OPL online workshops feature top YA authors

OTTAWA – Ottawa Reads YA connects you with the authors you love and with fellow Young Adult literature fans and aspiring writers. 

“Like its predecessor Ottawa Public Library`s (OPL) Teen Author Fest, Ottawa Reads YA is a great chance to interact with authors and learn more about this innovative and exciting genre,” the OPL released in a statement today (Oct. 30). “Starting Nov. 3, you can participate in workshops, learn about the mechanics of writing and ask authors questions about their works – all through live virtual channels during this pandemic era.”

Here’s the full roster of events, presented in partnership with the Ottawa International Writers Festival. 

• Monday Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. – Masterclass: Connecting Plot and Character with Kenneth Oppel 

Who better to lead us through the balancing act of storytelling that compels us to keep turning pages with characters that come vividly to life than Governor General’s Award-winner Kenneth Oppel? Kenneth sits down with Ottawa teacher Curtis Perry for a conversation on connecting plot and character using his critically acclaimed new Bloom Trilogy for inspiration.  

• Monday Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. – Author Discussion with Christina Hammonds Reed 

Join us as Christina Hammonds Reed discusses her first novel, The Black Kids. Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give, this unforgettable coming-of-age debut novel explores issues of race, class, and violence through the eyes of a wealthy black teenager whose family gets caught in the vortex of the 1992 Rodney King Riots. Christina Hammonds Reed holds an MFA from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. A native of the Los Angeles area, her work has previously appeared in the Santa Monica Review and One Teen Story.  

• Monday Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. – Creative Writing for Teens: Workshop with Lindsay Wong  

Ellen Chang-Richardson hosts a discussion and workshop with Lindsay Wong! We will talk about her first YA novel, My Summer of Love and Misfortune — a hilarious, quirky story about a Chinese-American teen who is thrust into the decadent world of Beijing high society when she is sent away to spend the summer in China. Through a variety of fun writing exercises and prompts, inspiration will be drawn from texts and social media accounts to create realistic dialogue and compelling narratives from our daily lives. You’ll learn how to potentially turn a 280-character Tweet into the basis for a short story and to transform an ongoing text conversation into vivid dialogue between two characters. The last 20-25 minutes of the workshop will be for sharing your writing and Q&As. Bring your questions! 

These YA author and writing events are being presented by OPL in partnership with the Ottawa International Writers Festival’s Republic Of Childhood stream. For more information or to register for programs, please visit https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/ottawa-reads-ya