ABOUT ME AND WRITING
When I think back, it was falling in love with Jo March in Louisa May Alcott’s book Little Women that started my writing career. I’d sit upstairs in my cold bedroom with a hat on my head pouring out my stories just like Jo did in her attic. Later as I traveled about, my writing came in the form of exceedingly long letters, describing to the family back home everything I was seeing and experiencing.
It was only when I moved to Halifax and some friends and I started a writing group that my writing took on a more serious purpose. Our first sessions revolved around drawing words out of a shoe box. The word would be the topic to write about for the next meeting. Many of these ideas turned into longer stories for us all.
However, my writing career would never have taken off without the support and resources of The Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia. I attended many workshops hosted with visiting authors, enrolled in children’s writing classes, and entered the annual Atlantic Writing Competition. In 2003 I was awarded a position in the WFNS Mentorship program. Under the guidance of Norene Smiley my first book Peggy’s Letters took shape and was published by Orca Books. It is now on Tumble Books and is still being enjoyed 15 years after publication.
Another major influence on my writing was my job in the Youth Services department of Alderney Gate Library. Surrounded by children’s books and being part of an amazingly creative programming team my imagination took flight in so many ways. I wrote and performed puppet shows, created all manner of literacy based children’s programs and best of all I was able to talk to our young patrons about the books they like to read.
Currently I live with Ray, my husband (and number one fan) and a mischievous one year old rescue cat called Piper, in an old house overlooking Halifax Harbour where fog monsters, sunsets and tall ships keep me looking out of the window for way longer than I should.
When I think back, it was falling in love with Jo March in Louisa May Alcott’s book Little Women that started my writing career. I’d sit upstairs in my cold bedroom with a hat on my head pouring out my stories just like Jo did in her attic. Later as I traveled about, my writing came in the form of exceedingly long letters, describing to the family back home everything I was seeing and experiencing.
It was only when I moved to Halifax and some friends and I started a writing group that my writing took on a more serious purpose. Our first sessions revolved around drawing words out of a shoe box. The word would be the topic to write about for the next meeting. Many of these ideas turned into longer stories for us all.
However, my writing career would never have taken off without the support and resources of The Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia. I attended many workshops hosted with visiting authors, enrolled in children’s writing classes, and entered the annual Atlantic Writing Competition. In 2003 I was awarded a position in the WFNS Mentorship program. Under the guidance of Norene Smiley my first book Peggy’s Letters took shape and was published by Orca Books. It is now on Tumble Books and is still being enjoyed 15 years after publication.
Another major influence on my writing was my job in the Youth Services department of Alderney Gate Library. Surrounded by children’s books and being part of an amazingly creative programming team my imagination took flight in so many ways. I wrote and performed puppet shows, created all manner of literacy based children’s programs and best of all I was able to talk to our young patrons about the books they like to read.
Currently I live with Ray, my husband (and number one fan) and a mischievous one year old rescue cat called Piper, in an old house overlooking Halifax Harbour where fog monsters, sunsets and tall ships keep me looking out of the window for way longer than I should.
Jacqueline Halsey Bio
Originally from the UK, Jacqueline has lived in Nova Scotia for over thirty years. She has an art college background, and as a mature student obtained a BA in English at Mount Saint Vincent University. For many years she worked in the Youth Services department of the Alderney Gate Library in Dartmouth.
She has written seven books – including a best-selling picture book with former co-worker Carrie Muller, and four children’s historical fiction titles. All but one of them was shortlisted for Maritime awards. Jacqueline has always loved history, and finds visiting the places she writes about key to imagining the lives of her characters. For her latest book “Piper,” she descended into the hold of the full-sized replica of The Hector. She visited Fort McMurray to research “Wildfire,” a Young Adult novel in process..
Closer to home, her love of history attracted her to “The Friends of McNabs Island Society.” Hiking, history, beaches, taking care of the environment, writing and research are all things she loves to do. She now sits on the Board, takes part in organizing the massive annual beach clean-up, and during the summer months leads groups of visitors on interpretive hikes around this beautiful historic island in Halifax harbour.
Jacqueline enjoys being part of the Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia’s “Writers in the Schools” program, and takes part in the annual Word on the Street event either as a presenter or a volunteer. She also teaches English to newcomers in the Halifax library’s “English Language Learners” program.
Originally from the UK, Jacqueline has lived in Nova Scotia for over thirty years. She has an art college background, and as a mature student obtained a BA in English at Mount Saint Vincent University. For many years she worked in the Youth Services department of the Alderney Gate Library in Dartmouth.
She has written seven books – including a best-selling picture book with former co-worker Carrie Muller, and four children’s historical fiction titles. All but one of them was shortlisted for Maritime awards. Jacqueline has always loved history, and finds visiting the places she writes about key to imagining the lives of her characters. For her latest book “Piper,” she descended into the hold of the full-sized replica of The Hector. She visited Fort McMurray to research “Wildfire,” a Young Adult novel in process..
Closer to home, her love of history attracted her to “The Friends of McNabs Island Society.” Hiking, history, beaches, taking care of the environment, writing and research are all things she loves to do. She now sits on the Board, takes part in organizing the massive annual beach clean-up, and during the summer months leads groups of visitors on interpretive hikes around this beautiful historic island in Halifax harbour.
Jacqueline enjoys being part of the Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia’s “Writers in the Schools” program, and takes part in the annual Word on the Street event either as a presenter or a volunteer. She also teaches English to newcomers in the Halifax library’s “English Language Learners” program.
