Susin Nielsen

Susin Nielsen is the award-winning author of Word Nerd, Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen, We Are All Made of Molecules, Optimists Die First, No Fixed Address, and Tremendous Things. She got her start working on the original hit TV series Degrassi Junior High and has written for over 20 Canadian TV series. Her books have won critical acclaim and multiple awards both at home and around the world, including the Governor General’s Literary Award, and they’ve been translated into many languages. She’s been described as “the John Green of Canada,” and had a dream once that John Green was described as “the Susin Nielsen of the U.S.”

In 2019, Nielsen was honoured with the Vicki Metcalf Award for a body of work at the Writers’ Trust Awards. Most recently, Nielsen has been show-running the popular Global TV show she created, called Family Law. She lives in Vancouver with her family and two naughty cats.

Website: susinnielsen.com
Instagram/Threads: @susinnielsen

FESTIVAL BOOK

Tremendous Things

Written in first person, Tremendous Things is humorous and well-paced with a truly great, heartwarming ending. Highly Recommended.” – CM Reviews

From Governor General’s Literary Award-winning author Susin Nielsen comes a funny and heartfelt story about learning how to rise above your most embarrassing moment with humor, best friends, and a killer triangle solo. A Canadian Children’s Book Centre Favourite Book of the Year now in paperback!

We all have moments that define us. For the comically clueless Wilbur, his moment happened on the first day of middle school, when someone shared his private letter with the entire student body. It revealed some of Wilbur’s innermost embarrassing thoughts that no one else should ever know.

Now it’s the start of ninth grade and Wilbur hasn’t been able to escape that major humiliation. His good friend Alex stuck by him, but Alex doesn’t have as much time since he started dating Fabrizio. Luckily, Wil can confide in his best friend: his elderly neighbor Sal. Also, Wil’s in the school band, where he plays the triangle. They’re doing an exchange program with students from Paris, and Wilbur’s billet, Charlie, a tall, chic young woman who plays the ukulele and burps with abandon, captures his heart. Charlie likes him, but only as a friend. So Alex, Fabrizio and Sal host a Queer Eye-style intervention to get Wil in shape and to build his confidence so he can impress Charlie when their band visits Paris, and just maybe replace humiliation with true romance in the City of Love.

GET THE BOOK

Shelf Life Books | Calgary Public Library | Audible

BE CURIOUSER

Family Law’s Susin Nielsen: “I Know A Lot About Family Function and Dsyfunction” – TV,eh?
The Collaborative Chemistry Behind Susin Nielsen and Jewel Staite’s Vancouver Hit Family Law – MonteCristo Magazine
Tremendous Things Review – LoveReading4Kids