Jill Bryant is an author who specializes in children's nonfiction. Born in Toronto, Jill grew up in Elora and Eden Mills, Ontario. Children's theatre -- combined with her travel experiences in Asia -- has inspired many of her books. Jill has presented over 90 book talks and workshops at schools, libraries, and other venues, including TD Canadian Children’s Book Week (2014), The Eden Mills Writers Festival (2012), The Labrador Creative Arts Festival (2010), and Word on the Street (2003). When she isn’t writing books, presenting talks, or blogging, Jill works as a freelance project manager for Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics; she also edits and writes for educational publishers such as Scholastic, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Nelson, and others. She is a member of CANSCAIP, The Canadian Children’s Book Centre, and The Writers’ Union of Canada. After several years of living abroad (in Princeton, NJ; Manchester, UK; Berlin, Germany), Jill settled in Kingston, Ontario, with her husband and their two now-grown-up children.
Using her book Phenomenal Female Entrepreneurs, Jill takes students behind the scenes to explore one of the first stages in the writing process: research. Together they explore primary and secondary sources and learn about interviewing real people. After looking at advice and tips gathered from successful entrepreneurs, Jill encourages students to use a similar approach in their own goal setting. Persistence and determination pay off.
Featuring her book Dazzling Women Designers, Jill explores the ways in which design touches our lives. Students will learn what makes a design sustainable. It can’t just look good, it’s got to be functional. Using PowerPoint slides and excerpts from the book, students will learn about some remarkable designers and their inspiring work.
What's scarier? Competing in a triathlon or writing a book? Jill takes students through the paces of training versus breaking down the writing process into manageable chunks, moving from idea to finished manuscript. Students learn the importance of facing fears to grow as a writer, athlete, and person. Be prepared to do small-group work and ask questions. The submission process can be addressed as well.