May 5, 2023

Happy News! Peanut Butter and Chaos (Book one, The Mythic Adventures of Samuel Templeton) has been nominated for a 2024 Myrca Award!

April 28, 2023

Peanut Butter and Pandemonium is now available from bookstores everywhere! Here is the Icelandic folktale/history behind my evil sorcerer character, Loft.

April 15, 2023

A review of Peanut Butter and Pandemonium in the April 15 edition of Lögberg-Heimskringla by W.D. Valgardson.

April 3rd, 2023

Peanut Butter and Pandemonium is out in the world! I picked up author copies on Saturday and will send these advance copies to family and draw winners who receive my newsletter. They will hit bookstore shelves sometime between now and April 25th, the guaranteed available date.

April 27, 2022

An Icelandic story in celebration of Peanut Butter and Chaos!

April 22, 2022

An Icelandic story in celebration of Peanut Butter and Chaos!

March 17, 2022

Thrilled! You Don’t Have to Die in the End is the Winnipeg Free Press (virtual) book club’s April pick! Sign up to participate here: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/book-club/ 

Oct 26, 2021

It was an honour to both act in and produce this brilliant short film by Jeff Eyamie. It’s now in post production, due out in April. Just like my new novel!

Oct 20, 2021

Cover reveal!

October 18, 2021

I may need to launch a more distinct film page. It feels like I have almost accidentally fallen more into a production role. I still act, but by invitation only while I take a mental health break from auditioning. This past weekend saw the culmination of a few months pre-production work on a short film written by Jeff Eyamie. Jeff, editor George Orallo and I served as the core production team on an Actra “MIP.” Jeff and George also co-directed, while I produced, and played a role. It was an amazing, energizing weekend despite long shoot days. Excited to see what comes out of post.

Sept 22, 2021

SALE. Canada only. Signed copies of You Don’t Have to Die in the End and Forgetting How to Breathe. $10 each (reg $12 and $15 in stores). Payment via cheque or e-transfer. Includes taxes and regular shipping. To order, contact the author here.

May 20, 2020

An interview in Prairie Books Now magazine about the inspiration behind my new novel, You Don’t Have to Die in the End.

April 23, 2020

April 22, 2020

March 18, 2020

My beautiful new novel, You Don’t Have to Die in the End has been published, however because of the current world situation, it’s launch and any subsequent author appearances have been cancelled. You can still order the novel through book stores (except Amazon, which is putting priority on household items), and please do. Small publishers so rely on the sales bump book launches provide in order to cover the huge initial outlay of cash needed to get a book printed.

In other news, because classes have been suspended indefinitely, and because I know of at least on class that was sharing my last novel, middle-grade/junior high level Forgetting How to Breathe, I’ve decided to share a chapter a day online. Let the story sharing continue! You can find these videos on my Anita Daher Books FaceBook Page, Twitter page, and my Youtube Channel.

January 24, 2020

To celebrate the new year (and my recent recovery from a very bad cold, which delayed my celebrating the beauty of a fresh new year), I have a limited number of these 4 X 5 (ish) inch beautiful fridge magnets to give away. If you are a high school teacher or librarian, or a public librarian, and would like one for your staff room, message me with your school address and I will pop one in the mail.

April 30, 2019

Forgetting How to Breathe has been named one of five finalists for the 2019 IODE Violet Downey Book Award. From the news release:

Through the generosity of IODE member, the late Mrs. Violet Downey, IODE established The National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award in 1984. The first award was presented in 1985. This award is offered annually for the best English language book containing at least 500 words of text (preferably with Canadian content) in a category suitable for children aged 13 and under. A ten-member panel of judges, including IODE members and specialists in the field of children’s literature, annually select the award-winning book.

The short list for The National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award, valued at $5,000 has been selected from among submitted books published in Canada in 2018.

The winner will be announced at IODE Canada’s 119th National Annual Meeting, being held at the Delta Brunswick Hotel in Saint John, NB, on Friday, 31 May 2019. 

(2019 finalists are)

A World Below
Written by Wesley King
​Published by Simon and Schuster Canada

Ebb and Flow
Written by Heather Smith
Published by Kids Can Press

Forgetting How to Breathe
Written by Anita Daher
Published by Great Plains Publications

No Fixed Address
Written by Susin Nielsen
Published by Penguin Random House

The Ghost Road
Written by Charis Cotter
Published by Penguin Random House

(Photo courtesy the IODE Canada Facebook Page)

April 17, 2019

“Sometimes hurt kids find good places where they are safe and loved.”

A review by author W.D. Valgardson of Forgetting How to Breathe in the April 15 edition of Canadian Icelandic newspaper, Lögberg-Heimskringla.

April 14, 2019

I Value Canadian Stories

As a child, I moved often, sometimes to remote communities. This was well before access to the internet, and so at a vital age I looked to my family, my community, and books, often read cross-legged in my school library, to better understand who I was, and what my place in the world would be. Stories set in Canada, my home, were especially relevant to me. These were the ones I felt more deeply connected to. These were the stories that taught me the most about regions outside of my immediate community. They helped me understand Canadian geography, political structure, and the values of our society, including tolerance and celebration of other cultural backgrounds. In reading books set in other countries, I was then able to find my place and values within a larger context, but without those books set in Canada, written by Canadian authors, I would have been lost. Without foundation.

I’ve shared my story with members of the Standing Committees on Industry, Science & Technology, and Canadian Heritage. Please add your support and share your story here.

April 7, 2019

This week! Hope to see you there.

March 3, 2019

So very pleased The Cottager magazine included my chat about writing Forgetting How to Breathe in this month’s edition (though the editor called the novel “Learning How to Breathe”…maybe a sequel?).

February 4, 2019

This beautiful review of Forgetting How to Breathe appears in the Feb 1st edition of New Iceland’s Lögberg-Heimskringla newspaper. This reviewer understood so well what I wanted to communicate in this novel, I was moved to tears.

February 1, 2019

Thank you to the Manitoba Arts Council (finder), Great Plains Publications (publisher) and (my host) Publishers Group Canada for arranging and making possible my signing session at this year’s Ontario Library Association Super Conference. I met so many wonderful teachers, librarians, teacher-librarians and library techs–including my former CBC North colleague now library tech Megan Venner! A super special and heart-warming surprise. I was so busy signing I didn’t get a photo. Instead, this is where my stack of books sat before I signed (gone in a blink!), and these are my lovely PGC hosts Erin and Bronte.

December 2, 2018

For personalization and holiday mailing of any of Anita’s books (depending on availability) contact Anita here.

September 11, 2018

August 26th.

From an ongoing work in progress: a monologue I wrote, performed by beautiful human being, talented actor and filmmaker (and cousin!) Trevor Kristjanson at the launch for Forgetting How to Breathe.

The monologue is not from the novel, but imagines one Icelandic immigrant’s experience during a true moment in history, the wreck of the SS Copeland.

Scene Study – T.Kristjanson (April 2018) from The Acting Studio Winnipeg on Vimeo.

August 26th.

July 24, 2018

Join me in Gimli August 2nd at the Aspire Theatre! Honoured to present along side two exceptional fellow authors, W.D Valgardson and Michael Kaan. Valgardson will launch his new novel, In Valhalla’s Shadows.

May 12, 2018

I have thoroughly enjoyed my FORGETTING HOW TO BREATH BOOK TOUR PART 2 this wee in BC’s gorgeous Okanagan Valley. Next up, a stop in Carmen Manitoba, and then Jodi Carmichael (Family of Spies) will join me for BOOK TOUR PART THREE in southwest Manitoba on May 23 and 24th.

It will be a busy two days with stops in Brandon, Shilo and Rapid City:

• Kirkcaldy Heights School
• École O’Kelly School
• King George School
• Book Club
• Rapid City Public Library

The book club will be hosting a pot luck for our visit. We are thrilled, and can’t wait!

p.s. If you are interested in hearing about my misadventure with a toad/bat in the North Okanagan Valley, visit my goodreads blog 🙂

May 8, 2018

Touring, touring!

After a busy week of school visits in Saskatchewan last week where she visited schools in Moose Jaw, Chaplin, Gravelbourg and Avonlea, Anita is in BC’s Okanagan Valley this week for visits in Vernon and Oyama.

April 7, 2018

Anita and Jodi to Tour Southwest Manitoba!

For information or to book email Nancy Chappell at Prairie Bookings.