BOOKS

YA Fiction
Emma Karas was raised in Japan; it’s the country she calls home. But when her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer, Emma’s family moves to a town outside Lowell, Massachusetts to stay with her grandmother while her mom undergoes treatment. Emma feels out of place in the U.S., begins to have migraines, and longs to be back in Japan. At her grandmother’s urging, she volunteers in a long-term care center to help Zena, a patient with locked-in syndrome, write down her poems. There, Emma meets Samnang, another volunteer, who assists elderly Cambodian refugees. Weekly visits to the care center, Zena’s poems, dance, and noodle soup bring Emma and Samnang closer, until Emma must make a painful choice: stay in Massachusetts, or return early to Japan. Delacorte/Random House, May 2013
How do you know if you’re responsible? After a bullied classmate commits suicide, Kana Goldberg is sent to her family’s home in Japan for the summer. Kana wasn’t the bully, not exactly, but she didn’t do anything to stop what happened, either. As Kana begins to process the pain and guilt she feels, news from home sends her world spinning out of orbit all over again. Delacorte/Random House, February 2011. “A fast-paced page-turner that explores the rippling effects of suicide.” –Kirkus Reviews 2012 APALA Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
Tomo (meaning “friend” in Japanese) is an anthology of young adult short fiction in prose, verse and graphic art set in or related to Japan. This collection for readers age 12 and up features thirty-six stories—including ten in translation and two graphic narratives—contributed by authors and artists from around the world, all of whom share a connection to Japan. Tales of friendship, mystery, love, ghosts, magic, sci-fi and history will take readers to Japan past and present and to Japanese communities abroad. Proceeds from the sales will go to organizations that assist teens affected by the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Stone Bridge Press, March, 2012.
Children's
Bicultural Nanami goes seaweed gathering with her Japanese and American grandmothers. While translating for the two women she comes to understand they were at war when they were her age. "A heartwarming example of how being from different cultures, countries, and races and speaking another language are not really barriers to appreciation and acceptance..." --Multicultural Review
Adult Fiction
"A wonderfully insightful novel about a young woman living within two cultures. Thompson adeptly explores the lasting bonds of friendship and the courage needed to face the past in order to embrace the future."—Gail Tsukiyama, author of Women of the Silk and The Samurai’s Garden
Short Stories, Poems, Articles and Essays
Holly Thompson's short stories, poems, articles and essays can be found in these anthologies, journals and magazines: click here

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News & Events

August 2013

Classes at Grub Street, Boston, Massachusetts
Tackling Novel Revision: Techniques and Tips Friday, August 9, 2013, 10:00am-5:00pm
Telling Stories in Verse: An Intro to Narrative Poetry and Verse Novels Friday, August 16, 2013, 10:00am-5:00pm

July 2013

Classes at Grub Street, Boston, Massachusetts
Young Adult Novel Workout Monday-Thursday, July 8-11, 2013m 2:30-5:30pm
Story Seeds for Young Adult Writing: Preserving, Sowing and Growing YA Story Ideas Friday, July 12, 2013, 10:30am-1:30pm

June 2013

Essay "The Commuter Bicycle—Still so Uncommonly Common" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

School Visits
Doshisha International Junior/​Senior High School, Kyoto, Japan

May 2013

The Language Inside publication day May 14!

Story "South of Tokyo" in Notre Dame Review

School Visits:
Branksome Hall Asia, Jeju, Korea
North London Collegiate School, Jeju, Korea

Yokohama City University Extension Class--Author Holly Thompson on the Verse Novel Orchards

AFCC 2013 in Singapore: keynote speech--Novels Set in Asia: Selling them Overseas; Translation Seminar--Editing Stories in Translation

The Language Inside AFCC Book Launch May 28, Bookaburra booth, National Library Board, Singapore

April 2013

Yokohama City University Extension Class--Author Holly Thompson on the Verse Novel Orchards

March 2013

Poem "Cod" in Poetry Friday Anthology for Middle School

Poem "What They Call Me" in Cricket Magazine

Essay "Baths Before Blossoms: Devious Ways to Soak the Guests" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

Panel presentation at AWP 2013 in Boston on March 9: Poetry Serving Story Serving Teens: Verse Novels for Young Adults

School Visits:
various throughout Massachusetts

February 2013

Short story "Mentos" in Shenandoah

January 2013

School Visits:
United World College of Southeast Asia, Singapore
Tokyo International School, Tokyo

December 2012

Article "Nengajo New Year’s Greetings: Sending Tidings of Stress and Joy" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

November 2012

Presentation on Verse Novels for Young Adults, Japan Writers Conference, Kyoto

Visiting Writer for the International Writers Workshop, Hong Kong

School Visits:
Osaka International School, Osaka
Yokohama International School, Yokohama
Renaissance College, Hong Kong

October 2012

Visiting Writer for the International Writers Workshop, Hong Kong

Article: "A New Approach to Old Houses" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

August 2012

Conference: SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles

School Visit:
Yokohama International School, Yokohama

July 2012

Presentation: "Meet the Author--Holly Thompson" at the Hamilton-Wenham Library, Hamilton, MA, July 12

Workshops: "Telling Your Stories in Verse" for the Summer Programs for Teens at the Hamilton-Wenham Library, Hamilton, MA, July 10, 19

Essay "Tenno Festivals: Insiders and Outsiders in Circles of Community" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

June 2012

Speech at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference, Anaheim, APALA Awards Banquet, June 24

Presentation: "Thoughts for Translators after Editing Tomo" SCBWI Tokyo Translation Day 2012: Bringing Japanese Teen Literature to the World

May 2012

Guest Blogger for PaperTigers.org Global Voices series Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Skype presentation: "A Community Discussion on Teen Bullying and Suicide with Author Holly Thompson," Palm Beach County Library, Florida, May 22

April 2012

Essay "Crayfish Catching...and Releasing: Cross-cultural Crustacean Encounters" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

School Visits:
various schools in Massachusetts
Yokohama International School, Yokohama

March 2012

Tomo: Friendship Through Fiction--An Anthology of Japan Teen Stories publication date: March 10! Launch events in Tokyo, Boston and New York City!

School Visits:
various schools in Maine and Massachusetts
International School Bangkok, Thailand

February 2012

Orchards paperback edition due out February 12!

Conference: Asia-Pacific Poetry Festival, reading at the Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam

School Visits:
Seisen International School, Tokyo

January 2012

Orchards listed as a YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults title

Award! Orchards wins APALA Asian/​Pacific American Award in Literature in the Young Adult Literature category

Essay "The Seven Herbs...of Spring?" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

December 2011

School Visits:
Nishimachi International School, Tokyo

Poem "Golden Week in Ibarazu" published in Sunrise from Blue Thunder, a Pirene's Fountain Anthology

November 2011

Presentations at the Manila International Literary Festival, Philippines, November 16, 17, 18

September 2011

Essay "Autumn's Song" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

Orchards nominated for YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults

August 2011

Essay "Tending to the Ancestors" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

July 2011

Story "Playing Cicada" in Literary Mama

June 2011

Book: Tomo, a YA anthology of Japan-related fiction, announced!

Presentations:
"Writing YA Verse Novels" at the SCBWI Tokyo Writers' Night, June 11.

"Researching a Bicultural YA Novel in Verse" for the Society of Writers, Editors and Translators (SWET), June 10.

May 2011

Conference Presentations:
"Author/​Illustrator School Visits: Creating your Best Programs" and "Of Power and Emotions: Writing Fiction for Young Adults" at the Asian Festival of Children's Content, Singapore, May 26-29.

Presentation:
"Crafting Stories Across Cultures" for Japan Red Cross Language Service Volunteers

Essay "Car Shopping" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

Essay "What the Daibutsu Knows" in Write for Tohoku

School Visits:
Canadian International School Singapore
Australian International School Singapore

April 2011
Presentation:
"Writing YA Verse Novels" at SCBWI Tokyo Writers' Night--Focus on Writing for Young Adults, April 16

School Visit:
Yokohama International School, Yokohama, Japan

March 2011
Orchards Readings:
Congregation B'nai Israel, Northampton, MA Sunday, March 13, 1:30 pm
Concord Bookshop, Concord, MA Friday, March 11, 4 pm

February 2011

Orchards publication day February 22!!

Essay "Pegging Seaweed" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

School Visits:
International School of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Butterfly School, Popeae, Cambodia

Panel reading with five other poets at the AWP Conference, February 5, Washington, D.C.: Innovations, Migrations, and Translations: Contemporary Poetry in Tokyo [Holly's appearance canceled due to family emergency]

January 2011
Conference:
SCBWI International Winter Conference in New York, January 28-30

November 2010
School Visit: Nishimachi International School, Tokyo, Japan

Essay "Culture Day Biculturally Speaking" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

Article "The Nail That Sticks Out Gains...Admission" in Bilingual Japan

October 2010
Presentation at the Japan Writers Conference in Tokyo: Of Power and Emotions: Writing Fiction for Teens, October 11

September 2010
Essay "Harvest Days--Mikan, Mosquitoes and Hot Baths" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

May 2010
Conference:
Asian Festival of Children's Content, Singapore, May 6-9. Panel presentations: "How to Create the Best Multicultural Books for Readers," "Insider's Guide to Getting Published," and "What is Young Adult Fiction? Where it Came From and Where it is Heading"

March 2010
Essay "O-Bento Life" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

Presentation:
Writers’Day with Holly Thompson, March 6, SCBWI Hong Kong
Session 1 Novel Revision: Techniques and Tips
Session 2 Plotting Across Cultures: A Workshop on Writing Intercultural Fiction

School visits:
Japanese International School, Hong Kong
Yokohama International School, Yokohama, Japan

Conference:
Writing Across Cultures Symposium, Asia-Pacific Writing Partnership, Hong Kong, March 9-10

December 2009
Essay "Pounding in the New Year" in ANA's inflight magazine Wingspan

School visit: Nishimachi International School, Tokyo

November 2009
Sold! Holly Thompson's verse novel Orchards sold by agent Jamie Weiss Chilton of Andrea Brown Literary Agency to editor Francoise Bui of Delacorte in a 2-book deal.

Presentation, November 22 at JALT 2009
Story Circles, Story Starts: L2 Fiction Writing

October 2009
Featured, October 17, in the Japan Times article Artist of the Cross-Cultural Landscape by Kris Kosaka

Presentations on October 17 and 18 at the Japan Writers Conference in Kyoto
Writing for Children: The Picture Book
Tackling Novel Revision: Techniques and Tips

Conference: Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program Retreat

August 2009
Conference: SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles, August 7-10

May 2009
Reading and Panel, May 16: Writing Multicultural Families: A Reading and Panel Discussion of Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering with Suzanne Kamata, editor, and contributors Holly Thompson, Leza Lowitz and Angela Turzynski-Azimi at the Foreign Correspondents Club Japan, Tokyo, presented by the Society of Editors, Writers and Translators.

Essay: "Two Versions of Immersion" published in the anthology Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering edited by Suzanne Kamata (Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing)

April 2009
Reading, April 25: Fourth Ward School Reading, Virginia City, Nevada--Jane Yolen, Yuyi Morales, musician Susan Botich with Holly Thompson, Jude Mandell, Abe Berstein, and Andie Mock

School Visit:
Yokota West Elementary School, Tokyo

Conference: Nevada SCBWI Spring Conference

March 2009
School Visits:
Yokohama International School, Yokohama
American School in Japan, Tokyo
St. Maur International School, Yokohama

February 2009
School Visits:
Canadian Academy, Kobe
Marist Brothers International School, Kobe
Nishimachi International School, Tokyo

January 2009
Award: The Wakame Gatherers is named a "Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People 2009" by the National Council for the Social Studies in cooperation with the Children's Book Council

Mentor Program: Accepted into the Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program for work on a verse novel

October 2008
Reading, October 24: Fiction Reading of short story "Playing Cicada" at Temple University Japan, Tokyo

Writing Workshop, October 18: Writing Workshop with Authors Holly Thompson and Suzanne Kamata: Character, Setting and Problem at the SCBWI Tokyo Writers' Day 2008

August 2008
Interview: Interview with Holly Thompson by Annie Donwerth Chikamatsu on the blog Here and There Japan

Article: "Noma Concours Awards; Gateway to Success for Asian Picture Book Artists" in the SCBWI Bulletin

July 2008
Teaching East Asia Study Tour Presentation: Kamakura through the Eyes of an Author in Koshigoe, Kamakura, the setting for The Wakame Gatherers; see the Society of Writers, Editors and Translators SWET Weblog for a post about this event

May 2008
School Visit: Saint Mary's International School

Guest Blogger: Society of Writers, Editors and Translators Guest Blogger on SWET Weblog through November 2008

April 2008
Interview: Interview of Holly Thompson by Avery Udagawa, "On Wakame and Bicultural Fiction for Children" in the Society of Writers, Editors and Translators Newsletter, Number 119 and on the SWET website

March 2008
School Visit: Yokohama International School

February 2008
Readings:
Hamilton-Wenham Library, Hamilton, MA Feb. 6
Forbes Library, Northampton, MA Feb. 11

School Visits:
N. Andover, Andover, Northampton, MA

Conferences:
SCBWI New York
Associated Writers Programs New York

January 2008
Interview: Interview with Holly Thompson by Suzanne Kamata in the online children's literature monthly The Edge of the Forest

Presentation: Co-presentation on the creation of The Wakame Gatherers, Shen’s Books, with illustrator Kazumi Wilds at SCBWI Tokyo Author and Illustrator Showcase

December 2007
Presentation: "Picture Books--From Idea to Publication" for SCBWI Taiwan, Taipei

November 2007
Panel Presentation for the Bilingualism Special Interest Group at JALT 2007

October 2007
Publication: Picture book The Wakame Gatherers, Shen’s Books

Presentations: “Poetry Circles” and “Writing for Children and Breaking into the Children’s Book Market” at the First Annual Japan Writers Conference, Tokyo.

September 2007
Moderator: “Writers’ Café: Dianne Highbridge on Writing and Publishing Fiction,” Society of Writers, Editors and Translators, Tokyo.

August 2007
Residency: Tasmanian Writers’ Centre Writing Residency courtesy of the Hobart City Council: a one-month writing residency in the TWC’s Hobart Writer’s Cottage. Workshop presentations in Hobart and Launceston, Tasmania: “Writing Intercultural Fiction.”

July 2007
Article: “Gateway for the Imagination: The Noma Concours for Picture Book Illustrations,” in Kyoto Journal #67.

Article: “Featured Author: Interview with Matthew Gollub,” in Carp Tales SCBWI Tokyo Newsletter.

June 2007
Presentation: SCBWI Mongolia Workshops: “Writing and Illustrating for Children,” Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. See the June 2007 entry of illustrator John Shelley's blog Shelley Scraps

Featured: “Women Writers in Japan,” by Suzanne Kamata in Being Abroad Magazine

May 2007
Presentation: “On Teaching Writing in Japan,” Seinan Jo Gakuin Junior and Senior High School teacher workshops, Kitakyushu, Japan.

Award: Finalist, 2006 Dana Award in the Portfolio for two short stories and a novel excerpt.

March 2007
Reading: Four Stories in Osaka, Japan.

February 2007
Presentation: “What SCBWI Can Do for Writers and Illustrators in Asia” at the Taiwan International Book Exhibit, Taipei, Taiwan.

Conference: SCBWI New York

January 2007
Presentation: “Creative Writing, Creative Thinking,” Yokohama International School Chowa Presentation, Yokohama, Japan.

August 2006
Award: Honorable Mention for the picture book manuscript The Three Sunlights, Smart Writers W.I.N. (Write It Now) writing contest.

June 2006
Review: Allen Say’s Kamishibai Man in Kyoto Journal #63.

November 2005
Article: “Cultivating Fiction in Rural Japan” in the SCBWI Bulletin.

March 2005
Award: Novel-in-progress awarded Honors, George Bennett Fellowship Writer-in-Residence competition.