JAN L. COATES
Literary Resume
24 Minas View Drive, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2H7
coatesfamily@ns.sympatico.ca
PUBLICATIONS/CONTESTS
A Hare in the Elephant’s Trunk, GOVERNOR GENERAL’S LITERARY AWARDS FINALIST (Children’s Text) – 2011
- Forthcoming, A SUPERHERO NAMED BLOB, Red Deer Press
- Forthcoming, FIFTEEN MINUTE FILLERS, Editions de l’Envolee
- Forthcoming, WILLIAM AND THE BRAZILIAN RUBBERASER;
- FIVE CHILDREN AND IT (a retelling of the classic novel by E.L. Nesbitt);
- PINOCCHIO LEARNS A LESSON;
- STOP COMPLAINING, CHICKEN LITTLE; Chapter Books for JLS, Korean ESL Publisher
- 2011, TURNING TRASH TO TREASURE, JLS Storybook Project
- 2011, UNCLE BOBBY AND THE PIRATES, JLS
- 2011, THE CHEESY MAN GIANT, JLS
- 2011, IF DOGS COULD TALK, JLS
- 2011, SARAH SNOW, STAR OF THE SHOW, JLS
- 2011, THE WITCH’S FINGERS, JLS
- 2011, QUEBEC STORIES, ESL Comprehension workbook, Editions de l’Envolee
- 2011, “A Library Cat”, R.E.A.L. Canadian Kids Magazine, short story
- 2010, A HARE IN THE ELEPHANT’S TRUNK, upper middle grade novel, Red Deer Press (Governor General’s Literary Award Finalist, 2011, starred Kirkus Review; IPPY Silver Medal (Independent Publishers Book Awards, US); Finalist, Ann Connor Brimer Atlantic Book Award; nominated for Saskatchewan Young Readers Choice Awards(SYRCA) Snow Willow Award; USBBY Honor List of Outstanding International Books 2011; Skipping Stones Honor List, 2011)
- 2010, WHAT WILL MOMMY DO?, personalized book, Story Something (web platform for children’s stories)
- 2010, THE IMPOSSIBLE DIVE, JLS Storybook Project, chapter book, (ESL Publisher, S.Korea/British Columbia)
- 2010, THE QUEEN AND MR. CUNNINGHAM, JLS Storybook Project
- Atlantic Writing Competition 2009, Honourable Mention, Writing for Young Adults, for early version of A Hare in the Elephant’s Trunk, called “Jacob’s Long Walk”
- “The Queen and Mr. Cunningham”, (short story) Stories for Children, June, 2008
- “Jacob’s Story”, (article) Acadia Alumni Bulletin, May, 2007
- “Goodbye to Wollypoggle”, (picture book manuscript) 3rd place, WFNB Competition, April, 2007
- 2005, RAINBOWS IN THE DARK, (picture book) Second Story Press (Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese and Braille translations with Korean and Brazilian rights sold); Our Choice designation, 2006, Canadian Children’s Book Centre; IBBY International’s 2007 Collection of Outstanding Books for Young People With Disabilities.
- “Walking the Wolfville Dykes”, personal essay, The Chronicle Herald, 2002
- “The Music Festival Revisited” (First Person Singular) CBC Radio, May, 2001
- “Winter Rhapsody” (personal essay) Canadian Living Magazine, February, 2001
- “Sam’s Magic Cape”, (picture book manuscript) 2nd place, Atlantic Writing Competition, March, 2000
EDUCATION/ MEMBERSHIPS/PRESENTATIONS/GRANTS
- Recipient, Canada Council Creation Grant, 2012 (to work on middle-grade novel, “The Power of Harmony”)
- Recipient, Access Copyright Foundation PD Grant to attend Carver/Stinson workshop, September, 2011
- Reader/judge, Atlantic Writing Competition, 2011
- Recipient, Mentorship through WFNS to work on Lost Boys of the Sudan novel, with Gary L. Blackwood, Winter, 2009
- Presenter, Port Medway Young Readers’ Festival, August, 2008
- Member, WFNS – Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (Writers Council Member involved in school presentations)
- Member, CANSCAIP, Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers
- Participant, workshop/retreat led by well-known children’s author, Kathy Stinson, and Peter Carver, Children’s Editor, Red Deer Press, September 2007, August, 2008, September, 2011.
- Recipient, PD Grant, Lost Boys of the Sudan novel, NS Department of Tourism, Culture & Heritage (to work on manuscript at Stinson/Carver workshop, as above
- Judge, Ada Mingo Teen Writing Competition, Colchester East Hants Library 2007-present
- Participant, Children’s Writing Workshop led by Norene Smiley, WFNS, Winter, 2002
- BA (English, 1981), BEd(Secondary, 1986), Acadia University, Wolfville, NS
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
- Substitute teacher, Annapolis Valley Regional School Board
- School Writing Presenter, through the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia’s Writers in the Schools (WITS) program (29 schools from fall, 2007 to spring, 2011, and ongoing)
I find your writing bio very interesting, and your ESL background. I’m a retired ESL instructor (King Edward Campus, VCC), and a former regional advisor for the Western Canadian chapter of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators). I’ll be away from my desk from February 1 to March 17, but I’d like to learn more about your career and writing for ESL. Could you please contact me in March? Thanks.
Hi
We would like to plan an author’s day for the school for February15 or February22. Would you be available for either of those dates?
Thank you
CG