Writer
| Region: | British Isles |
| Age Levels: | 5-10, 11-13, and 14-17 |
| Will Travel: | Anywhere in the world |
| Skype Visit: | Yes |
| SCBWI Profile: | Member Profile |
| Speaker Email: | candygourlay@gmail.com |
| Publications |
Bio:
Candy is an award winning author based in London. She was born in the Philippines, grew up under a dictatorship and met her husband during a revolution. Growing up, she wondered why all the books she ever loved only featured pink-skinned children who lived in snow-covered worlds that didn’t resemble her steamy, tropical home in Manila. It took her years to fulfil her dream of becoming an author – and years to learn that Filipino stories too, belong in the pages of books. She has been a committed SCBWI volunteer for the British Isles chapter since she joined in 2002, and is a winner of the first iteration of Undiscovered Voices in 2009 – which led to her signing with Hilary Delamere, her agent.
Presentation Description:
| I love speaking at schools and festivals. My talks are interactive and inspirational - with a big, colourful Powerpoint presentation. TALL STORY's reading age is 10 plus, but I have performed before audiences from eight to sixteen years old. THE HERO'S JOURNEY I use The Hero's Journey, the structure said to underpin most quest narratives, to tell the story of my own journey from being a journalist during revolution in my native Philippines to becoming a children's author based in London. |
GEOGRAPHY Some schools have invited me to speak to Geography classes about the Philippines. I've also used the earthquakes in TALL STORY as a jumping off point to discuss how calamity influences the mythologies of different countries, telling many fascinating examples from across the world. CONTACT ME |