Amanda West Lewis
Biographies
I have had three different "careers" –– as an writer, theatre creator, and calligrapher. But my life has not been lived in tidy boxes. Everything that I have done, and presumably will continue to do, overlaps and informs all of my work.
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To give you a snapshot of my different lives, I've written three biographies. ​
Photo credit: Bonnie Joyce Photography
While each of my bios could be viewed separately, they have been woven together over the course of the last 40 years. Here's a bio that combines all three:
Amanda West Lewis is a writer, theatre creator, calligrapher and teaching artist.
She's the author of 10 award-winning books for young people ranging from craft books to historical novels. You can find a full list of her published books here. She has an MFA in Writing for Children and Youth from Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she also did a specialization in Picture Books.
In her theatre career, Amanda has focused on work with young people, directing and teaching extensively. She was the founder of the Ottawa Children's Theatre, where she offered a range of drama education programs for children aged 3 - 18 She received a certificate in Theatre for Young Audiences with Complex Difficulties from Rose Bruford College, UK. She has a BFA in Theatre Performance from York University.
As a professional calligrapher and book artist, Amanda's work has been featured in The Letter Arts Review, ABC Canada and in numerous group and solo shows. She studied with Alf Ebson, Hermann Zapf, Mark Van Stone, Nancy Culmone, Thomas Igmire and many others. She has taught calligraphy at numerous colleges, universities,and public schools throughout Ontario.
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A member of the Writers Union of Canada and Canscaip, Amanda is a teaching artist with The Authors Booking Service and MASC. For a full list of workshops click here.
Amanda lives with her husband, writer Tim Wynne-Jones, in the woods outside of Perth Ontario. They have 3 grown children who are a constant source of joy and inspiration.
