Gail Sidonie Sobat

Gail Sidonie Sobat (born January 3) is a Canadian writer, educator, singer and performer. She is the founder and coordinator of YouthWrite, a writing camp for children, a non-profit and charitable society. Her poetry and fiction, for adults and young adults, are known for her controversial themes. For 2015, Sobat was one of two writers in residence with the Metro Edmonton Federation of Libraries. She is also the founder of the Spoken Word Youth Choir in Edmonton.

"Not With a Bang, Neither With a Whimper: A fictional narrative about death and assisted suicide." in Death in Literature, edited by Outi Hakola (Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2014).

How the Light is Spent - Wintergreen Studios Press 2013

Chance to Dance for You - Great Plains Publications 2011

In the Graveyard - Bryler Publications-Little Fish Books 2011

"Why the prince has to bite it" in Mind Rain: Your Favorite Authors on Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies Series, edited by Scott Westerfeld (Benbella Books 2009).

Aboriginal Perspectives – English 10-1 and English 10–2, NorQuest Community College (2009).

The thing about elves is..." in Secrets of the Dragon Riders: Your Favorite Authors on Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Series, edited by James A. Owen (Benbella Books 2008).

Sobat was adjunct professor in the University of Alberta Faculty of Education, and was the 2007 Canadian Authors Association (Alberta Chapter) Writer-in-Residence at the University of Alberta Bookstore. She has also been Writer-in-Residence at Queen's University and taught in Istanbul, Turkey at Ata College. Currently, she teaches creative writing and communications at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta.

Sobat founded the Spoken Word Youth Choir, which first performed in September, 2007, as part of The Roar Spoken Word Festival in Edmonton. Later that year the group performed at the Edmonton Creative Cities Conference and the Edmonton Cultural Capital Gala. In 2008 they performed at the CANWRITE – Canadian Authors Association National Conference, and in 2009, at WordsWorth 2009 at Bragg Creek, and at several Edmonton venues. In 2010 the choir performed at the Calgary International Spoken Word Festival. Sobat has performed solo and with SWYC on stage and in public performances and presentations across Canada, in Doha, Qatar; Cincinnati, Ohio; Monteagle, Tennessee; Bern, Switzerland; Helsinki, Finland; and Hanoi, Vietnam.

Teacher's Guide and Student Handbook, Mountain Ash Poetry Series (Rowan Books 2000).

Sobat founded YouthWrite in 1996, a multi-disciplinary camp for young writers. Courses offered include traditional poetry and fiction classes, but also drumming and words, movement and words, playwriting, journalism, illustration, writing for radio, screenwriting, and songwriting. The camp runs each January and July, and is overseen by Sobat, a team of supervisors, and a slate of professional authors and illustrators. 2015 marked the inaugural year for JustWrite, a writing camp for adults.

"The Night in Her Own Country: The Heroine's Quest for Self in Ursula K. Le Guin's The Tombs of Atuan." Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams and the Genres of Myth and Fantasy Studies 21:3 (Summer, 1996): 24–32.

"If the Ghost Be There, Then Am I Crazy?": An Examination of Ghosts in Virginia Hamilton's Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush and Toni Morrison's Beloved." Children's Literature Association Quarterly 20:4 (Winter, 1995–1996): 168–174.http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/chq/summary/v020/20.4.sobat.html

Sobat's first publication was "Today She Was in Curlers," a short story published in Edges Literary Magazine in 1986. Sobat's books include the Young Adult/ New Adult novels Jamie's Got a Gun (a graphic novel illustrated by Spyder Yardley-Jones), Not With A Bang, Ingamald, A Winter's Tale, A Glass Darkly, Gravity Journal, Chance to Dance for You and a picture book, In the Graveyard, illustrated by artist, Spyder Yardley-Jones. She has also written two books of poetry, "How the Light is Spent" and Aortic Caprice, as well as a novel, The Book of Mary, for adult audiences.