Happy June, folks! I hope everyone has been enjoying the beautiful weather Vancouver has been having and hopefully you’ve had the chance to read something good as of late. If you haven’t though, Young Adulting has some great reads to share with you!
What you might have missed…
Cath Ayres graced us with a wonderful excerpt of their fantastic First Page Feature, Fathoms to cap off May. You can take a deep dive into the wondrous and immersive world of Benji, the most vicious shark around here.
Following Fathoms, you’ll find a short interview Q&A from Cath including sage advice concerning how we write for children.
Last month I had the absolute pleasure of being put into contact with UBC MFA graduate Léa Taranto, who has just had her debut YA novel, A Drop in the Ocean, published by Arsenal Pulp Press on May 20th, 2025.
A Drop in the Ocean is a vulnerable, moving, beautiful novel that will no doubt speak to any and every teen (and adult) who has struggled with their mental health and actually began as Léa’s thesis project at UBC.
Last week, UBC’s very own Cid V Brunet, a multitalented author and creative writing graduate student, interviewed Léa which you can read here.
In the interview, you’ll read about Léa’s connection to her characters, the novel’s themes, and writing about mental health. It’s an honest and thoughtful exchange that Young Adulting is grateful to give home to!
Thank you to both Léa and Cid!
Industry News
National Indigenous History Month is here and we believe it’s important to share a number of the places amplifying Indigenous voices and initiatives in the literary world.
- Massy Books, a 100% Indigenous owned and operated business, has put together booklists by Indigenous authors to read and is also hosting Indigenous author events this month! Find the booklist here! Information about upcoming events can be found on their Instagram page.
- The Vancouver Public Library has put together a list of resources for folks to look through and learn about the rich history, lives, and cultures of Indigenous peoples through novels, podcasts, films, and more. You can find that information here.
On June 18th, join VPL at the Central Library for Bruce McIvor in conversation with Bob Joseph to discuss McIvor’s latest book, Indigenous Rights in One Minute. Register here!
- The Toronto Public Library is putting together an Indigenous Initiatives webpage which will consolidate all the information related to upcoming programs, Indigenous-focused collections, booklists, blogs, and podcasts. It looks like the webpage is currently under construction but in the meantime, read more here.
- Outside of the library, The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is hosting free events all month long. Events and activities will include story sharing, dance, films, and music, and can be found here!
In other news…
- Children’s Institute 2025 kicks off this week and will be running from June 11-14th in Portland, Oregon.
“Ci2025 offers four days of educational programming, keynote talks, author receptions, publisher parties, and dedicated time to network with booksellers, authors, and publishers from around the country.” You can learn more here.
- Telling Tales launches their three-day free virtual celebration of all things Graphic Novels from June 10-12th. Perfect for children in grades 1-6 but open to everyone. Register here.
Career Opportunities
- For all you book lovers in the Lower Mainland, Black Bond Books is hiring a Bookstore Manager at the Semiahmoo Shopping Centre. More details to be found here!
- For those of you in Toronto, Penguin Random House Canada has a general application for freelance opportunities. PRH shared: “We are actively seeking to add team members from communities with lived experiences of marginalization and underrepresentation. We respect and value each individual and their lived experiences and are committed to creating a more diverse team and establishing a culture of belonging. If you self-identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, a member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community or another marginalized group, we strongly encourage you to apply.”
Freelance opportunities may include copy editing, text and audio proofreading, indexing, cold reading, and authenticity reading opportunities. You can learn more here!
- Last but certainly not least, HarperCollins Canada and Harlequin are looking for an Editorial Assistant (hybrid, Toronto) and an Editor. Click on each position to learn more!
Submissions
Exciting opportunities await you here!
- Annick Press is currently accepting submissions of picture books, early chapter books, middle grade fiction, YA fiction, graphic novels, and non-fiction for kids of all ages. You can read more about the submission guidelines here!
- The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) is now accepting submissions for its children’s book awards – of which there are seven. You can browse the different calls here!
- Young Adulting is looking for the next FPF! Every month, we want to highlight your voice by sharing an excerpt from the first page of your WIP. If you want to be featured on Young Adulting, submit here!
As always, please do send us your news related to children’s and young adult literature at young.adulting@ubc.ca so we can feature them in future newsletters.
Take care, and happy reading,
The Young Adulting Editors
YOUNG ADULTING 