Award-winning Children’s Author and Editor to Share Storied Career with Trent Students
A notable international children’s author and editor, with an extensive career in both writing and publishing, will join an esteemed roster of visiting scholars as the 2019-20 Ashley Fellow at Trent University. This year, Shelley Tanaka also becomes the first Ashley Fellow to have residencies at both Trent’s Peterborough and Durham GTA campuses.
“With a dynamic skillset and energy, Shelley will be drawing some fresh faces, including parents and youth to the Trent campuses – in addition to providing valuable career expertise to current Trent students,” noted Dr. Rita Bode, professor of English Literature at Trent, and co-coordinator, with Dr. Margaret Steffler, of the Ashley Fellow. “Students across multiple disciplines in both the humanities and social sciences will benefit from Shelley Tanaka’s residency as this year’s Ashley Fellow,” added Dr. Steffler, “including graduate students in the English MA in Public Texts who will have the opportunity to learn from her experience in the publishing industry.”
Ms. Tanaka’s time as the Ashley Fellow will feature residencies at both Trent campuses, starting at Trent University Durham GTA from October 7-11, 2019 and continuing in the winter term, at Trent Peterborough’s Traill College from January 27-31, 2020. A highlight of her residency in both Durham and Peterborough will be two public lectures, Children’s Books as “Windows and Mirrors”: Stories from the Publishing Trenches. The public lecture at Trent Durham GTA will take place on Wednesday, October 9 at 7:00 p.m., and at Traill College in Peterborough on Wednesday, January 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Throughout her time as a visiting scholar, Ms. Tanaka will contribute to the academic experience of students in workshops, lectures and class visits, as well as events that are open to the broader community.
“I’m so looking forward to engaging in the kinds of wide-ranging conversations that have always been the best part of university life, and talking to students about how we can reflect and open up the world to today's kids — as writers, publishers and youth advocates,” noted Ms. Tanaka.
For the past 35 years, Ms. Tanaka has been the fiction editor at Groundwood Books, one of Canada’s foremost children’s book publishers where she has worked with some of the top Canadian children’s authors. In addition to her role has editor, she is an author - Ms. Tanaka has written more than twenty books for children and young adults.
Ms. Tanaka is also noted for bringing international voices and stories to Canadian readers, including a 2012 novel entitled, Nobody Knows, which adapts a survival story of a twelve year old boy living with his siblings after being abandoned by their mother in a Tokyo apartment. Her other works resonate with many readers on the challenges of the immigrant experience – a great example of the experience she will bring to her exchanges in the University community.
CONTACT INFO:
For more information, contact:
Cara Walsh, communications and media relations officer, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6240 or carawalsh@trentu.ca
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Posted on September 24, 2019