Valerie Sherrard
Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for High Achievement in the Arts
2024 Literary Arts Award’s laureate
Valerie (Russell) Sherrard is a celebrated author of children's and teen’s literature, who was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. As her dad was in the Air Force, his postings took the family to various parts of Canada, and to Germany. It was in Germany that her teacher, Alf Lower, encouraged her to consider becoming a writer someday.
Valerie has made her home in New Brunswick since 1980. In 1985, a personal loss inspired her to foster children in need of homes. Over the years she fostered approximately 70 adolescents for various lengths of time. Valerie also worked as the director of a group home for teens for more than a decade. It was quite natural, in light of those experiences, that when she began to write in earnest, she chose to write for children and teens.
Valerie’s work has been recognized on national and international levels and has been translated into several languages. She has won or been shortlisted for more than fifty awards, including the Governor General, the TD Children’s Literature, the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Young People, the Geoffrey Bilson, the Ann Connor Brimer, and many others. Valerie works and lives in Miramichi, New Brunswick.
What led you to become a writer?
A lifelong love of books and a desire to tell stories – which were commonly referred to as fibs when I was a child.
How has being a foster parent impacted you as an artist?
Fostering brought me insights into a wide range of situations and emotions experienced by young people. This gave me a deeper and, I believe, more empathic understanding of the young people entrusted to my care.
Do you have a favourite book(s) that has inspired or shaped your approach to writing?
While there are many books I have treasured – some at certain times in my life, others more or less permanently, I can’t say my own work has been influenced by the writings of others. Each story I write must find its own voice (the majority of my books are written in first person) or it doesn’t feel authentic to me. It’s not uncommon for me to make a false start, making it necessary to return to the beginning in order to achieve a firmer, more genuine connection to the character who’s telling the story. Writing in the third person is more challenging as it requires a narrative voice that remains faithful to detail without showing an excessive viewpoint understanding of the characters.
How did your training and experience help you to create and innovate in your artistic practice?
I have no formal training but have learned many valuable things from editors with whom I’ve worked. My work has developed the most from setting challenges for myself, such as when I rewrote an entire novel because I felt a free verse format would better represent a particular story. That story, “Counting Back from Nine,” was shortlisted for the Governor General Award for Children’s Text.
What stimulates you most about your practice?
Deadlines are fantastic motivators!
How has living and working in New Brunswick helped and/or inspired you on your journey?
Being connected to the province, its people, the land and history, has inspired me to write several novels set here in New Brunswick. One of my few historical novels Three Million Acres of Flame, about the great fire of Miramichi in 1825 (200th anniversary coming up next year in 2025!) was a great learning experience for me. Other stories set in NB are Sarah’s Legacy, and Driftwood. I consider Driftwood to be one of my best books.
What motivates your creativity?
I’ve learned (and while this is true for me that doesn’t mean it’s the same for others) that no matter how strong an idea seems to me, it’s not likely to develop if I don’t have a genuine passion/enthusiasm for a story.
What have you learned about yourself and New Brunswick's artistic community through your work?
New Brunswick boasts incredible artists in all disciplines. The Lieutenant Governor’s Awards (LGA) are a great honour and offer an opportunity to increase public awareness of the arts sectors, but I would like to see more exposure for the many talented persons who are at various stages of their artistic careers.
What do you think is the impact of artists' work on communities?
This is a difficult thing to measure. I believe various forms of art tend to impact people in an individual sense, but the effect on a community may only be noticeable when it represents a common regional message or theme.
Describe what you are most proud of in your career?
My willingness to learn from editors and other professionals. When we close the door to hearing what others have to say, we cheat ourselves of the chance for improvement and growth. Without that, I may not have found the confidence to take on certain challenges, such as writing novels in free verse, or trying my hand at non-fiction.
What would your dream project look like?
Wow. After all these years – a question I’ve never been asked before. I love that.
A dream project would be one where I:
a) love the very interesting main character(s);
b) have a riveting story with a well-behaved story arc — perhaps even including some delightful twists and turns; and
c) an ending that truly satisfies without seeming forced.
The closest I feel I came to achieving these things was with A Bend in the Breeze which I see as my best work to date.
(The very wonderful Sheree Fitch chose A Bend in the Breeze as her favourite NB book not long ago!)
Tell us more about your next project? (if you’re able to share)
I currently have a number of projects on the go but the one most likely to be completed first is a middle grade story that’s a mixture of creepy and humorous. Don’t let that fool you, though. The characters will never get through this adventure without making some discoveries that matter.
Learn more about the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for High Achievement in the Arts, visit: https://artsnb.ca/web/awards/lieutenant-governors-awards/
