Member Profile

Orysia Dawydiak

Photo: David Sims 2009

Orysia is the firstborn child of Ukrainian immigrants.  She learned to speak English (and several other languages for a short time) while playing with the children of other European immigrants in Sudbury, Ontario.  She began her first novel about horses at age nine but ended up publishing a different one in 2009.  Orysia graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in Zoology, and from Kansas State University in Agricultural Sciences.  She has been a sheep farmer and breeder of Akbash Dogs who guard sheep.  She currently resides on a Prince Edward Island farm with one niece, one Akbash Dog and one three-legged cat.

E-mail: orysiad@icloud.com
Phone number:
c/o Writers' Union of Canada

Publications

House of Bears. The Acorn Press, 2009
Livestock Protection Dogs - Selection, Care and Training, 2nd Ed.. Alpine Publications, 2004
Kira's Secret. The Acorn Press, 2013
Kira's Quest. The Acorn Press, 2015
Rika's Shepherd. The Acorn Press, 2018

Awards

Distinguished Contribution to the Literary Arts of Prince Edward Island, 2014
Best General Reference Book for Livestock Protection Dogs - Selection, Care and Training, 1991
Links:
Orysia's website
http://www.orysiadawydiak.com
Eligible for National Public Readings Program :
Yes

WITS

Presentation Description

Reading appropriate work to audience

Question and answer seession about the specific work, writing in general, publishing and anything to do with literacy, authorship and publication. 

Writing workshops for youth designed for specific ages and interests

Presentation Length:
40-60 minutes for reading, longer for workshops
Genre:
Fiction, middle grade, YA
Grades:
4 and up
Audience size:
Flexible
Workshop Description:

Generating ideas

How to start a story

Using the senses

Character development

Dialogue

Setting

Point of view

How to end

Northern OAC WITS:
Yes
One session:
$$
GST:
GST not applicable