Presenters

Adrienne Kress is a Toronto-based actor and writer. Her books include the award-winning and internationally published children’s novels Alex and […]

ANDREA CURTIS’s children’s non-fiction includes A Forest in the City, City of Water, City Street are for People and City […]

Angela Misri is an award-winning journalist, author and educator. She is best known for her detective series, The Portia Adams […]

Brynley Eckhart (she/her) is the Digital Resource and Collections Librarian at Burlington Public Library. She maintains and grows the Library’s […]

Carol-Ann Hoyte writes poetry for young people. Two of her favourite ways of enjoying poetry are reading novels written in […]

Caroline Merola dessine depuis qu’elle est toute petite. Avec ses crayons et ses encres de couleur, elle met en scène […]

Charlene Rocha is an activist and software engineering student at the University of Waterloo. She combines her passions for computer […]

Cheryl Isaacs can often be found running through the Carolinian forests of Southwestern Ontario, where she has fearlessly enjoyed the […]

Christine is a Vietnamese-Canadian artist who works on storyboards for animated TV and feature films by day and sketches up […]

Dennis D’Scribe is a national champion spoken word poet, queer mixed Ojibwe and settler human who has had the opportunity […]

David Pell has been Principal Trombonist of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra since 2002 and Bass Trombonist of the National Ballet […]

DOROTHY ELLEN PALMER is a mother of two, an award-winning disabled senior writer, accessibility advocate and retired teacher. She served […]

E.K. JOHNSTON is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several YA novels, including the Los Angeles Times Book […]

Farah Qaiser is passionate about making science engaging and accessible for everyone, from youth to adults, through writing, outreach, and […]

Femmes du Feu Creations is a not-for-profit circus & multi-arts organization. Flora & Fauna is a new early years creation […]

 I do art, animation and a little bit of music and programming.  I love games and I like learning the […]

​​​Hamilton Children’s Choir is committed to providing children and youth with rich musical education and performance opportunities, creating a sense […]

Hayley Lowe is a Canadian illustrator and storyteller. She enjoys exploring a range of media but is particularly drawn to […]

Hexe Noire, a popular drag queen performer, has been showcasing her work in Hamilton for the last 6 years. Through […]

 Ian Keteku is a poet, musician and freelance journalist. Born as Ian Nana Yaw Adu Budu Keteku, his birth name […]

Janie Hao is a fun-loving, media-playing, idea-generating illustrator currently based just outside of Toronto, though she has lived all over […]

Jen Ferguson is Michif/Métis and white, an activist, an intersectional feminist, an auntie, and an accomplice armed with a PhD […]

Jessica Rose is a writer, editor and arts organizer who lives and works in Hamilton, Ontario. A passionate advocate for […]

Jessica Vitalis is the author of The Wolf’s Curse, The Rabbit’s Gift,and Coyote Queen. She is a full-time writer with […]

Jody Boston is an award-winning artist with eighteen years of experience teaching drama and movement to primary and secondary students. […]

Joel A. Sutherland is the Silver Birch and Hackmatack Award-winning author of eight Haunted Canada collections, as well as numerous […]

Josh Taylor is a dancer, choreographer, storyteller and an artist-educator, often exploring themes in Hip-Hop culture, Pop culture, sociopolitical and […]

Kate Jenks Landry wrote her first story when she was five years old, and she’s been crafting fictional worlds ever […]

Katelyn (she/her) grew up in libraries, from avid storytime go-er to holding many different library positions since high school. Katelyn […]

Kern Carter is the author of Boys and Girls Screaming, along with two self-published novels, Thoughts of a Fractured Soul […]

Kevin Sylvester is an award-winning author, illustrator and broadcaster. Best known for the MiNRS trilogy and the Neil Flambé series, […]

KRISTY JACKSON is a communications professional and the mother of two boys. Her work draws inspiration from her Cree and […]

Lana Button is the author of over a dozen children’s books, many of which have been shortlisted for awards, such […]

Liselle Sambury is a Trinidadian-Canadian author who writes genre-blended speculative fiction with dark themes, complicated families, and edges of hope. […]

MATTEO L. CERILLI is a transmasc author and activist who helped found the Students for Queer Liberation (Toronto) and works […]

Maya Ameyaw is a former bookseller and currently works as a community arts writing instructor. She has edited several mental […]

Megan holds a PhD in English Literature from McMaster University. Her research focuses on education systems in fantasy fiction, looking […]

Melanie Florence is the acclaimed author of Missing Nimâmâ, which won the  TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, the OLA Golden […]

Michelle Gram Giesen is an elementary teacher and Arts Teacher Mentor with the Toronto District School Board, specializing in Drama […]

Monica Arnaldo was born in Ontario, Canada, where the trash cans are often filled with raccoons and half-eaten cheeseburgers (but […]

Whether singing original songs from his CFMA-nominated album Tuba Blues with his band or inviting kids in classrooms, parks and […]

Nadia Alam is a second-generation Bangladeshi Canadian illustrator. She lives in Toronto with her husband, daughter, son, and dog named […]

Nadia L. Hohn is an award-winning author of several books for young people, including the Malaika series, Harriet Tubman: Freedom […]

Onome Ako is the CEO of Action Against Hunger Canada, a global humanitarian and development organization that combats hunger and […]

Paromita Kar is the first to complete a PhD in Dance Studies in Canada (York University, 2014). She is a […]

Queen Pepper is the complete package; She is a vocal powerhouse, accomplished songwriter and she graces the stage with a […]

RICHARD SCRIMGER is the award-winning author of over twenty books for children and adults. His works have been translated into […]

Robin Lacambra (she/they) is a queer Filipinx creative, speaker, and facilitator. Drawing from somatic relational psychotherapy, mindful movement, and conflict […]

ROSENA FUNG is an illustrator, educator, and comic artist. Her debut graphic novel, Living With Viola, was named a best […]

Salwa is a Pakistani-Canadian illustrator and 2D artist for the animation industry. She has worked on both TV cartoons and […]

Sarabeth Holden lives in Toronto with her husband, Sean, and their sons, Raymond and Jackson. The whole family loves to […]

Sarah Raughley grew up in Southern Ontario writing stories about freakish little girls with powers because she secretly wanted to […]

Part existential crisis and part leap of faith, Veronica Antipolo started storytelling and stand-up comedy as hobbies that became such […]

From 1978 onward, Sharon, Lois & Bram were preeminent in all aspects of family entertainment across North America and other […]

St. John Boy is a gender-bending drag performer in Hamilton, ON. He is the Father of the Häus of the […]

Stephanie Wells is the Executive Director of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. She has 25+ years’ experience in senior leadership […]

Sylv Chiang is a teacher by day and a children’s book author by night. She wrote her middle-grade series, Cross […]

Teresa Caterini (she/they) is a queer social worker and performer based in Hamilton.  Volunteering with survivors of trauma and working […]

Vikki VanSickle is a long-time friend of Telling Tales! Vikki returns for a sixth season to share her new middle […]

Wai Mei Wong is a former early childhood educator whose first book, Hello, Dark, was shortlisted for the 2022 IODE […]

Growing up, Wali Shah faced pressure from his Pakistani-immigrant parents to choose a profession that would justify their many sacrifices. […]