TAWAHUM BIGE is a Łutselk’e Dene, Plains Cree poet. Their Scorpio-moon-ass poems expose growth, resistance and persistence as a hopeless Two Spirit Nonbinary sadboy on occupied Turtle Island. With a B.A. in creative writing from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Bige has performed at countless festivals and had poems featured in numerous publications. His land protection work against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion led him to face incarceration in 2020. Bige’s debut poetry collection, Cut to Fortress, was published by Nightwood Editions in 2022. They reside on unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territory (Vancouver, BC).

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DEREK DESIERTO is a Vancouver-based designer and illustrator whose books with Eva Chen include the New York Times bestseller, Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes. His animation work has been recognized by the Ottawa International Animation Festival, the National Cartoonist Society, and 9 Story Media Group. Currently, he is living the dream as a freelance artist for animated TV shows and picture books. His ultimate goal in life is to meet Oprah and become one of her Favorite Things. Oddbird is his debut as author and illustrator.

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KATHLEEN GROS is a cartoonist living in Vancouver, BC. She graduated with a BFA in illustration from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and she published her first graphic novel, Last Night at Wyrmwood High, soon after. To learn more about Kathleen and her comics, visit her online at www.kagcomix.com.

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TANYA LLOYD KYI is the author of more than thirty books for children and young adults. Tanya has worked in the past as a graphic designer, an editor and a dishwasher. (She considers herself entirely qualified for that last one.) Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is cheese and her favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time. Tanya teaches at the UBC School of Creative Writing in Vancouver, BC.

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MAHTAB NARSIMHAN is an internationally published, award-winning author of over twenty critically acclaimed books. Mahtab writes for all age groups—from picture books to young adult novels—many of which have been shortlisted for the Silver Birch, Red Maple, SYRCA, MYRCA and CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens awards. She is deeply committed to representation and inclusivity in her work.

*Ghost Queen is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read, or say they don’t like to read! We encourage teachers of students with learning difficulties to apply for this author’s event.

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LOGHAN PAYLOR is a queer, trans author who lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Their short fiction and essays have previously appeared in Room and Prairie Fire, among others. Paylor has a Master’s in creative writing from the University of British Columbia, and a day job as a professional geek. The Cure for Drowning is their first novel.

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KIRSTEN PENDREIGH is a poet and children’s author from Vancouver. Her children’s books celebrate our early instincts to care for the plants and creatures that share our planet. Pendreigh’s picture book, Luna’s Green Pet, is about a little girl who raises a houseplant as a pet. Maybe A Whale, is about a child discovering the healing power of nature on a kayak trip. Her two nonfiction books, When A Tree Falls, and What Fish Are Saying, come out in 2025. Pendreigh’s poems are found in Canadian literary magazines and anthologies including Best Canadian Poetry 2021.

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GABRIELLE PRENDERGAST is the award-winning author of numerous books for children and teens. She won the BC Book Prize for her YA sci-fi novel Zero Repeat Forever and the Westchester Award for her YA novel Audacious. After years of working in social welfare and the music and film industries, Prendergast began writing books when she became a mother so that she could work from home. She is the author of Aftershock and Flash Flood in the Orca Anchor series. She lives in East Vancouver.

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ERIKA MEDINA is a Mexican illustrator and book publicist living and working in Vancouver, BC. She is interested in storytelling, myths and legends, and scary stories. She is the illustrator of several picture books, including Margot and the Moon Landing, 48 Grasshopper Estates, and Adela’s Mariachi Band.

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LÉA TARANTO is a disabled Chinese Jewish Canadian writer who lives with OCD and comorbid disorders. An MFA graduate of the University of British Columbia, alumnus of Simon Fraser University Writer’s Studio, and member of PRISM International‘s poetry board, she resides on traditional, unceded Halkomelem and Squamish territories in BC.

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REBECCA WOOD BARRETT is an award-winning writer and filmmaker living in Whistler, BC. Her chapter book My Best Friend Is Extinct was shortlisted for the Red Cedar Award and won the Chocolate Lily Award. Her short fiction has been published in Room and The Antigonish Review. She is a passionate advocate for the literary arts, and enjoys supporting writers of all ages in their creative writing adventures.

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DAVID A. ROBERTSON is an author, editor, and speaker on Indigenous issues, mental health and freedom of expression. His books include the novel The Theory of Crows, the memoir Black Water, the picture books When We Were Alone and On the Trapline, and the middle-grade series the Misewa Saga. He has won awards such as the TD Canadian Children’s Literary Award, the Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction, the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award and the Governor General’s Literary Award and has been shortlisted for many others. He was the writer and host of the podcast Kiwew, which won the 2021 RTDNA Prairie Region Award for Best Podcast. In 2023, the University of Manitoba honoured him with a doctor of letters for his contributions to the arts. David A. Robertson is a member of Norway House Cree Nation. He lives in Winnipeg.

David A. Robertson is already booked for a Writers in the Classroom event and does not have further availability.