A group of local authors are lending their support to BookSpring’s efforts. Learn more about these fascinating writers right here in our own backyard.
Bethany Hegedus’ books include the award-winning Grandfather Gandhi and the newly released Be the Change: A Grandfather Gandhi Story, both co-written with Arun Gandhi, grandson to the Mahatma and illustrated by Evan Turk. The Grandfather Gandhi books join Bethany’s novels Truth with a Capital T and Between us Baxters in gracefully handling race, class and diversity issues. A graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults, Bethany is prior editor of the literary journal Hunger Mountain. Bethany is the Owner and Creative Director of the Writing Barn, a writing retreat, workshop and event space in Austin, Texas. A former educator, Bethany speaks and teaches across the country.
Carmen Oliver is the founder of the Booking Biz, a boutique style agency that brings award-winning children’s authors and illustrators to schools, libraries, and special events. She is also the author of picture book Bears Make the Best Reading Buddies as well as the forthcoming nonfiction picture book The Favio Chavez Story. She teaches picture book writing at the Writing Barn and loves speaking at schools, conferences and festivals. Growing up in Canada, she saw many bear species along the hiking trails but always kept a respectful distance. She and her family now call the wide-open spaces of Texas home.
Divya Srinivasan lives in Austin, Texas. Her illustrations have appeared in New Yorker magazine, and she has done work for This American Life, They Might Be Giants, Sundance Channel, Sufjan Stevens, and Weird Al Yankovic, among others. Divya was also an animator on the film Waking Life. She is the author and illustrator of the picture books Little Owl’s Night, Little Owl’s Day, and Octopus Alone, and she illustrated the picture book, Cinnamon, written by Neil Gaiman, which will be published in May 2017. More of Divya’s work can be seen at www.pupae.com.
Emma J. Virján was born in San Antonio, Texas on a Wednesday evening, her Dad’s bowling night. This might explain her attraction to shiny, hardwood floors and crunchy, snack bar French fries. She loves to eat breakfast tacos, draw, tell stories and work in her garden. She often lets her dog sleep on the couch. Emma is the author-illustrator of the Pig in a Wig Book Series for early readers – What This Story Needs is a Pig in a Wig, What This Story Needs is a Hush and a Shush, What This Story Needs is a Munch and a Crunch, and What This Story Needs is a Bang and a Clang.
