The Governor General Literary Awards at Rideau Hall, April 18, 2024!

Author photo courtesy Terry Fan

Here it is, the last day of 2024! What was my TOP POST of the year? Yep, my visit to Rideau Hall on April 18, to receive the incredible honour of the gift of a GG award for my book FIREFLY.

An amazing day for any writer, enjoy! And Happy New Year all:

"Well, it's happened! The 4-year wait for the Governor General Awards has ended, and all the literary laureates from 2020-2023 have been celebrated in a four-day visit to Ottawa this April!

I'm still processing, and when the official photos come out, I'll share them along with more thoughts about the experience. Sincere thanks to illustrator Terry Fan for the candid photo of me before the ceremony, in the sunroom at Rideau Hall! 

Thank you to the Governor General of Canada and to the Canada Council for the Arts for hosting us writers, from all over the country. It was an absolute blast to meet 60+ laureates (usually it's 14 or so), and to visit the archives, the National Gallery, the Canadian War Museum (a personal trip), and then Rideau Hall together on April 18th. 

Each of us took our turn in front of the crowd of 200+ attendees, listened as our book was cited by the GG committee, then met Her Excellency The Right Honourable Mary Simon, our Governor General. 

FIREFLY, leather-bound, on the right

When we shook hands, our Governor General whispered, "good morning!" then smiled and handed me my gift: a leather-bound copy of my winning middle-grade book, FIREFLY. Apparently we were photographed together, but all I remember honestly, is her sweet smile and her green eyes!

A wondrous day. Thank you to my publisher, Marc Cote (Cormorant Books), and my editor, Barry Jowett, who were both there to celebrate with me. I told them when I was standing in front of the crowd filled with joy (and more than a little emotion), I was 9-year-old Philippa and 60-year-old Philippa, and every Philippa in-between, who wrote and failed, then wrote some more.

The Pink Room, Rideau Hall, for lunch

A magical experience, I'm filled with gratitude. Thank you and congratulations to all the laureates, it was SO great to meet you and celebrate together!

Here is the complete list of Governor General laureates 2020-2023.

Official photos of me with the Governor General and other laureates 

For all posts about FIREFLY on this blog.

Are the Kids Alright ... 10 books for I Read Canadian Day on 49th Shelf!

This is I Read Canadian week. Read a Canadian author to support the Canadian publishing world. Read a book, tell a friend, write a review, give a gift book. Anything and everything to celebrate Canadian authors, books, and publishing.

Here's my curated list from 2021, on the 49thShelf: Kids Coping With Crisis

These are 10 fantastic books by Canadian authors, which explore adult and parental mental health, homelessness, poverty and addiction through a kid's eyes. I was asked to curate and annotate this list by 49thShelf, as a celebration of my newest book, FIREFLY. Thank you to them!

The books are by Eric Walters, Rebecca Upjohn, Monica Kulling, Christina Kilbourne, Holly Dobbie, Natalie Hyde, Eden Robinson, Christopher Paul Curtis, E.L. Chen. All great authors you should get to know! Books links, annotations and more at the link: Philippa Dowding on the 49thShelf.

Happy I Read Canadian Day!

All posts about FIREFLY on this Blog

A lovely tweet for FIREFLY from a fan ...

It's not every day that an author gets a TWEET like this from a reader! 

Thank you, Andy7071, you may not realize how inspiring it is for an author to hear from a reader, that their story, their character, their words, have moved another person. Writing a story is such a leap of faith: faith that someone will read it, that it will make sense to them, that it will speak to them in a way that matters or deepens their understanding of the world.

Faith restored!

Read an excerpt of FIREFLY: Philippa Dowding, Open Book

Watch a short clip of Philippa reading on YouTube

MORE ABOUT FIREFLY ON THIS BLOG

 

CLICK TO ORDER

FIREFLY gets 4 Stars and is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by CM Reviews!

 

"This book deals with the heavy topics of homelessness, addiction and PTSD in a gentle and accessible manner, making the book a great introduction to these topics for children...

The author does a great job in expressing how simple things, such as taking a bath or drinking hot chocolate, are earth-shattering to Firefly who has been living outside by herself... 

Even though the topic is heavy at a glance, there is a lot of lightheartedness as readers get to experience life inside a busy costume shop and all the quirky characters that go along with that."

--CM Reviews, April 2021 
4/5 Stars, Highly Recommended | Ages 10-13 | Grades 5-8

What a fantastic review for FIREFLY, thank you to Canadian Materials Review. It's so important for an author to get reviews for their books, it's how libraries and schools decide what to purchase with their small book budgets, so I'm very thankful to them for helping get the word out about FIREFLY. And if you loved a book, please consider reviewing and spreading the word on social media or on Goodreads or a bookselling site, your favourite authors will thank you. 

My motto hasn't changed: We can't hold each other right now, but it may help to hold a book.

Go read the whole review, the reviewer has more lovely things to say! 

Here's a 3-minute YouTube video of me reading from FIREFLY

More posts about FIREFLY on this blog

Family, PTSD, homelessness and more, FIREFLY interview on Deborah Kalb's blog

I'm so honoured to be the featured author on US blogger Deborah Kalb's blog this week! She asked me some great questions about my latest book, FIREFLY, and I had a lot of fun answering them. Thanks Deborah!

See the FULL Q&A INTERVIEW.

We talked about finding story inspiration, how the story started, how it ended, my writing process along the way, what I hope young readers take from the story, and also finding that fine writing balancing act of pain and humour, a delicate combination in a middle-grade book about serious issues like PTSD, homelessness and parental addiction. 

Click for the whole interview. Here's Question 2:

"What do you think the novel says about definitions of family?

One thing I’ve learned from raising my family in a busy city is that our definition of family is constantly changing, and that we help, support and love each other in ways that make us family, whether we’re related by blood or not.

Firefly has a friend in the park who looks out for her, a homeless man named Moss Cart, who despite his own challenges helps her as best he can. She helps him, too. There’s also a group of therapists at Jennie’s, a women’s drop-in centre, who teach Firefly coping techniques for PTSD (the therapists don’t know she is only 13).

And there’s Aunt Gayle who barely knows her niece, but agrees to shelter and care for Firefly as soon as the social worker contacts her. Aunt Gayle’s staff at The Corseted Lady all care for Firefly, too. As they spend time together in the days before Halloween (a busy time in a costume shop), they give Firefly support and validation in the most unusual way (and a plot twist that I can’t give away!).

When she starts grade nine six weeks later than everyone else, Firefly also discovers a family of school friends she never expected.

The only traditional family member in the story is her mother (who she calls Joanne-the-mother), who has failed Firefly. At the end of the book, they are not reconciled although there are supports in place for Firefly if she ever wants to connect with her mother.

What is a family? Ultimately in this book, it’s up to Firefly."

NEW: Watch my short 3-minute reading from FIREFLY, on BIBLIOVIDEO

More about Firefly on THIS BLOG.

 

So honoured that FIREFLY is a CBC Books "Best Middle Grade Books of Spring 2021" selection! I'm in great company with some terrific Canadian writers.  Thanks CBC!

Here is the whole list, check it out for some wonderful reads for kids 9-12: Philippa Dowding on the CBC Books Spring 2021 List

All posts about FIREFLY on this blog

FIREFLY is an Expert Pick by the Canadian Children's Book Centre!

"Firefly's compelling story unfolds through her indomitable and spirited first-person narration, and flashbacks revisit her troubled childhood of neglect and parental struggles with addiction. Aunt Gayle's care and kindness wrap around Firefly like a comforting, hand-knit blanket."

--Canadian Children's Book Centre, March 2021 Expert Picks

So honoured that FIREFLY is an Expert Pick in the March 2021 newsletter of the Canadian Children's Book Centre! Thank you so much for the lovely review!

More about Firefly:

Youtube Video of FIREFLY Book Launch, Q&A with kidlit book blogger Helen Kubiw and me.

The Author Reads from FIREFLY, 3-minute YouTube Video

All posts about FIREFLY on this Blog.

A beautiful book launch for FIREFLY and a blog post by Helen Kubiw

 

Thank you to everyone who came to the virtual book launch for FIREFLY (March 2, 2021)! We had over 55 guests, and many wonderful questions from attendees after the main Q&A.

Watch the Q&A Book Launch on YOUTUBE 

My most sincere thanks to kidlit blogger and author, Helen Kubiw, whose questions to me were so thoughtful and really teased out the main themes of the story. 

Also thank you to Another Story Bookshop for handling book sales at the event, and Thunder Thighs Costumes (where the story is set), for supporting the launch. Thanks to Rosana Khabbaz for this beautiful collage of the book and my sister-in-law, whose costume shop inspired the story.

Here is the whole interview on Helen Kubiw's blog: Canlit for Little Canadians, FIREFLY interview with Philippa Dowding 

Enjoy question seven from Helen and my answer below: 

HELEN: 
 Q: One of my favourite characters is Aunt Gayle. She’s fierce but never heavy-handed. She’s open and protective, while giving Firefly both freedom and security. Your acknowledgement tells us Aunt Gayle is based on your sister-in-law. Is she based on her personality, her actions, or both?

PHILIPPA: Yes, the character of Aunt Gayle is inspired by my sister-in-law, who started her costume shop in Toronto’s east end in the late 1970s.

But this is a piece of fiction, so Aunt Gayle is inspired by my sister-in-law, not an exact copy of her, although people who have read the book and who knew her definitely see her personality there. And her costume shop is pretty exactly described in the book.

She was determined, successful, creative, energetic, she loved her family and friends with a fierce devotion. She was also a world champion knitter. We once took her to a baseball game at Rogers Stadium, and she sat and knit the whole time! We always had beautiful hand-knit scarves and hats and sweaters as gifts, which she whipped off for us. So, her devotion and loyalty to her family and friends, her talent as a costume designer, her smarts as a boss and business person, that’s really what I wanted to capture in the story. And her tireless knitting. I think that pretty much sums her up!"

For the whole launch interview

All posts about FIREFLY on this blog

A beautiful first review for FIREFLY ...

"But author Philippa Dowding isn't telling us Firefly's story as dress-up play, as a little girl pretending to be someone else. Though the shop and its costumes are fascinating, colourful and rich in history and entertainment, as are the employees and customers, Firefly is about a child who has had to become an adult, who has endured trauma and negligence, and had to find ways to cope..."

--CanLit for Little Canadians, Feb 8/2021

Full FIREFLY Review here

The first review for my latest book FIREFLY is out, and it's a really thoughtful and beautiful one. Thank you to Helen Kubiw, from Canlit for Little Canadians, for the kind words for FIREFLY.

It's always a bit of a nail-biter for an author, that time before the first review comes out. This one is most appreciated!

YouTube Clip of Philippa Reading from FIREFLY!

More about FIREFLY on this BLOG.

Book Launch: March 2, 2021, Another Story Bookshop online. STAY TUNED!

FIREFLY is based on a real costume shop in Toronto's east end...

Here's the beautiful cover for my next middle-grade book! The illustration is by the wonderful Julie McLaughlin.

FIREFLY is about a lot of things: family, PTSD, mental health, homelessness, resilience, courage, friendship. But it's also inspired by a costume company in Toronto's east end, run by my extended family. Read about Thunder Thighs Costume Shop here.

The costume shop in my story is called The Corseted Lady, where Firefly has been taken in by her Aunt Gayle. It has seven million pieces in it, and Firefly starts to wear them to school.

Motorcycle copy? Saloon Girl? Lobster? In all those costumes, which one is the real Firefly?

Advance Reader Copies of this book have just gone out for review. It's always a nervous time for an author, waiting for reviews. I have to say it's a bit more nerve-wracking than usual this time, since I have written a book about a family-run business. Luckily everyone in the family loves the story, I hope readers (and reviewers) love the place, too.

Wish me courage, and good vibes!

FIREFLY is coming FEb. 2021! Contact DCB Young Readers for review copy, interview, media.

More about Firefly soon, for now:

Firefly BOOK TRAILER

More about Firefly on THIS BLOG