Emma Carlson Berne has lived in a lot of places—Wisconsin, South Carolina, England and Israel. But the author, who was born in Clifton and raised in Wyoming, heeded the longing of her heart to return to Hamilton County 10 years ago, where she embarked on a prolific career writing children’s and young adult novels and nonfiction. That love for this city, and Berne’s passion for writing and telling stories is to be the focus of her next big adventure as the 2017-2018 Library Foundation’s Writer-in-Residence.
Berne was introduced at the Library Foundation’s board meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 18. As the Writer-in-Residence, Berne is going to conduct a series of writers’ workshops, speak at community events, host a podcast, write a blog and participate in Library promotions during her residency, which runs through December 2018. She receive a $10,000 stipend for her efforts. The Writer-in-Residence program is made possible through the generous support of Naomi Tucker Gerwin.
Berne holds an M.A. in composition and rhetoric from Miami University-Oxford and is the author of dozens of YA and children’s fiction and nonfiction books including Never Let You Go, the Star Wars Forces of Destiny series, the Beforever series from American Girl Publishing, the Cub Reporter Meets Famous Americans series, and the Laugh Your Socks Off! World’s Best (and Worst) Jokes series.
“One of my goals is to work with those who may feel that storytelling is not for them,” said Berne. “Over my many years as a writer, I have learned that writing is simply a set of tools and I’m excited to share those tools with others.”
Berne is going be at the Books by the Banks festival 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Duke Energy Center. Berne is going to have a table in the author’s pavilion and is signing books and talking to guests about the craft of writing.
