Students will be on the edge of their seats hearing from writers who have produced three of the creepiest YA books of the season! Award-winning Aden Polydoros’ Wrath Becomes Her is Frankenstein meets Inglourious Basterds. This is a powerful Jewish historical horror novel about a golem—a creature brought to life with ancient magic—made in the image of a murdered daughter with a mission to avenge her death. Bestselling author Joel A. Sutherland’s House of Ash and Bone is spine-tinglingly macabre; described as The Haunted meets House of Salt and Sorrows. Award-winner Naben Ruthnum takes his first suspenseful foray into YA with small-town mysteries in The Grimmer. Grades 8–12. Moderated by Rob J. Wiersema.

Event Participants:

Aden Polydoros

ADEN POLYDOROS is an award-winning author who transitioned from female-to-male when he was 14. After going ‘stealth’ for over 10 years, he came out as transgender in order to support trans youth and vocalize how transitioning saved his life. His YA gothic fantasy novel, The City Beautiful, won the Sydney Taylor Book Award and was a finalist for the Lambda Award, the National Jewish Book Award, the Cybils Award, the South Carolina Book Award, and the 2022 World Fantasy Award.

Naben Ruthnum

NABEN RUTHNUM's most recent works are the novel A Hero of Our Time and the horror novella Helpmeet. He’s written thrillers as Nathan Ripley and also writes for the screen. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Joel A. Sutherland

JOEL A. SUTHERLAND is the Silver Birch and Hackmatack Award-winning author of numerous Haunted Canada books and the Red Maple Award Honour Book Summer’s End. His middle-grade fiction series, Haunted, has been praised by Goosebumps author R.L. Stine. Joel lives with his family in southeastern Ontario, where he works as a library manager and is always on the lookout for ghosts.

Robert J. Wiersema

ROBERT J. WIERSEMA is the author of three novels, a novella, a short story collection, and a book of nonfiction. He is one of Canada’s most recognized book reviewers, with work in The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, and National Post, among others. He teaches creative writing at Vancouver Island University.