IBBY Canada is pleased to announce that Nahid Kazemi has been selected for the 2018 Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program, to be held at Northern District Branch of Toronto Public Library. During her residency in the month of October, Nahid will present art activities for school children at the library, lead evening workshops in the library for adults and teens, make presentations to art students in high schools and colleges, and offer portfolio reviews. All of the Illustrator in Residence programs are free.

Nahid Kazemi has a BA and MA in Visual Arts (painting) from the Art University of Tehran, and has taught drawing, illustration and graphic design at the University of Sooreh in Iran. She has illustrated 60 books for children and adults, and has been published around the world, including in Canada, USA, UK, Slovenia, and Iran. Her Canadian publishers include Groundwood Books (I’m Glad That You’re Happy), Éditions de l’Isatis (Les mots d’Eunice), and Annick Press (Syria Story). Nahid moved to Canada in 2014 and lives in Montreal.

The Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program, launched in 2013, offers a published children’s book illustrator a month-long residency in a Canadian public library. The previous illustrators include Martha Newbigging (2013), Patricia Storms (2014), John Martz (2015), Dianna Bonder (2016), and Ashley Barron (2017). The program honours the life of Joanne Fitzgerald (1956–2011), whose children’s books include Plain Noodles, Emily’s House, and Doctor Kiss Says Yes, winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award. The program is a joint project of IBBY Canada, Toronto Public Library, the Canadian Urban Libraries Council, and the Young family.

From applications received from illustrators across Canada, the 2018 Illustrator in Residence was selected by a jury comprised of Ashley Barron, the Illustrator in Residence in 2017; Sarah Bradley, Library Service Manager, Toronto Public Library; Meghan Howe, Library Coordinator, Canadian Children’s Book Centre; and Mary Beth Leatherdale, president of IBBY Canada.

Toronto Public Library is the world’s busiest urban public library system. Last year, TPL had 18 million visits to its branches and 31 million virtual visits. Torontonians borrowed 32 million items in branches and online. To learn more, visit tpl.ca, call Answerline at 416-393-7131, or follow Toronto Public Library on Twitter @torontolibrary.

IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People (www.ibby.org), founded in 1953, is a network of organizations in over 70 countries, committed to bringing books and children together. IBBY Canada, started in 1980 (www.ibby-canada.org), promotes quality French and English Canadian children’s literature nationally and internationally.

For more information, please contact:

Emma Sakamoto
Promotions Officer, IBBY Canada
promotions@ibby-canada.org