Member Profile

Irene N. Watts

Watts
Photo: Russel Kelley 1996

Irene N. Watts (a.k.a Kirstein Watts) was born in Berlin, Germany and immigrated to London, England in 1938 via Kindertransport at age 7. She studied at University College Cardiff and arrived in Canada in 1968, by way of Hobbema Indian Reserve. Since 1977, she has been a resident of B.C. She is the founding director of Citadel Wheels and Wings, Alberta and Neptune Theatre Company, Nova Scotia. She served as the program director of the first International Vancouver Children's Festival. Theatre credits include: Stratford Festival, Ontario; Greenthumb Players, Vancouver, B.C. She is a playwright and a member of PUC.

E-mail: inwatts@telus.net
Phone number:

Publications

When the Bough Breaks. A novel, Tundra Books, 2007.
Flower. A novel, Tundra Books, 2005.
A Telling Time. Illustrated by Kathryn E. Shoemaker, Tradewind Books.
Tapestry of Hope. Holocaust Writing for Young People compiled with Lillian Boraks Nemetz, Tundra Books, 2003.
Finding Sophie. A novel, Tundra Books, 2002.
One for Day/ One For Night. Illustrated by Mark Lang. Retold from the stories of George Macdonald, Tundra Books, 2002.
Remember Me. A novel, Tundra Books, 2000.
Goodbye- Marianne. A novel and one act play, Tundra Books (1998) Scirroco Drama (1995)
This Pet’s Allowed. A musical with Bruce Kellett. Playwrights Guild Canada
The Fish Princess. Illustrated by Steve Mennie. Tundra Books, 1996
Making Stories. Ideas for building and dramatizing stories, Pembroke Publishers, 1992.
Just a Minute. 10 plays and drama activities for students in the multi-Cultural classroom, Pembroke Publishers, 1990.

Awards

A White Raven, Bologna for A Telling Time, 2006
The Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction
The Chocolate Lily Award
The Canadian Jewish Book Award (Three times)
Finalist for CLA Children and YA novel
Finalist for Silver Birch and Red Cedar Awards
BC Book prize Honor Book
Canadian Children Book Centre Choice(Many times)
First Prize International Playwrights Forum of the ITI 2006 For “LILLIE”, A One Act Play.
Links:
Website
http://www.irenenwatts.com
Eligible for National Public Readings Program :
Yes

WITS

Northern OAC WITS:
No
GST:
GST not applicable