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Richard Scarsbrook

Richard Scarsbrook

Richard Scarsbrook is the award-winning author of ten books: the novels Cheeseburger Subversive, Featherless Bipeds, The Monkeyface Chronicles, Nothing Man and The Purple Zero, The Indifference League, and Rockets Versus Gravity, the short story collection Destiny’s Telescope, and the poetry books Six Weeks and Apocalypse One Hundred. His next novel, The Troupers, will be published in 2021, and he’s working on another called The Girl Who Could Not Die. He has also published nearly one hundred short stories and poems in anthologies, magazines, and journals.

Richard won the 2011 White Pine Award, his books have been finalists for the CLA YA Book of the Year, the Stellar Book Prize, and the ReLit Award, and he has won numerous prizes for his poems and stories.

His screenplays have been semi-finalists in the PAGE, Screencraft, and Final Draft Big Break competitions. His first produced film, Royal Blood, was an official selection at many international film festivals, and won Best Short Film at the TIFF-associated Milton Film Festival.
 
Richard teaches Creative Writing Courses at George Brown and Humber Colleges, and has served as Writer in Residence for the Toronto Public Library, the Richmond Hill Public Library, the Toronto District School Board, and the Orangeville Public Library. He is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers, and dozens of his students have gone on to publish work developed in his creative writing courses and workshops.

You can find out more about Richard’s literary adventures at  www.richardscarsbrook.com .

City:
Toronto, ON
Province:
Ontario

Publications

Cheeseburger Subversive. Thistledown Press, 2003
Featherless Bipeds. Thistledown Press, 2006
Destiny's Telescope. Turnstone Press, 2006
The Monkeyface Chronicles. Thistledown Press, 2010
Nothing Man and The Purple Zero. DCB / Cormorant, 2013
Six Weeks. Turnstone Press, 2013
The Indifference League. Dundurn, 2014
Rockets Versus Gravity. Dundurn, 2016
Apocalypse One Hundred., 2016
The Troupers. Cormorant, 2021

Awards

WINNER, Gold Award - Best Local Author, The Toronto Star Reader’s Choice Awards for Career, 2020
WINNER, Best Short Film, Allegra Audience Choice Award, Milton Film Festival for Royal Blood, 2019
WINNER, Ontario Library Association’s White Pine Award for The Monkeyface Chronicles, 2011
WINNER, Matrix LitPop Award for "Bankrupt", 2009
WINNER, Lawrence House Centre for the Arts Short Story Competition for “The Twilight Girl", 2002
WINNER, New Orphic Short Story Contest for "Sky and Earth" , 2001
WINNER of the Scarborough Arts Council's Poetry Competition for "Stop", and "High Diver", 2001
WINNER, Hinterland Award for Prose for "Benjamin's Aliens", 1998
WINNER, Cranberry Tree Press Poetry Chapbook Competition for Guessing at Madeline, 1998
FINALIST, Descant/Winston Collins Prize for Best Canadian Poem for "Fortune", 2013
FINALIST, Canadian Library Association’s Young Adult Book Award for Featherless Bipeds, 2006
FINALIST, Ontario Library Association’s White Pine Award, Cheeseburger Subversive for Cheeseburger Subversive, 2005
FINALIST, Canadian Library Association’s Young Adult Book Award for Cheeseburger Subversive, 2005
FINALIST, the Stellar Book Award for Cheeseburger Subversive, 2005
Links:
Website
http://www.richardscarsbrook.com
,
Facebook
http://facebook.com/richard.scarsbrook/
,
Twitter
http://twitter.com/richscarsbrook
Eligible for National Public Readings Program:
Yes

WITS

Presentation Description

I can present in a variety of ways, depending on the needs of each group of students. No group is too large or small! I’ve run creative writing workshops with groups as small as five students, and have delivered readings and Q+A sessions to audiences of hundreds. 

As a college and high school teacher with nearly 20 years experience, I can present in any venue, from classroom to library to auditorium to outdoor amphitheater, and I am quite comfortable presenting to audiences of any age (although my books lend themselves best to audiences aged 12 to Adult).

My usual “large group” presentation will start with an entertaining reading from one (or more) of my books, followed by an inspirational discussion of the creative writing process fueled by questions from and interactions with the students involved.

Presentation Length:
45 Minutes to 1.5 hours
Genre:
Young Adult Fiction, Adult Fiction, Poetry
Grades:
6 and up
Audience Size:
negotiable
Workshop Description:

For smaller groups (up to 25 students), particularly High School English and
Writer’s Craft classes, I can run a variety of workshops according to the needs
of the class, based on one of the many writing classes I teach at George Brown and
Humber Colleges. Here are examples of specific workshops I can present:

“The Nuts and Bolts of Fiction Writing” – Learn how Point of View, Verb Tense, Modifiers, Language Use and Literary Devices affect the “feel” of a story.  Discover how to develop realistic characters, settings, and plots. Find out how to create a great title for your work every time, and when a story should end.  Learn to transform your experiences and ideas into great stories!

“Creative Writing Kick-Start” – Eliminate “Writer’s Block”! With the fun, real-time writing cues, prompts, and activities I will provide, you can leave this workshop with up to a dozen beginnings to new stories!