About

Hello! My name is Vikki VanSickle. I grew up in Woodstock, Ontario, where I developed a love of books, theatre, and stories of all kinds. I studied drama at Queen’s University and then moved to Vancouver to complete my MA in Children’s Literature at the University of British Columbia. Now I live in Toronto, where I spend most of my time reading, writing, and talking about books. I have been referred to as “Canada’s Judy Blume,” which is an honour I strive to live up to by creating stories that are authentic, emotionally resonant and entertaining.

After obtaining my Master’s degree, I moved to Toronto and started my career as a bookseller at the magical Flying Dragon Bookshop, during which I was awarded the 2011 CBA Young Bookseller of the Year. When the store closed, I spent 12 years in publishing, first at HarperCollins Canada and then Penguin Random House Canada, focusing on children’s book marketing.

These days, I mix writing with a number of other passion projects. You can find me talking about books as CTV Your Morning’s resident bookworm, the children’s literature columnist at Open Book Ontario, and as Lainey Gossip’s YA mentor. In addition to writing, I’m very passionate about menstrual equity and erasing stigma surrounding periods, something I tackle as the education coordinator for The Period Purse.  I also volunteer my time on the board of Funny Pages Book Festival. I love cats, Halloween, going for walks, reading tarot cards and singing with friends.