WANL’s Ask Me Anything with Author Ida Linehan Young

During this AMA event, which will take place on the WANL Facebook page, our facilitator Michael Smith will be chatting with author Ida Linehan Young, author of The Liars (2020), The Promise (2019), and Being Mary Ro (2018), published by Flanker Press.

Audience participation is encouraged – add your question for Ida into the comment section, so our facilitator can pick her brain for you!

First and foremost, Ida Linehan Young is a grandmother to the most precious little boys, Parker and Samuel, a mother to three adult children, Sharon, Stacey, and Shawna, and a wife to Thomas. In her busy daily life, Ida works in the information technology sector of the federal government of Canada, and she volunteers her time in the community of Conception Bay South with the Kiwanis Club of Kelligrews.
Ida had a fascination with writing in her high school days, when she dabbled in poetry and essays. In 2012, she became serious about her writing with a story to tell, and that led to her memoir, No Turning Back: Surviving the Linehan Family Tragedy, in 2014. Having found a passion for writing and with a love of local history and lore, she published several historical fiction novels, Being Mary Ro (2018), The Promise (2019), and The Liars (2020).
With strong influences of the familial art of storytelling passed down by her father, Ed Linehan, and her maternal grandfather, Frank Power, Ida writes stories about her beloved province, Newfoundland and Labrador. She enjoys researching events of the late nineteenth century and weaving fictional characters through historical tales that complement that cultural richness and renews and regenerates interest in our storied past.

Michael Smith is a Newfoundlander and Labradorian – to be exact, he is a townie. He was born and raised in St. John’s and attended St. Bonaventure’s College for high school. There, he got involved in the debate society, poetry, and speech writing. He has won international, provincial and school awards in the three respected fields.
After graduation, Michael attended Memorial University, where he majored in philosophy and minored in anthropology. While at MUN, he became Vice President of the debate society. As Vice President, he helped organized and host Atlantic Canadian university and high school debate tournaments, seminars, and camps.
At MUN, Michael became critical of the media and also became involved in the university radio station, discovering his passion for audio storytelling. Michael realized he wanted to tell unbiased stories. That passion brought Michael to Carleton to attend their journalism grad school, where he honed his writing, storytelling, interviewing, and fact-finding skills.
While at Carleton, Michael gained professional experience working for the Ottawa Citizen, CBC radio, and VOCM news.
He graduated from Carleton in the spring of 2020.

AMA DATES: The following Tuesdays at 7 p.m.:
February 16, March 2, March 16, March 30

WANL wants to put you in an open forum and let the sparks fly. Our AMA is modelled after the popular Reddit trend of AMA: Ask Me Anything, where users have the opportunity to ask questions directly either live in the moment or by submitting a question in advance. WANL AMA’s will have a select number of questions prepared in advance, with room to take questions “off the floor.”

• The ideal candidate to facilitate an AMA would be a person with a deep knowledge of the local writing scene and is able to ask questions on the fly as needed. A journalistic background or relevant past interview experience is an asset.

• The ideal participant to answer these questions in the AMA would also have a vast wealth of knowledge and be willing to candidly chat about the local writing scene, as well as their own work. Preferably, the candidate will have some potentially new or newsworthy items to discuss, such as a new book, upcoming event, a work in progress, or something along those lines.

What to submit:
• a resume detailing your knowledge/expertise
• a comprehensive overview of the topic you feel qualified to discuss, and why
• any advance questions that you’d like to answer or ask during the panel
• any tech requirements or ideas

Please submit your Expression of Interest – including your resume, detailed biography, and headshot to info@wanl.ca.

ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS IMMEDIATELY.
OPPORTUNITIES ARE GOING FAST. PLEASE APPLY ASAP.
DEADLINE ONGOING.