Biography
Anna Priemaza is an Edmonton author who writes contemporary books for teens. KAT AND MEG CONQUER THE WORLD (HarperTeen) was on Chapters Indigo’s list of top teen books of 2017, and FAN THE FAME (HarperTeen) was a short-list nominee for the 2020/2021 Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading White Pine Award. Both KAT AND MEG CONQUER THE WORLD and Anna’s upcoming THE FORGOTTEN MEMORIES OF VERA GLASS (Abrams Amulet) are set in Edmonton. Her books are especially relatable for teens who struggle with mental health as well as for those who love videogaming or YouTubers.
In addition to being an author, Anna is a lawyer as well as an academic writing instructor at the University of Alberta.
Anna is available for both virtual and in-person bookings. Please note that in-person availability is limited to Fridays within one hour of Edmonton.
Presentations & Workshops – grades 5 – 12
The Writing Process (presentation)
In this presentation, I provide all sorts of writing tips and tricks, such as how to brainstorm story ideas, how to create three-dimensional characters, and what to do when you’re stuck.
Author: The Profession (presentation)
In this presentation, I tell my own story of how I landed a publishing deal with a Big Five publisher–and the years of hard work it took to get there–and answer some frequently asked questions I get about the profession of being an author.
Canadian Author, American Market (presentation)
The big commercial publishers are American, but I am Canadian and my books are set in Canada (two in Edmonton and one in Toronto). In this youth-friendly presentation, I talk about what it’s like to write for an American market as a Canadian author. (For example, did you know that I had to remove “dill pickle chips” from my first book because Americans don’t know what those are?)
Let’s Talk About Mental Health (presentation)
In my books, characters struggle with mental health, from anxiety and ADHD in KAT AND MEG CONQUER THE WORLD to skin-picking disorder in FAN THE FAME. In this presentation, I talk about writing characters with mental illness and about my own journey with mental health.
Relationship-based story brainstorming (workshop)
In this writing workshop, I lead students through brainstorming story ideas by considering the relationships between people–friends, siblings, neighbours, classmates, etc.–and the conflicts that can arise between them.
Character-based writing (workshop)
In this writing workshop, I lead students through creating a character and through starting to write a story where the character, not the author, is the one who decides what happens next.
Rates
For in-person sessions, my rate is $425 for a half day (two sessions of 50-65 minutes each) and $675 for a full day (four 50-65 minute sessions). Maximum audience size is 30 for workshops and 100 for presentations.
For virtual visits, my rate is $200 for a 50-60 minute presentation and $250 for a 65-90 minute workshop. Both include time for a Q&A at the end. If you book multiple presentations and/or workshops in one day, the rates decrease to $175 for a presentation or $225 for a workshop.
Bibliography
THE FORGOTTEN MEMORIES OF VERA GLASS, November 2021 (Abrams Amulet)
FAN THE FAME, 2019 (HarperTeen)
- White Pine Award Finalist (Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading program)
- Featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine (August 2019 issue)
KAT AND MEG CONQUER THE WORLD, 2017 (HarperTeen)
- Featured on Chapters Indigo’s list of the top teen books of 2017
- Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee (2019)