Writer

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Olivia Birdsall

Olivia Birdsall is the second of ten, that’s right ten, children. She began writing stories when she realized that the tales she wanted to tell took up more than her allotted time at the dinner table. The discovery that through writing she could describe and understand not only her own world and experiences, but those beyond her own, continues to compel Olivia to write, and to teach and encourage others to write.

A former reading and literacy teacher in the Washington, DC; New York City; and New Jersey metropolitan areas, Olivia now satisfies her passion for literature, writing, and teaching by working as a teaching artist for the Teachers & Writers Collaborative in New York City, and as an instructor in the Expository Writing Program at New York University, where she also teaches creative writing at the university’s summer program in London.

Olivia enjoys writing everything from poems to essays to recipes, and is currently working on her second novel and a book of short stories. An avid traveler and wanderer, Olivia has lived in places as exotic as Ecuador, Idaho, and Israel, and currently calls New York City home.

Education:

MFA, New York University, 2005
BA, cum laude, Brigham Young University, 2001

Publications & Presentations:

Notes on a Near-Life Experience, Delacorte Press, 2007
Chloe’s Cracker Caper, Pearson Educational Publishing, Waterford Educational Suite, 2004
Paint by Number, Pearson Educational Publishing, Waterford Educational Suite, 2004
“The Celebritization of Poetry,” Popular Culture Association National Conference, San Antonio, TX, 2004

Honors:

Winner, Delacorte Press Prize for a First Young Adult Novel, 2005
Excellence in Teaching Award, New York University Expository Writing Program, 2002, 2003, 2004
Grant Recipient, Organization for Research and Creative Activities (ORCA), Brigham Young University, 2000

Contact T&W Programs

For more information about school-based writing residencies, professional development sessions, or other workshop opportunities, call 212-691-6590, e-mail workshops@twc.org, or send a fax to 212-675-0171.

T&W’s contract number with NYC’s Department of Education is QC510BY.

Support T&W Today!

T&W is a nonprofit, charitable organization. Contributions to T&W are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. You can donate with a credit card through NYCharities.org’s secure server by clicking here!

Thank you for your support!

Become a T&W Writer

If you are a writer who wants to teach for Teachers & Writers Collaborative, download and fill out an Application Form and mail it with a copy of your résumé to: Workshops, Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 520 Eighth Ave., Ste. 2020, New York, NY 10018. (Note: No résumés will be accepted without the completed application form.)

Writers working with T&W are experienced, dynamic teachers committed to inspiring the love of language and writing in their students. T&W writers have published their work in books and in national magazines such as the New Yorker, Essence, and the New York Review of Books, and they have won many awards. They offer students a glimpse into the life of a writer, and inspire the students to create their own literary art.