Martine Leavitt is a Canadian American writer of

young adult novels Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...

and a creative writing instructor.

Biography

Leavitt was born in 1953 in Canada. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree, first class honours, from the

University of Calgary The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...

and a Master of Fine Arts from

Vermont College Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) is a private graduate-level art school in Montpelier, Vermont. It offers Master's degrees in low-residency and residential programs. Its faculty includes Pulitzer Prize finalists, National Book Award winners, ...

. She has seven children, twenty grandchildren, and lives with her husband in Alberta, Canada. Martine Leavitt writes novels for young adults, most recently ''Calvin'', which won the Governor General's Literary Award of Canada. ''My Book of Life by Angel'' was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and winner of the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book of the Year. ''Keturah and Lord Death'' was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her next book, ''Buffalo Flats'', will be out in spring 2023. She teaches creative writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts, a short-residency MFA program.

Selected works

Novels

* ''The Dragon's Tapestry'' (1992) * ''Prism Moon'' (1993) * ''The Taker's Key'' (1998) * ''The Dollmage'' (2001) * ''Tom Finder'' (2003) * ''Heck Superhero'' (2004) * ''Keturah and Lord Death'' (2006) * ''My Book of Life by Angel'' (2012) * ''Blue Mountain'' (2014) * ''Calvin'' (2015)

Awards

* ''Calvin'' received the 2016

Governor General's Literary Award The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...

in the Young People's Literature (Text) category. * ''Calvin'' won the

Whitney Awards The Whitney Awards are awards given annually for novels by LDS authors. Established in 2007, they are named after Orson F. Whitney, a prominent early member of the LDS Church. There are several categories for which novels may be nominated. The Whi ...

General Youth Fiction category for 2015. * ''My Book of Life by Angel'' won the

Canadian Library Association The Canadian Library Association (CLA) was a national, predominantly English-language association which represented 57,000 library workers across Canada. It also spoke for the interests of the 21 million Canadians who are members of libraries. C ...

Young Adult Book Award in 2013. * ''My Book of Life by Angel'' was a

Junior Library Guild Junior Library Guild, formerly the Junior Literary Guild, is a commercial book club devoted to juvenile literature. It was created in 1929 as one of the enterprises of the Literary Guild, an adult book club created in 1927 by Samuel W. Craig and H ...

selection in 2013. * ''My Book of Life by Angel'' a

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

Best Book of the Year in 2013. * ''My Book of Life by Angel'' was named a Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Best Book of the Year in 2013. * ''My Book of Life by Angel'' was named a

Quill and Quire ''Quill & Quire'' is a Canadian magazine about the book and publishing industry. The magazine was launched in 1935 and has an average circulation of 5,000 copies per issue, with a publisher-claimed readership of 25,000. ''Quill & Quire'' reviews ...

book of the year in 2013. * ''My Book of Life by Angel'' was a

Los Angeles Times Book Prize Since 1980, the ''Los Angeles Times'' has awarded a set of annual book prizes. The Prizes currently have nine categories: biography, current interest, fiction, first fiction (the Art Seidenbaum Award added in 1991), history, mystery/thriller ( ...

Finalist in 2012. * ''My Book of Life by Angel'' was listed as a

Horn Book ''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietres ...

fanfare book in 2012. * ''Keturah and Lord Death'' was awarded the

White Pine Award The ''White Pine Award'' is one of the annual literature Forest of Reading awards sponsored by the Ontario Library Association (OLA). Every year, 10 books are nominated for the award and students vote their favourite book. The White Pine Nonfi ...

in 2008. * ''Heck Superheros Italian translation ''Bella la mia vita da Supereroe'' (Salani Editore) was a Premio Paolo Ungari UNICEF finalist in 2008. * ''Keturah and Lord Death'' was awarded a blue ribbon from

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books ''The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books'' is an academic journal established in 1945 by Frances E. Henne (Graduate Library School, University of Chicago).Wedgeworth, Robert. ''World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services''. Ch ...

. * ''Keturah and Lord Death'' was a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age selection in 2007. * ''Keturah and Lord Death'' was a finalist for the

National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...

in 2006. * ''Keturah and Lord Death'' was selected a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books in 2006. * ''Keturah and Lord Death'' was a

Editors' Choice (

ALA Ala, ALA, Alaa or Alae may refer to: Places * Ala, Hiiu County, Estonia, a village * Ala, Valga County, Estonia, a village * Ala, Alappuzha, Kerala, India, a village * Ala, Iran, a village in Semnan Province * Ala, Gotland, Sweden * Alad, S ...

) in 2006. * ''Keturah and Lord Death'' was winner of ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Bronze Award in 2006. * ''Keturah and Lord Death'' was a

Premier Selection in 2006. * ''Heck Superhero'' was selected as a Best Books for Young Adults (

) in 2005. * ''Heck Superhero'' was a finalist for the 2004

Governor General's Awards The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...

. * ''Heck Superhero'' was a

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

Editor's Choice in 2004. * ''Tom Finder'' won a Benjamin Franklin Award in 2004. * ''Tom Finder'' won the Mr. Christie Award in 2003. * ''The Dollmage'' was an

Best Book for Young Adults in 2003. * ''The Taker's Key'' received the

Association for Mormon Letters The Association for Mormon Letters (AML) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 to "foster scholarly and creative work in Mormon letters and to promote fellowship among scholars and writers of Mormon literature." Other stated purposes have inc ...

Award for young adult literature in 1998. * ''The Dragon's Tapestry'' received the

Award for young adult literature in 1993.

References

Interviews

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. "Author Interview: Martine Leavitt on My Book of Life by Angel." Sept. 6, 2012.

Ellis, Ann Dee. "Vermont College Week." ''Throwing Up Words.'' Feb. 5, 2010.

"An Interview with Two Published Writers." ''Inkless.'' March 2009.

* [https://cynthialeitichsmith.com/2022/04/the-power-of-poetry-carol-mcafee-talks-to-martine-leavitt-about-how-poetry-can-improve-our-prose/ "The Power of Poetry: Carol McAfee Talks to Martine Leavitt About How Poetry Can Improve Our Prose." ''Cynsations.'']

External links

* * *
Mormon Literature Database entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leavitt, Martine People from Taber, Alberta Writers from Alberta 1953 births Living people Converts to Mormonism Latter Day Saints from Vermont Canadian Latter Day Saints Brigham Young University faculty University of Calgary alumni Vermont College of Fine Arts alumni Canadian children's writers 20th-century Canadian novelists 21st-century Canadian novelists Canadian fantasy writers Canadian women short story writers Canadian women novelists 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American children's writers American fantasy writers American women short story writers American women novelists Canadian women children's writers American women children's writers Women science fiction and fantasy writers 20th-century Canadian women writers 21st-century Canadian women writers 20th-century American short story writers 21st-century American short story writers Governor General's Award-winning children's writers Novelists from Utah Latter Day Saints from Utah Canadian emigrants to the United States 21st-century American women writers