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Charis Cotter is a Canadian author and storyteller known for her works of fiction for middle-grade readers.

Early life and education

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Cotter grew up in downtown Toronto, Canada, behind a cemetery.[1]

She studied English in university and went to drama school in London, England.[2]

Career

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Editing years and non-fiction work

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In 2004, Cotter’s first book was published: Toronto Between the Wars: Life in the City 1919–1939, by Firefly Books.[3]

In 2007, Annick Press published Cotter’s first non-fiction book for children: Kids Who Rule: The Remarkable Lives of Five Child Monarchs. It was followed by Wonder Kids: The Remarkable Lives of Nine Child Prodigies, and Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors.[4][5][6] Annick Press also published Cotter’s first ghost-themed book, A World Full of Ghosts, in 2009.[7]

Works of fiction and awards

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Cotter’s breakout work of fiction was her novel The Swallow: A Ghost Story, published in 2014 by Tundra Books. It tells the story of two lonely girls who become friends over their mutual fascination with ghosts, and explores themes of childhood neglect, mental illness, and death. The Swallow won the 2015 Violet Downey Book Award[8] and was a Silver Birch Honour Book as part of the Forest of Reading program in 2016.[9] It was one of ten finalists for the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award in 2015, receiving an honourable mention.[10][11]

In 2017, Tundra Books published Cotter’s second novel, The Painting, which explores similar themes of ghosts, loss, and fractured family relationships. It won the Hackmatack Children’s Choice Award in 2019[12] and the Ann Connor Brimer Award for Children’s Literature at the Atlantic Book Awards & Festival in 2018.[13]

Her next book, The Ghost Road, was published by Tundra Books in 2018. Set in Newfoundland, it tells the story of two girls who must break a family curse, and centres around issues of domestic violence and intergenerational trauma. It won the Bruneau Family Children’s/YA Literature Award at the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards in 2020.[14]

Her fourth novel, The Dollhouse: A Ghost Story, was released in 2021. The Dollhouse was also released as an audiobook.[15]

In addition to her novels, Cotter has written several picture books for children inspired by ghost stories from Newfoundland. Her first of these was The Ferryland Visitor: A Mysterious Tale, published in 2016 by Running the Goat Books & Broadsides, with artwork by acclaimed Newfoundland artist Gerald Squires.[16]

Footsteps in Bay de Verde: A Mysterious Tale, illustrated by Jenny Dwyer, was published by Running the Goat Books & Broadsides in 2020, and won the Bruneau Family Children’s/YA Literature Award at the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards in 2022.[17]

In 2020, Screech! Ghost Stories from Old Newfoundland, a collection of stories with art by Genevieve Simms, was published by Nimbus Publishing. It won the Hackmatack Children’s Choice Award in 2022.[18]

Several of Cotter's books have been translated into Korean, German, and Russian.[19]

Storytelling, workshops, and other pursuits

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Cotter has developed several workshops and storytelling presentations for children, which she tours around schools across Canada.[2] She has done an annual ghost story tour of Newfoundland schools since 2009.[20]

Cotter founded her own publishing company, Baccalieu Books, under which she has published several collections of local ghost stories from children in Newfoundland schools.[21]

She has been a guest on Danny Robins’ supernatural show for the BBC, Uncanny (radio series).[22]

According to Cotter's website, her readers have unofficially dubbed her "Canada's Queen of Ghost Stories."[2]

Personal life

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Charis Cotter lives and works in Western Bay, Newfoundland.[23]

Bibliography

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  • Toronto Between the Wars: Life in the City 1919–1939 (Firefly Books, 2004)
  • Kids Who Rule: The Remarkable Lives of Five Child Monarchs (Annick Press, 2007)
  • Wonder Kids: The Remarkable Lives of Nine Child Prodigies (Annick Press, 2008)
  • Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors (Annick Press, 2009)
  • A World Full of Ghosts (Annick Press, 2009)
  • The Ghosts of Baccalieu (Baccalieu Books, 2013)
  • The Swallow: A Ghost Story (Tundra Books, 2014)
  • The Ferryland Visitor: A Mysterious Tale (Running the Goat Books & Broadsides, 2016)
  • The Painting (Tundra Books, 2017)
  • The Ghosts of Southwest Arm (Baccalieu Books, 2017)
  • The Ghost Road (Tundra Books, 2018)
  • Footsteps in Bay de Verde: A Mysterious Tale (Running the Goat Books & Broadsides, 2020)
  • Screech! Ghost Stories from Old Newfoundland (Nimbus Publishing, 2020)
  • The Dollhouse: A Ghost Story (Tundra Books, 2021)

References

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  1. ^ "Author Snapshot". Book Browse. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Cotter, Charis. "Bio". Charis Cotter. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Toronto Between the Wars: Life in the City, 1919–1939". Canadian Book Review Annual Online. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Kids Who Rule: The Remarkable Lives of Five Child Monarchs". Canadian Book Review Annual Online. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Wonder Kids: The Remarkable Lives of Nine Child Prodigies". Canadian Book Review Annual Online. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Children's Books: Born to Write by Charis Cotter". January Magazine. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  7. ^ "A World Full of Ghosts". Canadian Book Review Annual Online. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  8. ^ Cerny, Dory (3 June 2015). "Charis Cotter wins IODE Canada Violet Downey Book Award". Quill & Quire. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Silver Birch Fiction Award® Winners and Nominees 1994–2021" (PDF). Forest of Reading. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  10. ^ "PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release The Canadian Library Association Announces 2015 Book of the Year for Children Award Shortlist" (PDF). Canadian Library Association. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  11. ^ Cerny, Dory (22 April 2015). "Groundwood Books picks up two Canadian Library Association awards". Quill & Quire. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  12. ^ van Koeverden, Jane (3 June 2019). "Nonfiction book about rescued golden retriever born without eyes wins Hackmatak Children's Choice Book Award". CBC. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  13. ^ Porter, Ryan (14 May 2018). "Married writers Sarah Faber and Oisin Curran both win Atlantic Book Awards". Quill & Quire. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Sharon Bala wins 2020 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award for novel The Boat People". CBC. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  15. ^ Cotter, Charis (7 September 2021). "The Dollhouse Audiobook is Here!". Charis Cotter. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  16. ^ Ludke, Linda. "The Ferryland Visitor: A Mysterious Tale". Quill & Quire (June 2016). Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  17. ^ "NL Book Awards Correction: Bruneau Family Children's/Young Adult Literature Award Winner Error and Apology". Writers NL. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  18. ^ "Mireille Messier and Charis Cotter win Atlantic Canada's Hackmatack Children's Choice Awards". CBC. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  19. ^ "Charis Cotter BIO". The Writers' Union of Canada. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  20. ^ Mcneish, Sam (20 September 2019). "Author ready for 11th ghost story tour of Newfoundland schools". SaltWire Network. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  21. ^ Parsons, Jonathan (16 June 2017). "Southwest Arm Academy publishes book with author and ArtsSmarts". SaltWire Network. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  22. ^ Cotter, Charis (14 June 2022). "Screech! Wins Hackmatack Award and I Make Guest "Appearance" on Uncanny Podcast". Charis Cotter. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  23. ^ Quinn, Mark (3 September 2019). "Plank'er down: Saving Western Bay's lighthouse walk, one board at a time". CBC. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
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