April Ford (she/they)

Literary

Specialities: Creative writing, Haiku, Non-fiction writing, Spoken Word/Slam Poetry, Storytelling, Zines

Contact Info

Email address

aprilford.author.etc@gmail.com

Website address

aprilfordauthor.com

Where Artist lives

Montreal

Resides in

Lester B. Pearson

Social Media

Experience working with

Secondary 1 & 2
Secondary 3 & 4
Secondary 5
CEGEP
Senior Citizens

Lifelong Learners

Adult Learners

I regularly explore the following Broad Areas of Learning/Themes in my work

Health and Wellbeing
Personal and Career Planning
Media Literacy
Citizenship and Community Life (Identity & Belonging)

Listed in the Quebec Culture in the Schools Repertoire

I have experience working with

Quebec Writers’ Federation’s Writers in the Communities Program

I can facilitate virtual creative experiences

School board areas you are available to work in

Central Quebec - Quebec City & Environs
Central Quebec - Rural/Regional Schools
Cree School Board
Eastern Shores - Gaspe/Coast
Eastern Shores - Lower St. Lawrence
Eastern Shores - Magdalen Islands
Eastern Townships
English Montreal
Kativik School Board
Lester B Pearson - outside Montreal transportation areas (STM)
Lester B Pearson - within public transit area
Littoral - Lower North Shore
New Frontiers - Chateauguay
New Frontiers - Chateauguay Valley
Riverside
Sir Wilfrid Laurier – Lanaudiere
Sir Wilfrid Laurier – Laval
Western Quebec - Northern area
Western Quebec - Southern area (Hull, Wakefield etc)

Travel

I am available for travel within the same day
I am available for travel overnight
An extended residency is an option

I'm a Montreal-based writer and teacher. My published books include CAROUSEL: A NOVEL (Inanna Publications), Winner of the 2020 International Book Awards for LGBTQ Fiction; DEATH IS A SIDE-EFFECT: POEMS (Frog Hollow Press); and THE POOR CHILDREN: STORIES (SFWP). In 2016, my short story "Project Fumarase" won a Pushcart Prize. Whenever possible, I volunteer in the kitchen for Maison Saint Columba House's Community Lunch program.

Accent Open Mic (Montreal)

Carousel: A novel by April Ford (Inanna Publications, May 2020)

Where the writing and the teaching of writing all happens!

April's Executive Writing Assistant 1: Ernie (she/her)

April's Executive Writing Assistant 2: Nicolas (he/him)

Creative Approach and Experiences Offered

For more than 15 years, I've helped at-risk youth, university students, community groups, professionals, seniors, and non-traditional learners pursue their passions and discover their aptitudes for language and creative expression. As an educator, I'm interested in how we can use our built-in skills—along with potential we might not yet realize we have!—to tell original stories and make our experiences accessible to others.

Through fiction, poetry, memoir, doodling, and public speaking, I provide tools for learners to find their voices, try out new voices, and even be a voice for others. As every individual and group is unique, I adapt content and activities accordingly, always with the goal of challenging and empowering learners.