Robin Stevenson is an award-winning queer Canadian author of more than thirty-five books for young readers. She has written non-fiction about queer history, activism, and rights; novels for teens and children; and picture books for the youngest readers. Her recent titles include the critically acclaimed middle grade novel, The Book of Jupiter, and the non-fiction Queer History A-Z. Robin’s next picture book comes out in 2027: Pride Puppy Countdown, illustrated by Julie McLaughlin, is a companion book to the bestselling picture book Pride Puppy. Robin has a master’s degree in social work, and worked as a counselor, group facilitator and social work instructor for ten years before beginning to write while on parental leave
Robin’s books have won the Silver Birch Award, the Sheila A. Egoff award and a Stonewall Honor, and been finalists for the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Lambda Literary Awards, four BC Book Prizes, and many reader’s choice awards. Her work has received numerous starred reviews, and been translated and published in more than ten countries. In 2023, she was awarded the BC Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence in recognition of her body of work and her contributions to the literary community.
Robin is a vocal advocate for reader’s rights and a strong voice in opposing censorship and book bans. She was named as the 2022 Champion of Free Expression by the Book and Periodical Council of Canada. She has faced challenges to many of her books, and in 2025, her picture book Pride Puppy was at the center of a US Supreme Court case, Mahmoud v. Taylor. She regularly speaks about books and writing, about 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion in schools and libraries, and about issues related to censorship and book bans.
SPEAKING TOPICS WITH DESCRIPTION AND AUDIENCE
Robin is available for keynotes, conference sessions, festivals, writing workshops and panels, professional development, and consulting.
For Educators & Librarians
- Getting Kids and Teens Excited about Writing
Drawing on twenty years of experience as a writing instructor, writer-in-residence and school presenter, Robin will share tips for engaging and inspiring young writers—including the reluctant writers—of all ages.
- Protecting Diverse Kid Lit: Books, Bans and Backlash
Amidst anti-LGBTQ+ backlash and book challenges, many authors, publishers, librarians and educators are refusing self-censorship, building networks of support, and advocating for diverse books and readers’ rights. Inclusive books help students see themselves, understand others, and feel a sense of belonging. As anti-LGBTQ+ hate rises, representation is an important part of creating safe and welcoming spaces in classrooms and libraries.
- Pride, Inclusion and Belonging: The Importance of LGBTQ+ Representation
Inclusive books help students see themselves, understand others, and feel a sense of belonging. As anti-LGBTQ+ hate rises, representation is an important part of creating safe and welcoming spaces in classrooms and libraries.
- Writing, Reading, and Resisting: How Stories Help Light the Way Forward
Stories of resistance can be used to inspire reflection and action, to show students the power of words, and to empower young people to tell their own stories and make their voices heard.
For Writing Conferences & Festivals
- Writing as Resistance: Telling the Stories We Need to Tell: Storytelling has the power to ignite change—but in an era of book bans, online hostility, and backlash against diverse stories, writing can be difficult. Author Robin Stevenson knows this firsthand: many of her books have been challenged for their LGBTQ+ content. Join her for a conversation on writing as a form of activism. How do we resist the urge to self-censor? And how do we stay true to our voices and tell the stories we want to tell?
- Co-writing and Creative Collaboration: Drawing on her experience co-authoring novels and collaborating on picture books, Robin will lead the group in writing exercises, discuss potential challenges, and share strategies to keep co-writing enjoyable and rewarding.
- The Magic of Revision: Finishing the first draft of your novel is just the beginning. But revision doesn’t have to be a chore: it can be exciting and rewarding, and when it goes well, it can feel downright magical. Drawing on her experiences as a writer, editor and writing instructor, Robin will discuss techniques to gain distance from your draft, find the emotional heart of your story, identify weak spots in character, plot and pacing, troubleshoot common problems, and increase the narrative tension.
- Writing Queer-Inclusive Books for Young Readers of All Ages: Fiction or non-fiction, from toddlers to adults: all our readers need books that reflect their lives and the world they live in. So how can writers — regardless of their own identities — ensure their writing is inclusive of the diverse LGBTQ+ community?
For Organizations, Employee Events, and Lunch-and-Learns
- The Pride Puppy Case: Lessons Learned
Robin will share the story of what happened when her picture book Pride Puppy found itself at the US Supreme Court—and what she learned about book challenges, fighting back, staying safe, and protecting creativity and resilience. There are lessons for all of us: in an era marked by online hostility, and intense backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion, how do we resist the urge to self-censor? And how do we stay true to our voices and our beliefs?
ONLINE INTERVIEWS
- A Canadian Picture Book at the U.S. Supreme Court | The Agenda with Steve Paikin on TVO
- Velshi Banned Book Club on MSNBC
- Pride Puppy Author Talks LGBTQ+ Book Bans and SCOTUS case, on Boom! Lawyered podcast:
- As It Happens on CBC
PRINT INTERVIEWS AND ARTICLES
- First person article in Macleans Magazine: How My LGBGQ+ Kids’ Book Ended up at the US Supreme Court
- ‘All kids deserve to see families like their own in the books they read’: Robin Stevenson writes books she wishes she had read growing up, from PEN America
- You Can’t Read That: Banning kids’ books in Canada and the United States, from PEN Canada
- Author Robin Stevenson Resists Organized Challenges to Books About Sexual Minorities, from Freedom to Read
- Interview in Vancouver Sun about Pride: The Celebration and The Struggle
PULL QUOTES FROM REVIEWS, WITH LINKS
Reviews for Queer History A to Z: 100 Years of LGBTQ+ Activism:
“Perfect for middle school and public libraries; an essential collection of LGBTQIA+ history.” – School Library Journal
“Queer History A to Z is a must-buy title from an accomplished veteran of LGBTQ+ children’s and YA literature. Highly Recommended.” – Canadian Materials
Reviews for Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle
“Stevenson’s joyful celebration of self, community, existence, and activism examines Pride parades, how they came to be, and what they celebrate… An indispensable and celebratory primer on the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights. An excellent resource that is as thorough as it is visually appealing.” – Starred review, School Library Journal
Reviews for Pride Puppy
“Highly—and proudly—recommended… The book is sheer delight and will be a welcome addition to shelves everywhere.” – Starred review, Kirkus
“This engaging introduction to Pride parades for the youngest readers successfully testifies to the warmth and power of queer community.” – Starred review, Publisher’s Weekly
TESTIMONIALS
“Robin was the keynote speaker at the Children and Teen Services conference for library staff. She presented on the topic of young people’s right to read and the challenges to this right. The presentation was factual, educational and powerful. In addition to presenting, Robin facilitated a group exercise for staff on how to better support 2SLGBTQ+ youth and families in our communities. Participants were able to openly share and learn from each other because Robin created a positive learning space. I definitely recommend Robin as a speaker and facilitator.”
– ASHLEY MACHUM, Head of Youth Services, Okanagan Regional Library, Kelowna, BC
“Robin was a dynamic and engaging speaker and presenter who connected so well with audiences of all ages. From a host perspective, Robin was also an absolute dream to work with – responsive, flexible and generous with her time and so much fun to be around. She is easy to recommend as an author, as a presenter and as a workshop leader!”
– DEB ISBISTER, Red Deer Library
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Robin as a keynote speaker and a program facilitator, and appreciate her understanding of our roles as educators, and navigating systems to ensure that all students see themselves and their peers reflected through literature. Robin is extremely knowledgeable about the experiences, rights, and histories of Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ humans, and always works to center lived experiences of intersectional identities in all of her work. I highly recommend her as a speaker and facilitator for both students and educators.”
– ELIZA HYNES, Resource Teacher – Indigenous Education, Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression and Community Partnership, Peel District School Board
“Robin is a dynamic and thoughtful speaker who was part of author events at my university that were engaging and deeply relevant. The events sparked meaningful conversations about writing for young adults and children, censorship issues we face today, queer representation in literature, and the power of inclusive storytelling. She brought warmth, insight, and a strong sense of purpose to our library’s events—an invaluable voice in today’s cultural landscape.”
– Joseph Hafner, Dean of Libraries, York University
“Hosting Robin at the library for an evening discussion about the censorship of LGBTQA2S+ materials was eye-opening for everyone involved. She was knowledgeable, personable, and presented her information in a manner accessible and relatable to everyone in the audience, from teens to seniors.”
– Wendy Wright, Director of Smithers Public Library, BC, senior fellow at the Canadian Center for Free Expression