Since You’ve Been Gone

On the evening of January 30th, 2015, local teacher and writer, Mary Jennifer Payne, will debut her YA novel, Since You’ve Been Gone, at Daniels Spectrum in Regent Park.  Payne is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers’ Summer Workshop in Creative Writing where she was mentored by the award-winning, young adult writer Marsha Skrypuch. She is also a Special Education teacher at Nelson Mandela Park Public School. Payne’s graphic novels for young adults, Most Valuable Player, Friends or Enemies, Lion of Africa and Dog Disaster, are a part of the Boldprint Graphic series (OUP), which was awarded the 2010 Texty Award from the Text and Academic Authors’ Association and the 2011 Teachers’ Choice Award for Children’s Books.

Set in Regent Park and in Lewisham, South London, “Since You’ve Been Gone”, is a contemporary story about fifteen-year-old Edie Fraser and her mother, Sydney, who are on the run from their past. CM magazine said, “Payne explores issues of race and poverty, the way people judge each other, the way youth can be marginalized…   Since You’ve Been Gone will appeal to anyone who likes realistic contemporary stories about youth facing difficult circumstances.”

Payne will be joined by spoken word poet, Mustafa Ahmed, and other special guest performers. For more information about the novel, please contact: jhodson@dundurn.com