BHS Speaker Event – Marsha Skrypuch

Marsha Skrypuch’s novel, Dance of the Banished, is based on true Brantford events. The idea for Dance of the Banished sprouted seven years ago when Brantford historians Wayne Hunter and William Darfler showed Marsha a stack of local newspaper clippings recounting a series of events from the fall of 1914. One hundred foreign workers had been accused of trying to blow up the Brantford post office in an act of treason. They were rounded up in the middle of the night and jailed. Even though the accusation proved false, they were not released. Marsha will discuss how she did her research and some of the fascinating things that she uncovered.

Awards and Honours for Dance of the Banished:

2016 USBBY Outstanding International Book

2015 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People winner

2015 White Ravens Selection

2015 Junior Library Guild Selection

2015 Best Books for Kids & Teens selection