Tzavta #23
JILLIAN TAMAKI
Jillian Tamaki: Raised in Calgary and a graduate of the Alberta College of Art and Design, Jillian Tamaki’s illustrations have appeared in some of the world’s top publications, including The New Yorker and The Guardian. She won the Governor General’s Literary Award for her graphic novel This One Summer, as well as the Caldecott, Ignatz, and Printz prizes. They Say Blue is Jillian’s first picture book, a poetic exploration of colour and nature from a young child’s point of view. “This is a reminder to slow down, savor the present, notice small details, and relish childlike wonder,” writes the Kirkus Reviews. “Attuned to a child’s psychology and patterns of critical thinking, this visually stunning work is a must-purchase for libraries,” writes the School Library Journal.
VIVEK SHRAYA Moderator
Vivek Shraya is an artist whose body of work includes several albums, films, and books. Vivek’s 2017 album with Queer Songbook Orchestra, Part-Time Woman, was included in CBC’s Best Canadian Albums of 2017. Her first book of poetry, even this page is white, won a 2017 Publisher Triangle Award and was longlisted for CBC’s Canada Reads. Her debut novel, She of the Mountains, was named one of The Globe and Mail’s Best Books, and her book I’m Afraid of Men will be out in Fall 2018 (Penguin Canada). Vivek has read and performed internationally at shows, festivals and post-secondary institutions, including sharing the stage with Tegan & Sara. She is one half of the music duo Too Attached and the founder of the publishing imprint VS. Books. A four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist, Vivek was a 2016 Pride Toronto Grand Marshal, and has received honours from the Toronto Arts Foundation and The Writers’ Trust of Canada. Vivek is currently an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Calgary.
