- Kevin, signing copies of Summer on Fire at his book launch at Blue Heron Books in Uxbridge, Ontario.
Kevin Craig is a freelance writer living in Ontario, Canada. His poetry and fiction has been published internationally. Kevin is a proud member of the Writers’ Community of Durham Region–he has twice served on their Board of Directors as secretary. He currently serves as their Vice President. He was also a founding member of the Board of Directors for the Ontario Writer’s Conference. He recently stepped down from the Ontario Writers’ Conference board to invest more time in the WCDR. Naturally, he wishes the OWC the best of success in the future. He’s looking forward to participating in the conference next May as an attendee!
Check out Kevin’s blog about his travels to Kenya, where he took part in the 2009 Summer Literary Seminars Kenya Writing Program. WHAT HAPPENED IN KENYA
Kevin’s debut novel, the young adult title SUMMER ON FIRE, is available from Museitup Publishing. It can be purchased (in ebook OR paperback) through Muse’s online bookstore, or at the following sites: Barnes & Noble, Chapters, Amazon, and more!
Kevin’s 2nd novel, the adult title SEBASTIAN’S POET, was released in July, 2012 by Musa Publishing. Sebastian’s Poet is the story of a young boy growing up in the 1970s Beaches district of Toronto…and the struggles he faced after he and his brother were abandoned by their mother and left with a shell of a father.
Kevin’s 3rd novel, the adult title THE REASON‘s, was released in 2013 by Musa Publishing.
The Reasons – In the midst of absence, death, and insanity, Tobias longs to make his family whole again.
With a mostly absent father, a deceased older sister, a younger sister on the verge of invisibility, and a certifiably insane mother, Tobias Reason is forced to grow up quickly. Though he tries to be a surrogate parent to his sister, their broken mother, Maggie, takes up a lot of his time. Annabel falls to the wayside and becomes a ghost in their chaotic existence.
When Maggie flippantly hands her mother’s house over to Tobias, he sees an opportunity to learn how and why his family became so shattered. Be careful what you wish for. When his world begins to collapse from the weight of unburied secrets, he focuses on a stranger from his parents’ past. Only by eliminating the past, he believes, can he make his family whole again.
Awards & Achievements
- 2013 – Kevin was a Playwrights’ Mentoring Project Recipient for the 2013 InspiraTO Festival. He had two 10-minute plays produced at the festival in Toronto, Ontario at the Alumnae Theatre.
- 2012 – Kevin was shortlisted for the WCDR Whispered Words Prose Contest. His story, Sun’ll Come, appears in the anthology
- 2011 Muskoka Novel Marathon – Best Young Adult Novel Award for That’s Me in the Corner
- 2010 Muskoka Novel Marathon – Best Young Adult Novel Award for Half Dead and Fully Broken. (Also won BIC award and ROCKSTAR award)
- Awarded Fellowship to attend Summer Literary Seminars – 2010/2011
- Top 10 Finalist – WCDR Wicked Words Prose Contest (Dec 09) – Honorable Mention.
- 3rd Place Winner – Words Alive Memoir Contest (2009)
- Awarded Fellowship to attend Summer Literary Seminars – Kenya (2009)
- 2008 WCDR Member of the Year Award
- 2008 Muskoka Novel Marathon – Best Adult Novel Award for The Reasons. (Also won BIC award)
- 2007 Muskoka Novel Marathon – Best Adult Novel Award for Sebastian’s Poet. (Also won BIC award)
- Artella Words & Art Poetic Idol Competition Winner: August, 2006 and again in August, 2007.
- Artella Words & Art Poetic Idol: 2nd place in the April, 2006 competition.
- 2006 Absolute Write Mother’s Day Poetry Contest: 2nd Place
- 2006 Great Canadian Winter Novel Marathon: Most Prolific Writer Award
- 2003 Mocha Memoirs Poetry Contest: 1st Place Winner
Poetry: ditch, the poetry that matters, Word Weaver, Toronto Quarterly, Author Scoop, Regina Weese, Love’s Ragpicker, Jones Av. Journal, Inscribed Magazine, Raven, Quills Poetry Magazine, Word Salad, Utmost, Heritage Writer Magazine, A Hint of Poetry, Holiday Writes Anthology, Anything Goes Journal, Artella Words & Art, Bread ‘n Molasses, Future Looks Bright Anthology, Poetry Canada Magazine, The Phil Berrigan Institute for Nonviolence, Paragon Journal, Blue Skies Poetry, Message in a Bottle, Goodbye Billie Jean–An anthology dedicated to Michael Jackson, Hazard Cat, Everyday Poets, Parliamentary Poet Laureate of Canada’s Poem of the Month feature.
Kevin’s poetry chapbook, Flying Like Icarus, was published through Artella and is available at their site. Kevin has been a featured poet at various Toronto area venues.
Fiction & Drama: Word Weaver, India Journal, Nothing But Red Anthology, Mocha Memoirs, The Deepening, Daily Rant, Babel Magazine, Ink Spotter, three time Muskoka Novel Writing Marathon participant/winner (Best Adult Novel – 2007 – Sebastian’s Poet, Best Adult Novel – 2008 – The Reasons, Best Young Adult Novel – 2010 – Half Dead & Fully Broken). Kevin’s experimental horror piece, Rabacheeko, is published in the WCDR Wicked Words anthology. Kevin’s play, Panic in the Basement, was produced by Driftwood Theatre in Whitby, Ontario, for their 2009 Trafalgar24 Play Creation Festival. His play, Maid of Honor, was performed for Driftwood’s 2010 Trafalgar24 Play Creation Festival. The Speech, Kevin’s third Trafalgar 24 play, was performed at their 2011 event. Kevin recently had his 4th play, ACRONYMS FOR HAPPINESS, performed at the Trafalgar 24 2012 event. Kevin’s play, The Silver Disk, was performed at the 2010 Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts 25-Hour Masterpiece Gala. Kevin’s Young Adult Novel SUMMER ON FIRE is now available. His novel, Sebastian’s Poet, is available now from Musa Publishing. His 3rd novel, THE REASONS, is available through Musa Publishing! Kevin’s first InspiraTO Festival plays, PERFECT TIMING & WALK-INS WELCOME, were produced for the festival in May/June, 2013.
Freelance Writing: Toronto Sun, Oshawa This Week, Esteem Magazine, Today’s Healthcare Careers Magazine, Lift Magazine, Word Weaver, There’s No Place Like Home Magazine, Current Day Health and Wellness, Ink Spotter, Live It! Magazine, Artella’s Passion Poetry, Write Gallery, Holistics Today, Get Connected Magazine.
Memoir: Globe & Mail, CBC Radio Canada, Captains of Consciousness, Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, Word Weaver, Words Alive.
Columns: The Columnists, Hockey Parent Lifestyle Magazine, Word Weaver.
Contact Kevin at kevintcraig @ hotmail dot com