Author: Marsha

I write historical fiction, mostly from the perspective of young people who are thrust in the midst of war.

Visiting with St. Sofia students; thank you HREC ED

Visiting with St. Sofia Byzantine Catholic students feels like coming home. No I was never a student at St. Sofia, but I’ve visited so often, virtually and in person, and their students and staff are so welcoming. This year, with the heartbreaking war in Ukraine, there are many more students. And speaking about Winterkill and the Holodomor with kids who have fled war as they sit among the kind and welcoming people of St. Sofia is a poignant experience.

Here are some pics.

Anola School and Winterkill

Look at those smiles! What a pleasure it was to speak with Mr. Moore’s class from Anola School, Alberta. All of the students had read Winterkill and their questions were superb, about the #Holodomor, #Winterkill, the current war and how to write books and do the research.
Often, I speak to big groups so it was a nice change to have a single class. Lots of opportunity for questions. One of the topics we talked about was techniques an author uses to interviews a person about a traumatic topic. Funding from HREC ED was much appreciated.

Hickson Central PS and Winterkill

Quoting Mrs. Van Wyk from her Instagram page: Our students had the privilege again today of meeting with the amazing Marsha Skrypuch to talk about her newest book, Winterkill. There are always so many take-aways from these meets; including perseverance, critical thinking, and the need to tell the stories of those who have been intentionally silenced. 4 million Ukrainians were forever silenced during the Holodomor. 4 million. The past informs the present. Think critically. Thank you Marsha.

Caledonia Park School, AB Winterkill visit

This is my favourite pic from the Nov 3rd visit with Caledonia Park School in Alberta. This is Bonnie N Eldon Wurban and what I love about this pic is what’s on her desk — a printout about #rheaclyman whom I dedicated Winterkill to. Rhea was a Canadian journalist and absolutely fearless. She did not take bribes from Stalin during the Holodomor like so many journalists did. Instead, she wrote the truth about the genocide she was witnessing. Rhea Clyman has a cameo role in Winterkill. Alice, one of the two main characters in Winterkill, is based on the real Alice that Rhea met in her Kharkiv hotel.