Canada's Largest Library Learning & Networking Event
Called the “Queen of Comedy” by The Toronto Sun, Melodie Campbell has won 10 awards for fiction and has shared a literary shortlist with Margaret Atwood. She has over 200 publications, including 17 novels, 40 short stories and 100 humour columns. For more information visit www.melodiecampbell.com.
Markus Harwood-Jones is a writer, visual artist, and documentary filmmaker. He has self-published the short story collections Confessions of a Teenage Transsexual Whore and Everything & All at Once.
Michelle Kadarusman grew up in Melbourne, Australia, and has also lived in Indonesia and Canada. Her 2019 middle-grade novel Girl of the Southern Sea was a Governor General’s Literary Award finalist. Michelle lives in Toronto, Canada, and is looking forward to soon spending more time in Australia.
Mike Martin is the award-winning author of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series. He is also the Chair of Crime Writers of Canada. For more information visit www.sgtwindflowermysteries.com.
Mireille Messier is an award-winning children’s writer with a background in broadcasting and theater. She has published over 20 books in French and English, for children of all ages. The Branch was nominated for Shining Willow, Blue Spruce, and Governor General’s Awards.
Milan Pavlović lives in Toronto with his family. When he is not illustrating picture books, drawing or playing the ukulele, he is teaching visual communication and illustration at OCAD University and Seneca College. He is also the illustrator of Moon Wishes, Seamus’s Short Story, and The Snuggly.
Monique Polak is the author of over 20 novels for kids and young adults. She has also written two nonfiction books for kids as well as a board book for toddlers. Monique teaches English literature, creative writing, and humanities at Marianopolis College in Montreal.
Larry Swartz has explored literature-based learning with students and teachers for more than 30 years in North America, England, New Zealand, and China. A classroom teacher, consultant, and instructor with OISE/University of Toronto, Larry is a well-known speaker and workshop leader. For more information visit larryswartz.ca.
Marianne Apostolides is the author of seven books, three of which have been translated. She’s a two-time recipient of a Chalmers Arts Fellowship, and winner of the 2017 K.M. Hunter Award for Literature. Born in suburban New York, Marianne now lives in Toronto. For more information visit marianne-apostolides.com.
Kristy Woudstra is an award-winning Toronto-based writer and editor. She has travelled the world to cover stories and her writing has appeared in many publications including The Walrus, Canadian Living, Geez, and This.
Mahtab Narsimhan is the award-winning author of several books for young readers, including Mission Mumbai, The Tiffin, and The Third Eye, which won the Silver Birch Award. Mahtab lives in Vancouver, BC, with her husband, son, and golden retriever. For more information visit www.mahtabnarsimhan.com.
Lesley Livingston is an award-winning author of teen fiction, including the Wondrous Strange trilogy, which won the 2010 CLA Young Adult Book of the Year Award, and was named one of the “100 young adult books that make you proud to be Canadian” by CBC Books. For more information visit www.lesleylivingston.com.
Lorna Schultz Nicholson grew up in St. Catharines, Ontario. She is the respected author of many middle-grade and YA novels, the Puckster picture book series and several non-fiction books about hockey. Lorna lives in Edmonton, Alberta. For more information visit www.lornaschultznicholson.com.
Kathryn Durst grew up in Peterborough and has a passion for children’s illustration. She attended Sheridan College for the Bachelor of Applied Arts 2D Animation Program and completed her internship at Pixar Animation Studios for storyboarding. She also works as an animator, filmmaker, and puppeteer. For more information visit www.kathryndurst.com.
Kelly Rimmer is the worldwide and USA Today bestselling author of Before I Let You Go, Me Without You, and The Secret Daughter. She lives in rural Australia with her husband, two children, and fantastically naughty dogs. Her novels have been translated into more than 20 languages. For more information visit kellyrimmer.com.
Mark Leiren-Young is an award-winning writer, documentary filmmaker, podcaster, and orca activist. His book, The Killer Whale Who Changed the World, won the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada general audience book award. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
Lisa de Nikolits is the author of nine novels: The Hungry Mirror, West of Wawa, A Glittering Chaos, The Witchdoctor’s Bones, Between The Cracks She Fell, The Nearly Girl, No Fury Like That, Rotten Peaches, and The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist’s Solution. She lives and writes in Toronto. For more information visit www.lisawriter.com.
Kate Merlin is a writer and former school library worker from Riverview, NB. Her experiences hooking struggling readers on reading with a highly engaging series of short adventure stories written at the grade 2-3 level inspired her to write Stormy Passage.
Katia Grubisic is a Canadian writer, editor, and translator. She completed French and English literature degrees at the University of New Brunswick, and received her Master’s degree from Concordia University.
Lisa Taylor is the President of Challenge Factory, helping both employees and employers embrace the “Future of Work” with solutions and strategies to supercharge workforces and capitalize on today’s trends.
Louise Ells earned her PhD in Creative Writing from Anglia Ruskin University, and was a Hawthorden Fellow in 2017. An English and Creative Writing instructor, Louise currently teaches for Cambridge Programmes, at Churchill College and at Nippissing University, North Bay.
Ken worked for three decades for governments in Canada — Ontario, Manitoba, and Federal. His first book Her Dark Path was published in 2017, and his second book Hound in 2019. He’s currently working on the third book in a trilogy featuring Rebecca Bradley and Hound. He lives in Toronto, Canada. For more information visit …
M. H. Callway is the founder of the Mesdames of Mayhem, a collective of 19 established crime fiction authors. In the Key of 13 is their fourth anthology. Their three first anthologies, Thirteen, 13 O’clock and 13 Claws are available in the Toronto Public Library. For more information visit www.mesdamesofmayhem.com.
Mark Swailes lives with his wife and two children in Markham Ontario. This is his first novel. Writing has always been a passion for Mark. Nothing to Chance was conceived in the early 90s at Queen’s University, nearly 30 years in the making, Mark is living the idiom; “Better late than never.”
Kathy Kacer is a celebrated author of numerous children’s books about the Holocaust. Her books have won a number of awards, including the Silver Birch, the Red Maple, the Hackmatack, and the Jewish Book Award. Kathy lives in Toronto with her family.
Lynn McPherson has worked for the RCMP, ran a small business, and taught English across the globe. She has travelled the world solo, where her daring spirit has led her to jump out of airplanes, dive with sharks, and learn she would never master a surfboard. She serves on the CWC Board of Directors For …
Kenneth Oppel’s books include the Silverwing series, which has sold over a million copies around the world; Airborn, winner of a Governor General’s Award and the Michael L. Printz Award; and his latest, Inkling, which the New York Times called “astonishing.” For more information visit www.kennethoppel.ca/.
Joanne Robertson is AnishinaabeKwe and a member of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek. She continues to help water walkers through live GPS spotting to make sure the water is safe on their journeys. Joanne lives near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Joel A. Sutherland is a mild-mannered children and youth services librarian by day, and a speculative fiction writer and editor by night. He has won two Silver Birch Non-Fiction Awards and two Hackmatack Awards for his Haunted Canada series. He lives in Courtice, Ontario, with his family. For more information visit www.joelasutherland.com.
Jeff Szpirglas is the author of several books, including the bestselling Wild Cards and the Red Maple Award nominee You Just Can’t Help It! He has worked at CTV and was an editor at Chirp, Chickadee, and Owl magazines. He teaches second grade in Kitchener, Ontario.
Joe Frank is an illustrator and writer. Nominated for the 2009 Pushcart Prize, he has also been honoured as an emerging writer by the City of Hamilton Arts Award in 2015. For more information visit josephthefrank.com.
Jennifer Hillier was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, lived in the Seattle area for years, and currently lives in Toronto with her husband and son. Jennifer is the author of Wonderland, Creep, and Jar of Hearts.
Jessica Westhead’s fiction has been included on Globe and Mail’s Top 100 Book list, shortlisted for the CBC Literary Awards, selected for the Journey Prize anthology, and nominated for a National Magazine Award. Her short stories have appeared in major literary journals in Canada, the US, and the UK. For more information visit www.jessicawesthead.com/.
Joanne Levy is the author of a number of books for young people, including Crushing It and Small Medium At Large. She lives in Clinton, Ontario, with her husband and kids of the furred and feathered variety.
John Corr has a third-degree black belt in Yoshinkan Aikido as well as a PhD in English from McMaster University. He lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with his wife and three sons.
June Hur was born in South Korea, raised in Canada, and studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto. She began writing her debut novel, The Silence of Bones, after obsessing over books about Joseon Korea. She lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter. For more information visit junehur.wordpress.com.
Kate Elizabeth Russell holds a PhD in creative writing from the University of Kansas and an MFA from Indiana University. Her work has appeared in Hayden’s Ferry Review, Mid-American Review, and Quarterly West, and other journals, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. This is her first novel. For more information visit kateelizabethrussell.com/.
Kate Hilton is the bestselling author of The Hole in the Middle, and Just Like Family. Her non-fiction writing has appeared in the National Post, Canadian Living, and the Huffington Post, on topics ranging from working motherhood to creativity to reinvention. She lives in Toronto with her family. For more information visit www.katehilton.com/.
Joshna Maharaj is a chef, two-time TEDx speaker, and activist. Joshna is a regular guest on CBC Radio, a passionate public speaker, and co-hosts The Hot Plate, a food and drink podcast. She was the recipient of Restaurants Canada’s Culinary Excellence Award in 2018. For more information visit www.joshnamaharaj.com.
Kari-Lynn Winters is a picture book author, poet, and performer. She enjoys being in the classroom in any capacity, as a presenter, a teacher, or as a student. She teaches drama-in-education to and mentors teacher candidates at Brock University. For more information visit https://kariwinters.com/.
Originally from Manitoulin Island, Jennifer Farquar now lives in Kitchener, Ontario where she is an elementary school teacher and mother of three young children. Her short stories have won awards in the Manitoulin Expositor and the Toronto Star. Watermark is her debut, award-winning novel. For more information visit https://www.jenniferfarquhar.com/.
Jen J. Danna is the author of the FBI K-9s thriller series (under the pseudonym Sara Driscoll), as well as the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries and the upcoming NYPD Negotiators series. Jen lives just outside of Toronto. For more information visit jenjdanna.com.
Jennifer Maruno is a long-time educator and author. Her debut novel, When the Cherry Blossoms Fell, was shortlisted for the Hackmatack Award and the Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Readers Choice Award. She lives in Burlington, Ontario. For more information visit https://jennifermaruno.com.
Jessica Cunsolo’s young adult series, With Me, has amassed over one hundred million reads on Wattpad since she posted her first story, She’s With Me, on the platform in 2015. Jessica lives with her dog, Leo, just outside of Toronto.
Kalli Dakos has been delighting readers with poetry since the release of her best-selling book, If You’re Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand. A former teacher and reading specialist, Dakos taught at schools in Inuvik. Dakos frequently celebrate a love of reading in schools all over Canada… For more information visit www.kallidakos.com.
Karen was born in Canada and lives with her family in Toronto. After a career in education, she turned her attention to writing. The Dime Box is her debut novel and she is working on a second. When not writing, she can be found walking her French bulldog, Ruby, on the boardwalk of Lake Ontario. …
Vice Chair of CWC, Judy Penz Sheluk is the bestselling author of the Glass Dolphin Mystery series (The Hanged Man’s Noose; A Hole in One) and The Marketville Mysteries (Skeletons in the Attic; Past & Present; A Fool’s Journey), and the editor of The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery & Suspense. For more …
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic comedy. For more information visit helenahunting.com.
As a writer, editor, and translator, Heather Camlot has asked “what if?” countless times over her 20-year career. Heather lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her family. For more information visit heathercamlotauthor.wordpress.com.
Helaine Becker is an award-winning writer of over 70 books for children, including the bestselling picture book A Porcupine in a Pine Tree; popular non-fiction, including Zoobots, Worms for Breakfast, and Stress Less: Tips and Tools to Help You Chill. She lives in Toronto, Ontario. For more information visit www.helainebecker.com.