Susin Nielsen

Last updated
Susin Nielsen
Born1964 (age 5859)
OccupationAuthor
NationalityCanadian
Notable works The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen
Notable awards
SpouseGoran Fernlund
Children1
Website
susinnielsen.com

Susin Nielsen (born 1964) [1] is a Canadian author for children, adolescent and young adults. She received the 2012 Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature [2] and the 2013 Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award [3] for her young adult novel The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen , which deals with the aftermath of a school shooting.

Contents

In 2019, she received won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People. [4]

Personal life

Nielsen was raised in London and Chatham-Kent, Ontario. [5]

She is married to Goran Fernlund and has one child: Oskar. [1]

Career

Nielsen began her writing career with the Degrassi franchise, writing scripts for the television shows as well as books for the series. Nielsen also played Louella Hawkins the Janitor in Degrassi Junior High. Following her work with Degrassi, Nielsen wrote for many other Canadian television series such as Heartland , What About Mimi? , and Braceface . [6] While working on these shows she produced three children's picture books: Hank and Fergus, Mormor Moves In, and The Magic Beads.

Her first independent novel, Word Nerd, deals with bullying, a theme she returns to in The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen. Her books often describe the effect of broken families on children.

Nielsen's 2015 book, We Are All Made of Molecules, about two step siblings trying to form a bond with each other, was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award.

Nielsen's books have been translated into Dutch, French, Portuguese, Italian, German and Polish (In the Polish language, not all of them have been translated). [6]

Nielsen's 2021 book, Tremendous Things, was nominated for the 2022 Ontario Library Association's Red Maple Award for Fiction.

Awards and honors

In 2019, Nielsen was honored with the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, which honors writers and illustrators whose body of work has been "inspirational to Canadian youth." [4] [7] [8]

Two of Nielsen's books are Junior Library Guild selections: No Fixed Address (2018) [9] and Tremendous Things (2021). [10]

In 2015, The Globe and Mail , [11] Kirkus Reviews , [12] Quill & Quire , and The Telegraph [13] included We Are All Made of Molecules on their list of the best young adult novels of the year.

Awards for Nielsen's writing
YearTitleAwardResultRef.
2008Word NerdINDIES Award for Juvenile FictionSilver [14]
2010 Forest of Reading Red Maple Award Winner [15]
Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice AwardWinner [16]
Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My MomINDIES Award for Juvenile FictionWinner [17]
2011 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Finalist [18]
Snow Willow AwardWinner [19]
2012Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice AwardWinner [20]
Rocky Mountain Book AwardWinner [21]
The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature Winner [2] [22] [23]
2013 Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award Winner [3]
Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award Winner [24]
Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Finalist [25]
2014 Forest of Reading Red Maple Award Winner [26]
2015We Are All Made of Molecules Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature Finalist [27]
2016 Carnegie Medal Longlist [28] [29]
Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award Winner [30]
Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Finalist
2018Optimists Die First Carnegie Medal Nominee [31]
Federation of Children's Book Groups' Children's Book AwardFinalist [32]
2019No Fixed AddressIODE Violet Downey Book AwardWinner [33]
Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Winner [34] [35]
2020 Carnegie Medal Longlist [36]
Forest of Reading Red Maple Award Winner [37] [38]
Princess Puffybottom . . . and DarrylSheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year AwardShortlist [39]
2022Tremendous Things Carnegie Medal Nominee [40]
Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award Shortlist [41]

Bibliography

Picture books

Middle grade and young adult books

Related Research Articles

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The Pat Lowther Memorial Award is an annual Canadian literary award presented by the League of Canadian Poets to the year's best book of poetry by a Canadian woman. The award was established in 1980 to honour poet Pat Lowther, who was murdered by her husband in 1975. Each winner receives an honorarium of $1000.

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References

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