Novelist Ashley Little becomes Vancouver Public Library's newest writer in residence

One of B.C.'s more accomplished novelists will be available this autumn to mentor emerging writers in Vancouver.

Ashley Little has been named as the Vancouver Public Library's 2015 writer in residence.

Her first readings will take place on September 20 at the central branch (1 p.m.), the Joe Fortes branch (2 p.m.), Firehall branch (3 p.m.), and Mount Pleasant branch (4 p.m.)

Little is the author of three novels: PRICK: Confessions of a Tattoo Artist, The New Normal, and Anatomy of a Girl Gang.

As the writer in residence, she will spend 25 percent of her time offering workshops and supporting other writers interested in learning more about writing novels and crafting dialogue.

Writers can schedule interviews with Little through the VPL website.

The rest of her time will be devoted to researching a novel about D'Arcy Island, which was home to a B.C. leper colony from 1891 to 1924.

Little won the Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize for The New Normal. 

Anatomy of a Girl Gang won the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and was a finalist for the City of Vancouver Book Award.

In a review for the Georgia Straight, Jennifer Croll described Anatomy of a Girl Gang as a "daring book".

"It doesn’t flinch from the glamorous lure of gang life or its devastating effects, and through it all, Little’s gang really owns it: their glories and tragedies are completely their own," Croll wrote.

The VPL writers in residence program is in its 11th year and has featured Gabrielle Prendergast, Rawi Hage, Meredith Quartermain, Wayde Compton, Spider Robinson, Ivan Coyote, Caroline Adderson, Hiromi Goto, Gary Geddes, and Maggie de Vries.