writes about war from a young person's view #bannedbyrussia
Honoured to have contributed a chapter in this important book by Sarah J. Donovan. My chapter references Russia’s ongoing genocide in Ukraine. The chapter is titled, Creating With Empathy: Witnessing Genocide Through Historical Fiction
It was so meaningful to meet my fellow panelists for the War and Trauma panel. I was particularly struck by the work that Hooria Rezaei is doing with children in Tehran during this current war, using books as a refuge and a way of dealing with trauma in kids who are in the midst of the unimaginable.
I was back at Signal Hill in the morning on Thursday and had the opportunity to speak with grade four students. They were very engaged and had lots of questions. In the afternoon, I presented to grade nine students at Pemberton Secondary School. Nicole was also the teacher-librarian for this school! I am impressed and amazed by how many hats she wears! With older students, I like to talk about the process of writing a book, including research and challenges, getting it published, what happens then. We also discussed the need for accurate information, even in fiction. Often grade 9s won’t ask questions, but these students weren’t at all shy and asked away.
Next week, I’ll be touring for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre in North Vancouver and Pemberton BC. There is one open event at the NVPL. More info here.
I’ll be back in Toronto on May 14th, at Koota Oooma!
On May 21, I’ll be with London Ukrainian Canadian Congress for a book talk. A portion from book sales will be donated to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation. There will also be a raffle, and I’ve donated some hard-to-get editions of various books. May 21 is Vyshyvanka Day, and I will be wearing my newest traditional embroidered blouse! It will be neat to see a variety of vyshyvanky!!
On May 24th, I’ll be close to home, doing an event hosted by my favourite local bookstore, Riverside Bookshelf!
Many thanks to Eleanor LeFave and Mabel’s Fables for hosting a wonderful triple book launch last night! April is Canadian Independent Booksellers’ Month, so it was especially sweet to be in this iconic Canadian children’s bookstore right now.
It was an honour to be introducing my newest book with kidlit powerhouses Lorna Schultz Nicholson and Anna Rosner. An interesting and storied evening. And there were cookies and fruit! Thanks to everyone who came out and made it such a meaningful event.
Dear Helen, your review of Standoff on CanlitforLittleCanadians is a balm to my soul. This is my favourite quote: “Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch knows how to tell a story of immense tragedy by pairing it with resilience, affection, and hope.”
I’ll be signing Standoff at the OLA Superconference in Toronto on Jan 29th. If you’re at the conference, please drop by to say hello! (and to get a signed book!)
Many thanks so educator extraordinaire Oksana Levytska, her team, and her fabulous students. It was a pleasure to discuss my books set during various times in Ukraine’s history, particularly my books set during the Holodomor, and my Kidnapped from Ukraine trilogy, which is set during a time these students are all too familiar with. It was a dual presentation, with some students in person, and others attending remotely.
Copies of Under Attack, book #1 of my Kidnapped from Ukraine trilogy had been pre-purchased through Koota Ooma, my favourite Ukrainian book and gift store, so I got to know the names of each student as I signed them.
After all of the books were signed and I was packing up my things, it was thrilling to see so many students reading their brand new books — an author’s dream.
Ms Levytska invited me to attend the school’s Holodomor assembly. I was moved by students’ dedication and talent in honouring those who had perished in this genocide orchestrated by Stalin.
Thank you, Centre for Ukrainian Studies, University of Manitoba, for this invitation to speak about Standoff, book #2 of my Kidnapped from Ukraine trilogy. Looking forward to lots of questions.
CUCS Lecture Series
How and why Marsha Skrypuch wrote the “Kidnapped from Ukraine” trilogy
Date and Time: Thursday, December 4, 2025, 12 PM CST
Location: Online via Zoom
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://umanitoba.zoom.us/meeting/register/XUP5uT77ShygI7Qeee7h2g