Author Readings: Dreams of Home

Speakers for this event

• Leonarda Carranza

  Leonarda Carranza

  LEONARDA CARRANZA was born in San Salvador, El Salvador, and currently lives in Brampton, Ontario. She holds a PhD in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto. She is the winner of Briarpatch Magazine’s Writing in the Margins contest. Her picture book Abuelita and Me (Annick) was nominated for the Blue Spruce Award and won the International Latino Book Award 2022 (best fiction picture book in English).

  URL https://www.leonardacarranza.com/

• Nadine Presley

  Nadine Presley

  NADINE PRESLEY is a Syrian Canadian author whose debut picture book, The City of Jasmine (Harper, 2025), is inspired by the beauty of her hometown of Damascus, a place she has held in her heart since leaving over a decade ago, and now she gets to share it with the world. She is also the author of forthcoming titles including A Ramadan Night (Simon & Schuster, 2026) and Where There Is Love (Harper, 2026), with more on the way. Nadine works as a literacy educator and Arabic program coordinator. With a passion for anti racism work and promoting pride for Arab Muslim heritage, she is also a speaker for children, youth and adults. She currently lives in Canada with her husband and three boys, thriving on delicious Syrian food and the loving hugs of her boys.

  URL www.nadinepresley.com

• Wendy J. Whittingham

  Wendy J. Whittingham

  In the fall of 2011, Wendy J. Whittingham illustrated the children’s book Miss Wondergem’s Dreadfully Dreadful Pie, written by award-winning author Valerie Sherrard and published by Creative Publishing.In the spring of 2012, her story Dreaming With Your Feet was selected as one of the top ten entries in a Canada-wide contest and featured in The Memory Keeper, an anthology by Ascent Aspirations.Wendy is currently awaiting the 2025 publication of her book The Last Last (Groundwood Books) and is polishing several picture books and novels of her own creation.An artist at heart, Wendy is a traditionalist who remains versatile in her practice, enjoying experimentation across a wide range of media. She is passionate about storytelling and eager to make her mark in the world of children’s literature.