Cathy Ostlere

Cathy Ostlere grew up in a Canadian Air Force family with two brothers and a sister. She recalls a childhood of making up stories while staring out the car window on long drives across the country. Her first book, LOST: A MEMOIR (2008), began as a series of poems and essays. Her writing has been short-listed for the National Magazine Awards, Western Magazine Awards, and the CBC Literary Awards. LOST: A MEMOIR was a finalist for the 2009 Edna Staebler Creative Non-fiction Award. In 2010, LOST: A MEMOIR was developed into a 90 minute one-woman play that has been touring Canada and the U.S. Her first YA novel, KARMA: a novel in verse, was released in 2011 by Penguin/Razorbill.

Awards for KARMA -- South Asia Book Award (SABA), Highly Commended Book, 2012; BOOKLIST, Editor's Choice, Best Books for Young Adults, 2012; Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award, Honour Book, 2012; YALSA, Best Fiction for Young Adults, 2012; Alberta Literary Awards Winner - R. Ross Annett Children's Award, 2012; City of Calgary, W.O. Mitchell Award, shortlist, 2012; Ontario Library Association Best Bets List, Honourable Mention, 2012