Dozens of young writers in Ottawa will attend their book launch next week, as the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA) launches the latest volume of Pot-pourri. Pot-pourri 2019 features all the winners and honourable mentions from this year's Awesome Authors contest -- that's dozens of the best poems, short stories, and comics… Continue reading Book Launch of Pot-pourri 2019
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 had a great time at this year's MASC Young Authors and Illustrators Festival in Ottawa. The 3-day event was held at the Canadian Aviation Museum, where over 450 children aged 9-12 came from around the region -- some of them getting up at 5:00 a.m. to arrive in time! -- to enjoy a day… Continue reading MASC Festival 2019
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
Every year, the Ottawa Public Library holds a youth writing contest for which hundreds of local kids write stories, poems, and comics. The winners and honourable mentions are published in the annual anthology, Pot-pourri. But the contest's title -- Awesome Authors -- applies to all of those who enter. The contest deadline for 2019 has… Continue reading Awesome Authors 2019 – Decision Time
Catherine Austen 