Originally from the UK, Claire Hatcher-Smith now lives surrounded by sea on Vancouver Island, with her husband, their teenage son and a Korean rescue dog. As well as writing, Claire is a speech and language therapist and runs groups for autistic tweens and teens, focusing on self/other awareness, self-esteem and self-advocacy skills. Her debut middle-grade mystery series, The Mizzy Mysteries, published in February 2025 in the UK (Farshore-Harper Collins) and releases in North America in August 2025 (PRH Canada-Tundra).
Using Fiction to Smash Stereotypes.
My approach to using children's fiction to develop self-awareness and empathy skills, using a detective-themed framework.
Create Your Own Unsuspected Detectives. A creative writing workshop using examples from a range of fictional detectives, including my own creation, Mizzy.
How to be a Feelings Detective.
A Mizzy-themed exploration of empathy, aimed at increasing the students' ability to look more closely at other people and recognize possible thoughts/feelings, rather than relying on stereotypes.
