Susin Nielsen


Susin Nielsen is a Canadian author for children, adolescent and young adults. She received a Governor General's Award and the 2013 Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award for her young adult novel The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen, which deals with the aftermath of a school shooting.

Career

Susin Nielsen began her writing career with the Degrassi franchise, writing scripts for the television shows as well as books for the series. Susin also played the Janitor in Degrassi Junior High. Following her work with Degrassi, Nielsen wrote for many other television series such as Heartland, What about Mimi?, and Braceface. 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.

Awards

For Word Nerd
For The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen