Ann Chandler

Readings

Young Adult Content: historical fiction and contemporary, history (WW1), intrigue, action, mystery, and romance, teens learning about inner strength.

Book Sales:

Ann can bring copies of her books to the readings for students to purchase and have autographed.

Workshops

My workshops are about learning the creative process of writing – where to find inspiration, how to craft your thoughts and imagination onto paper. How to learn character construction.

Subject matter related to the content of my novels or magazine articles – horse racing, Italy, WW1, silver mining, BC history, writing profiles of famous people, learning interview techniques.

Special Equipment:

Students need writing materials.

Book Sales:

Ann can bring copies of her books to the readings for students to purchase and have autographed.

Other Presentations

• Encouraging Creative Writing for Children and Teens
• Constructive Feedback for Children and Teens’ Writing Projects
• Building Believable Characters

Biography

My novels spring from a unique country childhood swathed in limitless imagination where the outdoors was my playground and books were my indoor haven. After raising a family of four daughters, I studied ancient bones and international cultures for an honours degree in forensic archaeology and cultural anthropology. After that I turned to writing, completing an MFA in Creative Writing at UBC. I love the exuberance of youth, which led me to teach a high school creative writing group. There are so many talented young writers just waiting to put pen to paper – welcome to my workshops.

My first novel, Siena Summer, about a famous Italian horse race, was published by Tradewind Books in September 2008. My second novel, Kootenay Silver, set in southeastern BC during WW1, is published by Dundurn (forthcoming November 2010).

I don’t plan or plot my stories, the characters just come to me and they take on a direction of their own. Because of this, they are very real, never contrived, never ordinary, and you won’t soon forget them or their adventures.

When I’m not writing novels, I write regularly (archaeology, history, health, crime, science, profiles) for national magazines like Reader’s Digest, Best Health, More, Canada’s History, Aramco World and Muse, among others. I also write monthly for an international teen magazine called Spot On.

I am a member of Children’s Writers and Illustrators of BC, the Professional Writers Association of Canada, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the BC Forensic Odontology Response Team.