It was a real pleasure to be the Guest Quizmaster at the Ottawa heat of the Kids' Lit Quiz this year. The contest was held at Elmwood School on Tuesday, January 21st. And even in the middle of a teachers' strike (Go teachers! Fight for your class size!), 22 teams came out to battle. The… Continue reading Kids’ Lit Quiz 2020
August 2021 Update: When the Squirrels Stole my Sister is in the Fall 2021 catalogue of Fitzhenry & Whiteside, for publication this September. Cover image to come soon! [older post...] Years ago, I wrote a story about a clever squirrel who grew tired of waiting for a daily handout, so she decided to steal a whole… Continue reading Thieving Squirrels in Fall 2021
I'm ready for the MASC Young Authors and Illustrators Festival taking place in Ottawa April 9-11. I'll be leading workshops with keen young writers coming to town from elementary schools across eastern Ontario and western Quebec. This annual event draws hosting authors and illustrators from across the country. This year's festival will feature authors Cary Fagan, Karen Krossing, David… Continue reading MASC Young Authors and Illustrators Festival 2019
This Tuesday, I had the pleasure of calling the names of twelve young writers whose short fiction won places in the Ottawa Public Library's Awesome Authors Contest. What a pleasure to be one of this year's judges and to read excerpts from the fantastic mix of winning stories: humour, drama, sci-fi, horror, and sad, sad… Continue reading Immersed in Student Writing
I always look forward to my regional SCBWI conference. This year it's especially exciting because I'll be giving a workshop myself. My topic: revision. I used to dread revisions. I loved drafting; I loved polishing; but I loathed the grunt work in between the two. I spent the past year revising a middle-grade animal adventure… Continue reading The Art of Story: SCBWI Canada East Conference
Catherine Austen 