Available for in-person visits: Nova Scotia
Craft: Author
Genre: Middle-Grade Fiction, Teen Fiction, Hi-Lo books for reluctant readers
Target Audience: Grades 4 to 12
Cost for School and Public Presentation: $250.00, plus applicable taxes
Biography
Vicki Grant has been called “a superb storyteller” (The Canadian Children’s Book Centre) and “one of the funniest writers working today” (The Vancouver Sun). She began her career as an advertising copywriter, moved on to writing scripts for Theodore Tugboat, Big Comfy Couch and her own Gemini-winning series Scoop & Doozie before graduating to YA fiction. Her novels have won The Red Maple, The Arthur Ellis Award and CBC’s Young Canada Reads as well as been shortlisted for The Edgar, CLA Children’s Book of the Year and numerous Forest of Reading awards. Her novel, 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You, has been translated into 17 languages and optioned for film. Publishers’ Weekly called A Green Velvet Secret, her latest MG book, a ‘winning novel,” with “quirky, full-fleshed characters and a tender third-person narration.” Vicki lives in Halifax, NS.
Presentation Information:
Grades 4-6
Vicki loves being a writer but that doesn’t mean she always loves to write. Illustrated with humorous slides and personal examples, her Inspiration Presentations focus on the tricks she’s learned to keep herself creative, energized, and productive. She engages the students with hilarious read-alouds, lively Q & A sessions, and easy writing exercises geared to their interest and age-group.
“The best presentation we ever had!” - Ian Forsyth Elementary.
Junior and Senior High
As well as offering an Inspiration Presentation skewed to a slightly older audience, Vicki also offers writing workshops on humour, plotting for mystery novels and character development. Each workshop covers both practical tips (e.g. “How to use punctuation to help your comic timing.”) and larger concepts to consider (e.g. “How humour can make a dark story more relatable.”) Workshops begin with a reading from one of Vicki’s novels and brief look at the structure, themes and use of language therein. The class is then challenged with several short writing exercises that build on the issues discussed. If the class is interested, Vicki will also talk about the business of writing children’s books -- what are royalties? How much do you get paid? What does an agent do? How do you sell film rights to your books? Etc. She’s also very happy to discuss her experience as a TV scriptwriter and an advertising copywriter, and how those years of ‘writing for hire’ prepared her to enter the publishing world.
“A wonderful rapport with students of any age!” Ellenvale Junior High. “She entranced our Grade 12 writing class!” St. Paul Catholic High School.
Book List
The Puppet Wrangler (Orca Book Publishers, 2004)
Quid Pro Quo (Orca Book Publishers, 2005)
Dead-End Job (Orca Book Publishers, 2005)
Pigboy (Orca Book Publishers, 2006)
I.D. (Orca Book Publishers, 2007)
Res Judicata (Orca Book Publishers, 2008)
Nine Doors (Orca Book Publishers, 2009)
Not Suitable for Family Viewing (HarperCollins, 2009)
Comeback (Orca Book Publishers, 2010)
B Negative (Orca Book Publishers, 2011)
Betsy Wickwire's Dirty Secret (HarperCollins 2011)
Hold the Pickles (Orca Book Publishers, 2012)
Triggered (Orca Book Publishers, 2013)
Small Bones (Orca Book Publishers, 2015)
Short for Cameleon (HarperCollins, 2016)
36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You (Running Press Teens, 2017)
Tell Me When You Feel Something (Penguin Canada, 2021)
A Green Velvet Secret (Tundra Books, 2023)
Death by Whoopee Cushion (Tundra Books, forthcoming 2024)