The Authors - Part 1B

LEC: What aspect of TD Book Week (or your travels) are you most excited about?

CAROLINE ADDERSON: Two things. The first is that I get to go to Ottawa during tulip season.

The second is not exactly excitement. I actually feel quite nervous presenting to kids. I’m good at it, but the day before my stomach won’t stop its calisthenics routine. I figure if I have to do three or four presentations a day for five days, my stomach will finally learn how to behave itself. 

DON AKER: What excites me most about Book Week is having the opportunity to speak with teenagers from a variety of places and backgrounds. I was a teacher for many years, which probably explains why teens are the audience I write for. Now that I’m a full time author, I don’t get to interact with them on a daily basis, so it’s extremely helpful for me to chat with them whenever I can. It isn’t just what they talk about that interests me but also the way that they speak about those things—sometimes, entire scenes in a manuscript I’m writing come directly from conversations I’ve had with young people. Also, listening to them often helps me overcome problems I might be having with a story. For example, when I began writing my novel The Space Between, I knew that the brother of my main character had committed suicide, but I didn’t know why. I considered all kinds of reasons, but none of them seemed to work in the context of my story. Then one day I was chatting with two students at lunchtime and one of them made a comment that floored me—so much so that I later recorded it in my writer’s notebook. Once I saw his words on paper, I knew I had the answer I’d been looking for all along. In fact, that student’s comment appears word-for-word in a scene in The Space Between.

VIVIEN BOWERS: The opportunity to interact with the kids – always! They are my reality check, keeping my writing relevant and reminding me what it takes to capture and hold the attention of a class of kids. The reason Hey Canada! includes a hamster is because a Grade 3 class in Fruitvale, BC insisted I had to include a pet, and regaled me with stories about what trouble the hamster could cause. I also love traveling to different parts of Canada, and Manitoba is one of the few provinces where I haven't yet done a school/library tour. (Newfoundland, Nunavut and PEI are the others on my to-visit list.) 

MARTY CHAN: Like all my book tours, I’m most looking forward to seeing the kids’ reactions to my presentations. I love making people smile and when I go into a new city or province, I always wonder if I can connect with the kids. It’s nerve-wracking, but when I hear the first laugh, it’s the greatest feeling in the world. I’m thrilled that Book Week gives me a chance to visit Quebec, a province I’ve never been to.


JOAN MARIE GALAT: I’m very excited about being able to meet new people—especially students in schools along with their librarians and teachers. It’s always interesting to discover regional differences in lifestyle, outlook, and experiences within Canada.

Newfoundland is the only province I have yet to visit and a scenic place I’ve wanted to explore for a very long time. I’m very lucky my tour will allow me to crisscross so much of the province. So far, I know I’ll be visiting St. John's, Mount Pearl, Grand Falls, Corner Brook, and Deer Lake. 

ALLAN STRATTON: Aside from meeting people and seeing the art in Cape Dorset, going out to the ice floes.

VIKKI VANSICKLE: There are so many exciting things about Book Week! I've never been to Saskatchewan, so I'm really looking forward to checking out the landscape there, plus I really enjoy talking with readers. I work full time and so I appreciate any time I get to spend out in the field as an author, talking directly with readers.