Credit: katrinarain.com

Contact: For interviews, readings, workshops, school visits, new projects, email ​sarascassidy@gmail.com

Sara Cassidy's poems and short stories have been published in The Malahat Review, Geist, Fiddlehead, Grain, Prairie Fire, ottawater, CV2, Barren Magazine, and other literary journals.  Her hundreds of feature articles, columns and reviews have appeared in such places as the Winnipeg Free Press, Halifax Chronicle Herald, Focus Magazine, and the Globe and Mail.  A piece for Today's Parent won a National Magazine Award (Gold). 
 
Sara's children's books include finalists for the Governor General's Literary Award in Young People's Literature, Chocolate Lily Award, City of Victoria Children’s Book Prize, Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award, Diamond Willow Award, Silver Birch Express Award, and the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. Her book Genius Jolene won the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize.

Sara has worked as a reporter, treeplanter (in five Canadian provinces), editor, and writing instructor. She lives in Victoria, B.C. and works in communications for the BC Ministry of Health.

Awards and Honours

Finalist, 2022 Chocolate Lily Award, Genius Jolene
Winner, Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize (B.C./Yukon Book Prizes), Genius Jolene, 2021
Canadian selection, Silent Books Collection (IBBY), Helen's Birds, 2021
Finalist, Silver Birch Express Award, Genius Jolene, 2021
ALA Rainbow Book List , Commended, Genius Jolene, 2021
Finalist, Chocolate Lily Award, Nevers, 2021
Finalist, Rocky Mountain Book Award, Nevers, 2021
​Finalist, 2020 Governor General's Literary Award in Young People's Literature, Nevers
Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Best Books STARRED 2020, Genius Jolene
​Finalist, City of Victoria Children's Book Prize, Nevers, 2020
Finalist, Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, Nevers, 2020
Finalist, Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize, Nevers, 2020
Finalist, Hackmatack Children's Choice Award, Nevers, 2020
100 books that shaped 2019 - The Globe and Mail, Helen's Birds
Best Children's Books of 2019, Air & Space/Smithsonian, Moon is a Silver Pond 
Finalist, Chocolate Lily Award, The Great Googlini, 2020
Poem "Hazel, 16, Eats Blackberry Pie" shortlisted, Barren Poetry Contest
​​Poem "Wasp" in Best Canadian Poetry 2019 (Biblioasis)
​Junior Library Guild selection, Helen's Birds, 2019
Finalist, Chocolate Lily Book Award, Black Gold, 2019
Best Middle-Grade Books of 2018, Kirkus, The Great Googlini
Finalist, Chocolate Lily Book Award, Blackberry Juice, 2018
Finalist, Silver Birch Express Award, A Boy Named Queen, 2018
Finalist, Rocky Mountain Book Award, A Boy Named Queen, 2018
Finalist, Schwartz Children's Book Award, A Boy Named Queen, 2017
Finalist, Manitoba Young Readers' Choice, A Boy Named Queen, 2017
TD Summer Reading Club, A Boy Named Queen, 2017
Finalist, Diamond Willow Awards 2017, A Boy Named Queen
CCBC Best Books STARRED, A Boy Named Queen, 2016
Cooperative Children's Book Center Best of 2016, A Boy Named Queen
​Best Middle-Grade Books of 2016, Kirkus, A Boy Named Queen
Best Books of 2016, CBC Books, A Boy Named Queen
​Books of the Year 2016, Quill and Quire, A Boy Named Queen
​Junior Library Guild selection, A Boy Named Queen, 2016
CCBC Best Books, Not For Sale, 2015
Finalist, Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize, Skylark, 2014
 CCBC Best Books, Skylark, 2014
Second Place, Short Story Challenge, NYC Midnight, 2014
Finalist, Chocolate Lily Book Award, Seeing Orange, 2013
CCBC Best Books STARRED, Double Play, 2013
Junior Library Guild selection, Double Play, 2013
VOYA Top Shelf for Middle School Readers, Double Play, 2013
CCBC Best Books STARRED, Seeing Orange, 2012
CCBC Best Books, Windfall, 2011
Best Books 2011, Bank Street College of Education, Slick
CCBC Best Books, Slick, 2010
Finalist, Far Horizons Award, The Malahat Review, 2009
First Place, National Magazine Award, Service Category, 2004  
First Place, Victoria School of Writing Postcard Fiction Contest, 1999
Honourable Mention, Novel, Atlantic Writing Competition, 1994*
First Place, Poetry, Atlantic Writing Competition, 1992*
*Sponsored by the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia

Coming
Room of Mom's Own (working title). Chapter book. (Orca, 2024)
Sky Sailors. Non-fiction for young readers. (Orca, 2024)

Published/produced
Union. Middle-grade novel in verse. (Orca, 2022)
Flock. Picture book. (Groundwood, 2022)
Kunoichi Bunny. Picture book. (Orca, 2022)
I Make Space. Board book. (Orca, 2022) 
Painted Fences. Picture book. (Heritage House, 2021)
​The Sun is a Peach. Board book. (Orca,  May 2020)
Genius Jolene. Early novel. (Orca, April 2020) ​
Helen's Birds. Graphic novel.  (Groundwood Books, 2019)
Nevers. Middle-grade novel. (Orca Book Publishers, 2019)
Scallywag on the Salish Sea. Early novel. (Heritage House, 2019)
The Moon is a Silver Pond. Board book. (Orca, 2019)
The Great Googlini. Early novel. (Orca, 2018)
​Prop. Short play. (Theatre Nutshell. 2018)
Black Gold. Early novel. (Orca Book Publishers 2017)
Leechtown. Short play. (Theatre Nutshell. 2017)
A Boy Named Queen. Early novel. (Groundwood Books, 2016)
Blackberry Juice. Early novel. (Orca, 2016)
Not For Sale. Early novel. (Orca, 2015)
Skylark. Young teen. (Orca, 2014)
Double Play. Young teen. (Lorimer, 2013)
Seeing Orange. Early novel. (Orca, 2012)
Windfall. Young teen. (Orca, 2011)
Slick. Young teen. (Orca, 2010)
Unless: The Play. With Carol Shields. (CanStage, 2005)
Sardines.  Postcard fiction. (Greenboathouse, 2001)
Ultrasound of My Heart. Poetry. (Reference West, 1999)

Review copies, interviews
Union, Nevers, Genius Jolene & all Orca books:
Olivia Gutjhar  olivia@orcabook.com

​Flock, Helen's Birds, ​A Boy Named Queen
Fred Horlor fhorlor@groundwoodbooks.com

Painted Fences, Scallywag on the Salish Sea
info@heritagehouse.ca

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