02. David A. Robertson on Living with ‘Little Monsters’

From the outside, award-winning author David A. Robertson looks as if he has it all. But like a growing number of Canadians, he lives with “little monsters”: chronic, debilitating health anxiety and panic attacks accompanied, at times, by depression. Generalized anxiety disorders are on the rise, particularly among young people aged 15–24. In this talk specially curated for teens, Robertson will share his journey with anxiety and the tools he uses to manage his mental health, as chronicled in his book, All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety. Moderated by Jael Richardson. Grades 8–12.

Themes: Mental health, memoir, anxiety, depression, therapy
Curriculum Connections: Physical and Health Education 8-10, Active Living 11-12

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Event Participants:

Jael Richardson

JAEL RICHARDSON is the founder and Executive Director of the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) and the co-host of Into the FOLD: A Book and Lit Fest podcast. She has written a memoir, a novel and three children’s picture books. Her debut novel, Gutter Child was a finalist for the Amazon First Novel Award and the White Pine Award, and her middle grade anthology Today I Am: 10 Stories of Belonging was a finalist for the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award. Richardson holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph and lives in Brampton, Ontario.

David A. Robertson

DAVID A. ROBERTSON is the bestselling author of the ongoing Misewa Saga, the forthcoming picture book Little Shoes, and new adult titles All the Little Monsters and 52 Ways to Reconcile, and the two-time winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award. Dave is a member of the Norway House Cree Nation and lives in Winnipeg.