JENNIFER MITTON is a Vancouver based writer and artist. Her first novel, Fadimatu, received the F.G. Bressani Prize and was nominated for the Commonwealth Fiction Prize. Her short stories and poetry have won prizes across Canada in contests such as Canadian Author and Bookman; The Fiddlehead, Prairie Fire (Speculative fiction,) Prairie Fire (fiction), The Prairie Journal, and The Malahat Review.

Her work has appeared in many anthologies; twice in the Journey Prize and Oberon's Best Canadian Fiction, and in Engaged Elsewhere, Stories from Canadians Living Abroad, The Best of 25 years of Moosemilk, and Celebrating 25 years of Creative Writing: World We Call Home. Her fiction has also been anthologized abroud in Borders (US) and LINQ (Australia.)

Her paintings and illustrations are sold and exhibited in Canada and the US. She received a prize for best illustration portfolio (illustration of children category) from the SCBWI (Society of Childrens' Book Writers and Illustrators, Los Angeles) and has twice been given the Award of Excellence by the FCA (Federation of Canadian Artists) for her landscape and still life paintings.

Jennifer moves easily between words and visual images. She finds a beautiful harmony in using words to evoke scenes, and using visual images to invite contemplation.

In her written and visual work, Jennifer is most concerned with bringing to light the essential gesture that repeats itself in any organic form. She likes to keep a fluid boundary between the deeply skilled and planned and the raw response to the age we now live in.

Her commissioned work includes family and pet portraiture, still-lifes, landscapes amd group sketches.

Increasingly she is drawn to book cover and picture-book illustration.

Jennifer Mitton's fiction for teens and adults is in school libraries and her Nigerian fiction is studied in universities locally and abroad.

At the moment her first novel, Fadimatu, is the subject of a doctoral study of pre-publication censorship.

Jennifer Mitton gives illustration talks, book readings for schools, readings, and and is an on-line writing and illustration coach with students locally, and in Denmark, France, and the US.

She is an experienced workshop presenter in Canada and abroad at the elementary, secondary and college levels.

From time to time Jennifer has opportunities to take on new on-line students in writing and painting, and illustration.

Recently she trained to be a stand-up comic, and in November 2007, after a year of performing in BC venues in Vancouver, Burnaby, Sechelt, Surrey, Richmond, Maple Ridge with her troupe, "Stand Up for Mental Health" Jennifer performed three comedy routines to a sold out audience of 400+ at the Granville Island Arts Club Main stage in Vancouver.

Check out her routines, "Me and Abraam Lincoln," "Blaine at the Suicide Hot-Linhe," and "Born Again!"

WRITING

Fadimatu is the story of a Bachama high-school graduate from, northern Nigeria who resists traditional religious ways.

Sleeping With the Insane explores the darker sides of growing up. Is teenage sleep always restful?

In Bonjour Minuit, a young teen wonders: is there life after you run away from abuse?

STAND UP COMEDY

jennifermitton _standup30f3

Me and Abe Lincoln