MASC Young Authors & Illustrators Festival
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
The MASC Young Authors and Illustrators Festival will take place on February 27 at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. The festival features an award winning line-up of Canadian authors and illustrators, and is hosted by JustJamaal ThePoet. Students in grades four to eight are invited to sign up for one or two days of literary activities including artist presentations and hands-on master classes, working with a professional author or illustrator of their choice. Bring your imagination. Leave inspired! We are grateful for the support from the Leacross Foundation.
Deadline has expired
Deadline has expired: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 If you have any questions, email us at mascyoungauthors@gmail.com!
2024 Authors & Illustrators
Schedule of Events & Masterclasses
Your festival day will run from 8:30am to 3:30pm, with a lunch break between your morning and afternoon sessions (lunch not provided). See below for a more detailed breakdown and masterclass descriptions!
8:30am: Arrival
9:00am-9:40am: Welcome, Meet the Authors, and a special performance
9:45am-11:45am: Masterclass Session #1
11:45am-12:30pm: Lunch & mini dance workshop
12:35pm-1:00pm: Author readings & prize draw
1:05pm-2:55pm: Masterclass Session #2
3:00pm-3:30pm: Book Fair, Author Signings, and Farewell
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Write Like a Superhero
J. Torres (Grades 4-6)
This masterclass is for comic book fans and graphic novel readers who want to write their own comics or graphic novels. Award winning author J. Torres will take you behind-the-scenes and show you how comic books are made and teach you how plot, format, and write a comic book script. This class will help you get started on the road to writing your own Marvel-like masterpiece or the next great graphic novel.
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Writing Dystopic Fiction
Angela Misri (Grades 4-6)
In this two-part workshop, you’ll go through some examples of great dystopic fiction and then break it down into three working sections: plot/setting, characters, and story arcs. PLUS, a bonus, mini “Funny Pages” workshop in the afternoon, in which you’ll learn more about writing comedy and get to try your hand at creating your very own comedic character!
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Discover your writing voice
Amanda West Lewis (Grades 6-8)
You are a unique individual, with your own personal way of expressing yourself. Writers call that your writing “voice.” But it takes work to develop that voice and discover how to connect it with the stories you want to tell. This two-part workshop is geared toward an exploration of words on a physical and personal level. In Part One, you’ll explore how written words come from sounds made by your body. In Part Two, you’ll explore the role of personal memory as a writing tool.
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Engage your readers
Wayne Ng(Grades 6-8)
This masterclass is suited for creative fiction writers who want to learn how to create interesting and emotionally engaging stories.You'll learn the main elements of storytelling--- developing rich characters, interesting plots, fascinating settings, and meaningful themes. By the end of the day, you'll have ideas for writing habits and routines, as well as a deeper understanding of developing a writing project!
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Make your art come to life!
Kevin Sylvester (Grades 6-8)
Kevin Sylvester has written and illustrated more than thirty books for kids, and he’s used a variety of styles and materials. He’ll share some basic tips about how to make your work seem more active, alive and fun to draw. He’ll also discuss… materials, digital vs. analog, shape, colour and character design. Students are encouraged, but NOT required, to come to the class with some examples of their own work… but you are required to bring lots of questions!
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Cranky Comics!
Katherine Battersby (Grades 4-6)
Katherine shares her experiences creating her popular comic book series, Cranky Chicken, in this interactive workshop. Find out where she gets her ideas and how they develop into characters that amble across the page. Through a range of fun illustration techniques and games, participants will learn all about drawing expressive characters, developing a character’s story, and how to capture all this and more on the page. You'll leave with characters and the first pages of your own comic book!