was evicted with her family during the early 1940s to interned along with thousands of others in remote parts of Canada. Joy continues to write and advocate for peace and educate generations about the horrors of her experience. Being here aligns with my dedication to social justice, community its, and the arts. I will be running workshops and presenting in Vancouver and Victoria plus working on edits for my novels. I also have some important decisions to make. For information on events, please visit my website or see the graphic below.
In fall 2017, I began to seek out opportunities for being a writer in residence. My challenge was that many of these residencies took place during the school year. Also, many of the residencies took place up to two years after the application date. It was difficult for me to envision where exactly life might bring me so far in advance. However, last year I was blessed with some great news! In April 2018, I received some news. My application was selected to be a writer in residence at the Historic Joy Kogawa House in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) but they could only offer it in July and August. Would I accept? Of course. Fast forward to 2019 and here I am! The house is named after Japanese-Canadian author and activist Joy Kogawa who was evicted with her family during the early 1940s to interned along with thousands of others in remote parts of Canada. Joy continues to write and advocate for peace and educate generations about the horrors of her experience. Being here aligns with my dedication to social justice, community its, and the arts. I will be running workshops and presenting in Vancouver and Victoria plus working on edits for my novels. I also have some important decisions to make. For information on events, please visit my website or see the graphic below.
A Likkle Miss Lou Reviews are Rolling In
On August 13, 2019, A LIKKLE MISS LOU: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice, my sixth book will be released. September 7th, 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the birthday of this great Jamaican cultural ambassador, playwright, poet, author, storyteller, and actress. I am thrilled to see the responses and reviews so far which include my very first ever Publishers Weekly review. Here is a sampler. I also look forward to upcoming reviews from the Globe & Mail, Quill & Quire, and other publications.
“This joyful book celebrates the importance of language and taking it as your own, from early.”
— Kirkus Reviews (May 26, 2019)
“Bright illustrations in creamily vivid color by Fernandes capture the richness of life reflected in the language that so captivated Coverley and conveys how the things she sees reappear on the pages she writes.”
— Publishers Weekly (July 3, 2019)
“This biography of the poet as a young girl is a tribute not only to her literary beginnings but also to patois itself.”
— Booklist (July 2019)
On August 13, 2019, A LIKKLE MISS LOU: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice, my sixth book will be released. September 7th, 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the birthday of this great Jamaican cultural ambassador, playwright, poet, author, storyteller, and actress. I am thrilled to see the responses and reviews so far which include my very first ever Publishers Weekly review. Here is a sampler. I also look forward to upcoming reviews from the Globe & Mail, Quill & Quire, and other publications.
“This joyful book celebrates the importance of language and taking it as your own, from early.”
— Kirkus Reviews (May 26, 2019)
“Bright illustrations in creamily vivid color by Fernandes capture the richness of life reflected in the language that so captivated Coverley and conveys how the things she sees reappear on the pages she writes.”
— Publishers Weekly (July 3, 2019)
“This biography of the poet as a young girl is a tribute not only to her literary beginnings but also to patois itself.”
— Booklist (July 2019)
Important Dates
Please check www.nadialhohn.com/events for updates.
Summer (July/August) 2019
Writer-in-Residence
Joy Kogawa House
Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)
Greater Victoria Public Libraries
Victoria, British Columbia (Canada)
A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice
September 27-29, 2019
FOLD Kids Festival, Brampton, ON
October 5, 2019
Brampton Chapters
Brampton, ON
October 30, 2019
BIPOC Writers Connect
Location TBA
Toronto, ON
November 16, 2019
Knowledge Bookstore
Brampton, ON
November 17, 2019
Draft Reading Series
Location TBA
Toronto, ON
November 21-24, 2019
2019 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention
Baltimore, MD, USA
Spring 2021
Malaika’s Surprise release date
Details to follow
Please check www.nadialhohn.com/events for updates.
Summer (July/August) 2019
Writer-in-Residence
Joy Kogawa House
Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)
- July 15-18, 2019 Malaika’s Caribbean Carnival Storytime and Workshops at Spare Time Fun Centre
- July 25, 2019 Diversity in #kidcanlit: How are we doing? Panel on Diversity in Children and Young Adult Literature with Raymond Nakamura, Mahtab Narsimhan, and Robin Stevenson, moderated by Nadia L. Hohn with the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Canada West, 7:30-9pm, $5
- Date TBA Teen Writing Workshop
- Date TBA A LIKKLE MISS LOU Vancouver Book birthday celebration
Greater Victoria Public Libraries
Victoria, British Columbia (Canada)
- July 22, 2019 Malaika’s Carnival Storytime at Oak Bay Branch library, 1442 Monterey Avenue, 10:30-11:30am
- July 22, 2019 Teen Writing Workshop at Nellie McClung Branch library, 3950 Cedar Hill Road, 2:30-5:30pm
- July 23, 2019 Breaking into Kidlit and YAlit workshop, Greater Victoria Central Library, 735 Broughton Street, 5:30-8:30pm
A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice
- August 15, 2019 Publication Date
- Date TBA A LIKKLE MISS LOU Book birthday celebration
- September 5-12, 2019 Miss Lou 100th Birthday Celebration, c/oJamaican Canadian Association, Jamaica
- September 14, 2019 2-5pm 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 15, 2019 1:15pm Telling Tales Festival,Westfield Heritage Village (Early Settlement Area, Rockton, ON, Canada
- September 21, 2019 10:30-11:30am Storytime, Bank Street Bookstore, Manhattan, NY, USA
- September 22, 2019 A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice Storytime, Greenlight Bookstores, 11:30am Fort Green location, 1:30pm Prospect Park location, Brooklyn, NY, USA
September 27-29, 2019
FOLD Kids Festival, Brampton, ON
October 5, 2019
Brampton Chapters
Brampton, ON
October 30, 2019
BIPOC Writers Connect
Location TBA
Toronto, ON
November 16, 2019
Knowledge Bookstore
Brampton, ON
November 17, 2019
Draft Reading Series
Location TBA
Toronto, ON
November 21-24, 2019
2019 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention
Baltimore, MD, USA
Spring 2021
Malaika’s Surprise release date
Details to follow
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