On the phone, author Arthur Slade seems a sunny disposition. But his books, primarily aimed at young people consider some disturbing subjects.
The author of 18 novels, Draugr (Northern Frights #1) ωασ Slade’s first published book. It is about an undead creature from Norse mythology.
“They’re kind of creatures who used to be human,” he says. “They’re super strong and often someone you know who was so angry they had to come back.”
That was in 1997, says the author who has always been interested in mythology.
Called Flickers, the 18th book will be coming out just before the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival, where Slade will be a presenter.
“Flickers is what they used to call movies in old days and the book is set in Hollywood in the 1920s,” Slade says.
“It’s about a director who wants to make the most terrifying horror movie; it will be the first movie with sound.”
Slade says he is interested in how silent films came about and how they morphed into films with sound.
“I can’t just write a history so I had to write a novel.”
Slade’s Hunchback Assignments won the prestigious TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and Dust was winner of the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature.
He has taught writing at Banff, University of Toronto and was the Regina Public Library’s writer-in-residence in 2014-2015.
“I blame both my parents and a teacher for encouraging me,” he laughs of his interest in writing. “In Grade 11, a teacher gave me 100 per cent on one of my stories and from that point on, I wrote short stories and books. But it took about 13 years to get published.”
Slade said he had heard about Word on the Lake through friends and has tried to attend several times. But something else always interfered.
“As a writer, it is always refreshing to go to meet other writers and readers,” he says. “I spend so much time in the basement, it’s really exciting to come out and be reminded readers are real people. It’s refreshing, energizing and it makes me want to write more.”
Slade is still working on options for his workshop, be it about writing horror stories or those for young readers in Grade 5 and up.
“Statistics say 25 percent of young readers are adults,” he says. “It goes faster, gets to the point quicker and yet a good number are still very complicated.
Word on the Lake takes place at the Prestige Harbourfront Resort from May 20 to 22.
To register or for more information, visit wordonthelakewritersfestival.com.
