Susan Juby
| Susan Juby | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 30, 1969 Ponoka, Alberta |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Genre | Young-adult |
| Notable works | Alice, I Think (2000), Miss Smithers (2004), Alice McLeod: Realist at Last (2005), Another Kind of Cowboy (2007), Getting the Girl (2008), Nice Recovery (2010), The Woefield Poultry Collective (2011) |
| Spouse | James Juby |
| Website | |
| susanjuby |
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Susan Juby (born March 30, 1969) is a Canadian novelist. She is currently residing in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island where she is a professor and teaches Creative Writing at Vancouver Island University. She lives with her husband James, dog Rodeo and pet horse. Juby is most known for her first series that started with Alice, I Think (2000) which turned into a television series.
Background
Susan Juby’s writing career started after her original plan which was to become a Fashion Designer became unsuccessful. She moved to Toronto at the age of 20 and started to her degree in English Literature at University of Toronto which she later completed at the University of British Columbia in 1997. After graduating she became an editor at a self- help/ how to book publishing company called Hartley and Marks.
She began her first book as a journal which she wrote on the bus on the way to work and at a local coffee shop. When she was finished she showed it to her godfather, who suggested she get it published. After struggling to find a publisher the Young Adult fictional publisher Thistledown published her first book Alice I think in 2000.
Along this journal project she also completed a Master’s program in Publishing at the Simon Fraser University in 2001. After that publication she got noticed by HarperCollins which in turn offered her a contract for three books. Her second book Miss Smithers was published in 2004. To complete the trilogy of Alice I think all under one publisher, the original book was bought by HarperCollins and at the beginning of the book was changed before being published again. Her third book under this contact was Alice McLeod: Realist at last published in 2005.
Personal life
Juby was born in Ponoka, Alberta and later moved to Smithers, British Columbia at the age of 6. Susan is the second of four children, and the only daughter. She had a very troublesome childhood and a substance abuse problem at the age of 13. At the age of 20 she was finally able to get clean and sober. She resided at Salmon Arm, British Columbia for a few years with different relatives due to behavior issues. She has always enjoyed writing but due to her “party girl” reputation at school she never put effort into it. Her sixth book Nice Recovery happens to be a memoir that displays her struggles with alcoholism.
Awards
| Books | Awards and Nominations |
|---|---|
| Alice I think | Books in Canada First Novel Award |
| Miss Smithers | Winner of the Sheila A. Egoff Award for Children's Literature,
Finalist for the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award Finalist for the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour Selected by the International Youth Library for the White Ravens 2005, Nominated for the White Pine Award |
| Alice McLeod: Realist at Last | Nominated for the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award |
| Another Kind of Cowboy | Nominated for the White Pine Award
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults Chosen as a Kirkus Best Books for Young Adults 2007 An ALA Rainbow List Book |
| Getting the Girl: A guide to private Investigation, Surveillance and Cookery | Nominated for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America
Nominated for an Arthur Ellis Award by the Crime Writers of Canada, A Kirkus Editor's Choice for 2008, Nominated for a 2010 Georgia Peach Award Selected by the International Youth Library for the White Ravens 2009, Nominated for the White Pine Award Nominated for the Stellar Award |
| Nice Recovery | Chosen as a Globe and Mail Top 100 books published in 2010
Nominated for the White Pine Nonfiction Book Award |
Published Works
- · Alice I think (2000)
- · I’m Alice (Beauty Queen?)
- · Miss Smithers (2004)
- · Alice Macleod: Realist at Last (2005)
- · Another Kind of Cowboy (2007)
- · Getting the girl: a Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance and Cookery (2008)
- · Nice Recovery (2010)
- · The Woefield poultry collective (2011)
- · Home to Woefield: a novel (2011)
- · Bright’s light (2012)
- · Republic of dirt: A return to Woefeild (2015)
- · The Truth Commission (2015)
