ABOUT NATASHA

NATASHA DEEN’S confession? She didn’t grow up wanting to be a writer. The deeper confession? She really wanted to be a superhero.

Her family moved from Guyana to Canada* to escape the country’s growing racial and political violence.

She loved growing up in a country of snow and flannel, but sometimes, being the only mixed-race kid in class meant being bullied and feeling invisible because there were no reflections of her on TV or in movies, and it meant growing up feeling different from everybody. Thank goodness for books and comic books. They were full of weird, oddball, don’t-quite-fit-in characters who turned out to be amazing and cool and found their happy endings.

These days, Natasha writes for kids, teens, and adults, and she loves mixing mystery, action, and creepy with a whole lot of humour. Her books have been described as “gripping” (School Library Connection), “engaging” (CM Magazine) and “feel good” (VOYA).

Her novels include In the Key of Nira Ghani, (Amy Mathers, Teen Book Award), The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad(A Globe and Mail Top 100 Read of 2022), and Spooky Sleuths, Book 1: The Ghost Tree (A School Library Journal Best Books of 2022).

Natasha lives in Edmonton and is Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal recipient. She is represented by agent Amy Tompkins of Transatlantic Agency. When Natasha’s not writing, she teaches several courses with the University of Toronto’s SCS, and spends a lot of time trying to convince her pets that she’s the boss of the house.

And Natasha’s final confession? Writing is the hardest thing she’ll ever do, but she loves it because writing is story, and our stories change the world.

*Natasha was born in Canada, but moved to Guyana when she was three-weeks old. She grew up in Nandy Park (south-west of Georgetown) before returning to Canada when she was five.