Better Your Verse: 10 Tips on Writing Great Verse Novels

Dec 07, 2024

Online event

Novels in verse are incredibly popular with young readers. But while it is a pleasure to read words that sing, it can be daunting to craft a novel that is spare in terms of words yet not sparse in its ability to paint emotionally rich scenes filled with three dimensional characters. Whether you're considering writing a novel in verse or have already plunged in and are ready to polish a manuscript, award-winning author Padma Venkatraman, whose poems have appeared in POETRY magazine, several anthologies and been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, will present tips to help make your work shine. She will also suggest exemplars and resources for further reading, so you can continue to hone your skills and grow as a poet and storyteller.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Padma Venkatraman is the author of The Bridge Home, Born Behind Bars, Climbing the Stairs, Island's End and A Time to Dance, an Instructor at Sarah Lawrence College, and the winner of a WNDB Walter Dean Myers Award Winner, South Asia Book Awards, Paterson Prizes, Nerdies, Julia Ward Howe Book Awards, Global Read Aloud, Malka Penn Honors, Prix des Libraries finalist, Sakura Medal finalists, Litterado Prize finalist, ALA Notables, Kirkus Best Books, NYPL Best Books, Booklist Editor's Choices and several other awards and honors; Visit her at www.padmavenkatraman.com; @padmatv (twitter); @venkatraman.padma (ig, fb, Li).


Facilitator Bio:

Suma Subramaniam: Suma Subramaniam's picture books include NAMASTE IS A GREETING ,SHE SANG FOR INDIA: HOW M.S. SUBBULAKSHMI USED HER VOICE FOR CHANGE , THE RUNAWAY DOSA, A BINDI CAN BE…, MY NAME IS LONG AS A RIVER, and more. Suma is also the contributing author of THE HERO NEXT DOOR. Her poems have been published in Poetry Magazine, WHAT IS HOPE?, and other anthologies for children. She lives in Seattle with her family and a dog who will do anything for Indian sweets and snacks. https://sumasubramaniam.com