On May 14, I visited the Upper Valley Writers Club in Pembroke for a reading and lecture on Historical Research. This event was sponsored by the Canada Council Literary Readings Grant.

For information on the Canada Council for the Arts visit: www.canadacouncil.ca

Reading from Daughter of Light

School and Library Presentations

I really enjoy visiting schools and Libraries. I love the opportunity to speak with the readers of my novels.

I do presentations for Senior Kindergarten - Grade 9 students.

In the primary grades my presentation involves poetry and a short story. We will create a poem together, using a simple pattern. If time is available we will do some Dutch Folk Art.

In the Junior Grades, I'll do a short reading from 'Daughter of Light', and 'A Light in the Dunes'. I'll show a video about the island of Ameland (the Netherlands), where the story takes place. I will share some of the techniques that have helped me with my writing. How and where I get ideas. How the ideas develop. The editing stages. There will be time for group discussion and questions and Dutch folk Art.

In grades 7-9, I will read from 'A Time to Choose' and my new novel about the 'Couriers'. For the historical novels I will discuss the Second World War, how I do the research and how the research has influenced my writing. A short video about the war years in Friesland will give the readers some idea of that era in history. I will share with the readers how the ideas develop from scenes and events into a full length novel.

As a teacher, I feel comfortable speaking to groups up to 50 students. The smaller the groups the more the students will gain from the presentation.

I would like four weeks notice in advance to organize times and days and would prefer more than one presentation per day in the same town or school. I am flexible and my fee is negotiable and would have to include travel.

For information please e-mail me at: martatte@vianet.on.ca

You can e-mail me directly from the contact page.