Anne Carter
Picture Books, MG Non-Fiction and Fiction, YA fiction.
Anne divides her time writing and teaching between Toronto Island and the LaHave River, Nova Scotia.
Fiction (YA)
Jean Mills
Jean Mills has a background in teaching (college Communications/Writing; Grade 6 Language Arts) and professional writing and editing. Her first two novels, Wild Dog Summer and The Legacy, were part of the Nelson Canada novel study program for middle school Language Arts. Her most recent book is Larkin on the Shore (Red Deer Press, October 2019) set in Nova Scotia and telling the story of a troubled teen who is reluctantly spending her summer at her grandmother’s house in a small town on the Northumberland Strait. School Library Journal says: “Beautifully written, with vivid imagery of the Nova Scotia shore, this is a truly moving story of finding oneself after trauma.” Her previous YA novel, Skating Over Thin Ice (Red Deer Press, 2018) was nominated for the Ontario Library Association 2019 Forest of Reading Red Maple Fiction award. The novel was also named to the USBBY 2019 Outstanding International Books List. Her upcoming YA novel, The Legend, will be published in 2021. Jean can lead workshops in creative writing, general writing skills, as well as offer presentations (in person or virtually) about her books, the writing life and the publishing process. She divides her time between Guelph, Ontario, and Pugwash, Nova Scotia.
Jo Treggiari
Jo Treggiari is the best-selling, award-winning author of six thrilling books for young adults. Her 2019 novel, The Grey Sisters (Penguin Teen), was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award, a finalist for the Crime Writers of Canada Award and a finalist for the Ann Connor Brimer Children’s Literature Award. Her most recent book, Heartbreak Homes, a murder-mystery, was the winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence, and a finalist for the 2023 Ann Connor Brimer Award and the 2023 Dartmouth Book Award.
David Huebert
David Huebert’s writing has won the CBC Short Story Prize, appeared several times in Best Canadian Stories, and was a finalist for the 2020 Journey Prize. Huebert’s first story collection, Peninsula Sinking, won a Dartmouth Book Award and was runner-up for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award, among other accolades. His second story collection, Chemical Valley, won the Alistair MacLeod Short Fiction Prize, received glowing reviews, and was a finalist for the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award and the ReLit Award. His first novel, Oil People, will be published by McClelland & Stewart in August 2024. David teaches in the MFA in Fiction at the University of King’s College in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), where he lives with his partner and their two children.
Hugh R. MacDonald
Hugh R. MacDonald is a writer of fiction, and a singer/songwriter. Hugh has been a member of the Writers Union of Canada and the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) for many years. His YA novel, Trapper Boy was published by Cape Breton University Press, and the sequel entitled Us and Them waas released in October 2016. Hugh is a graduate of Cape Breton University, and worked in the human services field for 25 plus years, and is now happily retired.
September 2017 — “Trapper Boy” was included in the Reading Nova Scotia publication of “150 Books of Influence” in Nova Scotia–see the link below, which will redirect you to the site. You may have to copy and paste the link.
https://www.nsla.ns.ca/150-books-of-influence
Hugh’s song, “Trapper Boy,” that he wrote prior to the novel of the same name, has been added to the repertoire of the world famous Men of the Deeps, and was included on their 50th Anniversary Compilation CD, which was released in April 2016. Hugh’s version of his song, “Trapper Boy” can be found here: https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=37GBaudAgZA&t=4s
Hugh’s song “A Cape Breton Lament” (written and performed by Hugh) was included on the CD Cape Breton Songs of Steel, Coal and Protest, produced by Dr. Richard MacKinnon (Cape Breton University). See the Youtube link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZpCDIqbZ20.
Trapper Boy was selected by Dr. Patrick Howard of Cape Breton University’s Education Department as a novel around which to develop a Teacher Resource. The resource is currently available at no charge for teachers using Trapper Boy.
Hugh is a member of the Writers in the Schools (WITS) program through WFNS. Hugh enjoys going into schools to meet with young people and sharing his passion for writing. His presentation includes readings from his work, using his songs and his videos to share thoughts on his writing process, and encouraging young people to try their own hand at writing. WITS grade levels P-12.
Andre Fenton
Andre Fenton is an award-winning African Nova Scotian writer, performer, and arts educator who has represented Halifax at eight national spoken word festivals across Canada, and the director of the Narrative Program at The Bus Stop Theatre Co-Op.
Andre is the 2023 recipient of the Portia White Protege Award and a 2022 recipient of an Emerging Artist Recognition Award from Creative NS Awards. Andre is the author of three young adult fiction novels, Worthy of Love. ANNAKA, which was the 2022 recipient of The Community & Place Award from Digitally Lit, and The Summer Between Us, which won Gold in The Coast’s 2022 Best Of Awards.
Andre has facilitated writing and performance workshops in over 100 classrooms across Nova Scotia, and founded The Ink Collective, a Black writers workshop series. He is currently screenwriting the film adaptation of his novel, ANNAKA with Fine Devil Films, and is repped by CookeMcDermid and Meridian Artists. Andre is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Cate Carlyle
Cate Carlyle is an author and librarian living in Prospect, Nova Scotia. Cate began her career as a teacher and eventually transitioned to work in elementary school, academic and public libraries. Currently the Curriculum Resource Coordinator in the Faculty of Education Library at Mount Saint Vincent University, Cate also reviews children’s and young adult books for CM Magazine: Canadian Review of Materials. Cate’s first book, “Your Passport to International Librarianship” (ALA 2018) chronicled her international volunteer work and she has also had her fictional short stories published with one shortlisted by the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia Nova Writes competition. Cate’s young adult novel “#NotReadyToDie” (Common Deer Press) was relased in 2019.
Charlotte Mendel
Author, Teacher, Mother, Farmer
Charlotte Mendel is a four times-published, award-winning author. For more information on her books, the prizes she has won, media coverage and reviews, you can visit her website.
She has published three literary fiction books and one YA novel:
“Turn Us Again”
“A Hero”
“Reversing Time”
“A Hostage”
Charlotte Mendel has taught Creative Writing at Dalhousie for the past seven years. She has also facilitated many writing workshops in her community, both for adults and in the schools. Charlotte also delivers the Climate Simulation Game to environmental organizations, schools and universities in NS and England, and has been invited by Consultants from the NS Ministry of Education to introduce the game to teachers at the Summer Learning Academy this summer.