Amanda West Lewis - Author

Amanda West Lewis is a writer, theater artist, and calligrapher. She is the author of ten books, including the collection A Planet Is a Poem (Kids Can Press, 2024), a book that combines science and poetry. Amanda’s novels reflect her desire to explore the choices that young people make as they face challenges in their lives. #Amanda’s writing is also informed by working with young people in theater, and she recently created a staged version of A Planet Is a Poem with young performers at The Ottawa Children’s Theatre. #Amanda has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, with a specialization in picture books. Originally trained in theater performance, she has acted, directed, produced and written for theater. As a calligraphic book artist, she has done extensive study on the development of written forms. Her first book, Writing: A Fact and Fun Book (KCP, 1990), takes children on a letter-based journey from cave art to computers.#Throughout Amanda’s work runs her passion for language, movement and the thrill of asking questions.#When not writing, teaching or making art, Amanda can usually be found in her gardens in the woods of Eastern Ontario, where she lives with her husband, author Tim Wynne-Jones. Her children and grandchildren inspire her to stay curious and keep asking questions.