I'm excited to share with you the details of my Carleton University reading September 19th. I'll be reading from No Entry, the first in an environmental series that tackles the horrors of elephant poaching in South Africa's famous Kruger National Park through the eyes of Ottawa teen heroine, Yael Amar. Thanks for the warm welcome, Carleton and tha...
My short story What We Are was posted this month in The Bookends Review. Photo credit: Jake Stark, Unsplash Thank you Jordan Blum for selecting my story for publication. what we are By Gila Green Posted on August 12, 2019 The summer I turned nineteen I was broke. I had three more years of university to pay for and who knew when the Cana...
Gila Green is a masterful storyteller, and No Entry can definitely be added to her growing list of masterpieces. With just the right balance of setting description, endearing characters, and daily life in South Africa, No Entry picks readers up out of their comfortable homes and drops them in the middle of Kruger National Park. But the beauti...
This August I have two new short stories coming out. The first in The Bookends Review with Jordan Blum titled "What we Are" and the second in Sephardic Horizons titled "Author Talk." An extended review of White Zion is coming out in that same Sephardic Horizons issue--thank you Susan Weintrob. Will post links as soon as they become available. ...
Dear Gila, I want to thank you for your guidance and personal attention. It has been a great learning experience for me. I have a much better understanding of flash fiction and about writing in general. And in this class I got to learn by doing, which is the best way for me to understand something. Having you review the lessons was invaluable. Whil...
So excited the flier is up! Looking forward to seeing you in Ottawa, September 16 at 13:00. Amazing to be speaking in my hometown. Thank you so much to Jack Schecter of the Greenberg Families Library at the JCC for the invitation and for all of his support and encouragement from the beginning, and to Brittany Halfpenny for the talented design. ...
MY OTTAWA SCHEDULE: SEPTEMBER 16 - JCC LIBRARY SEPTEMBER 17 - ALGONQUIN COLLEGE SEPTEMBER 18 - BYWARD MARKET SEPTEMBER 18 - NAAMAT WOMEN SEPTEMBER 19-CARLETON UNIVERSITY SEPTEMBER 20- PODCAST WITH BOSTON'S NOVELCLASS Thank you to everyone who has so warmly invited me to share my latest novels with you. I hope to see you there!
My interview with Dan Moorhouse on his SchoolHistory site. Thanks so much, Dan. It was a pleasure to speak with you. DM: White Zion incorporates a lot of history. As Yael Unterman describes it, "In a journey of generations from Aden to Palestine to Ottawa, one Yemenite family encounters new and difficult realities: racism and war, reject...
Passport Control is #459 in Jewish Literature. So thrilled! Thank you to all of you who have supported me, sent reviews and good wishes. Small press can "get out there". And of course, thank you to S&H Publishing. Huge thanks!
I really enjoyed reading No Entry. Congratulations Gila, and wishing you much success with the book. "An inspiring tale about how one young person can make an important difference for Africa's wildlife." Gareth Patterson, author of The Secret Elephants, South Africa. Thanks so much, Gareth. I'm so pleased to read this.
I'll be cohosting a NovelClass podcast this September when their season re-opens. So looking forward to talking to Dave Pezza about author Bianca Marais's If You Want to Make God Laugh. Thanks so much for the opportunity to join you!
Finished reading "Passport Control" some while ago, but neglected to tell you how very impressive it is for (among other reasons) inter-twining so many threads: North American and Israeli, past and present, with loving and vengeful characters. It was a wonderful read. Looking forward to reading "White Zion." Susan H. Sachs
What do you get when you invite two talented authors, combine an engaged audience and throw in some book muffins? A delightful evening. I am so pleased our first Beit Shemesh Lit event was a success. Thanks to everyone who came: our out of town guest authors, Julie Zuckerman from Modiin and Miryam Sivan from Tel Aviv. Thanks to Jes...
My young adult eco-fiction novel No Entry will be released by Stormbird Press in Australia this October 2019. It is the first in a young adult environmental series. No Entry tackles elephant poaching through the eyes of a teen heroine on an elephant conservation program in South Africa's Kruger National Park as part of my attempt to draw atte...
Check out this week's Haaretz for details about my author talk Sunday with fellow authors Miryam Sivan and Julie Zuckerman. So excited! Hope to see you there.
Just in from author Ondine Sherman: "I just finished your book, Passport Control, which I thought was excellent. I loved the complexities of the politics you drew out, allowing the readers to grapple with the issues themselves, and the young character's voice was very engaging. I wish it was longer - I want to know what happens next!" Thanks ...
I'm thrilled to share my latest interview on The Bookends Review with gracious host, Jordan Blum. My short story "What We Are" is coming out on The Bookends Review in August. It was originally titled The Kike Caller and that's what Jordan is referring to as after he accepted the story, I asked him if he thought that title was appro...
Booked until 2020! July: Miryam Sivan August: Annette Gendler September: Rachel Barenbaum October: Julie Zuckerman November: Jennifer Friedman Lang December: Julie Gray
Join me for a fun evening in Beit Shemesh at Keramikli. Paint on ceramics (optional) during a literary evening where I'm pleased to host two other Anglo-Israeli authors. When: 7:45 PM, open to the public. Where: 13 Ha'uman Beit Shemesh (Industrial area) I will be reading from newly released novel in stories White Zion. Julie Zuckerman w...
I'm so excited to be reading at my alma matter Carleton University. The English Department has courteously invited me to be one of their readers at their Back to School event, the largest event of the year. Current Schedule: September 16, JCC Library. Reading from White Zion, my new novel in stories from C...
I had to repost this article by Catherine Nichols. Fascinating. The plan made me feel dishonest and creepy, so it took me a long time to send my novel out under a man's name. But each time I read a study about unconscious bias, I got a little closer to trying it. I set up a new e-mail address under a name—let's say it was George Leyer, though ...
This is a fascinating post by Kristen Lamb. Goliath has fallen. The leviathan Barnes & Noble, the big-box chain that reinvented retail and defined a generation…is no more. SOLD! Reuters announced early last Friday that the hedge fund Elliot Management Corp. would be purchasing the former book giant for roughly the equivalent of Kim Kardashian's...
Save the date! July 7th. I am pleased to announce an author evening with authors Miryam Sivan and Julie Zuckerman. We will be reading from Make it Concrete, The Book of Jeremiah, and my own newly released novel in stories White Zion respectively. Where: Keramikli, 13 Ha'uman (Industrial Area, Beit Shemesh). Ye...
Like many authors who create their own cultural worlds, in White Zion, Green has developed worlds filled with everyday details that are poignant and often cruel and difficult. White Zion is a collection of short stories by an author whose parents come from distinct cultures. Her father was born and raised in British Mandate Israel while her mo...
Join the more than 841 people participating in my Goodreads Giveaway for my new novel in stories White Zion. Thanks to the publisher, Cervena Barva, for the courtesy copy. Recent review from writer Susan Weintrob Your writing is wonderfully evocative, in your characters, in your plot, and in the difficulties you pre...
I am delighted to share an initial White Zion review from writer Susan Weintrob. A longer review and interview is forthcoming. Stay tuned. Your writing is wonderfully evocative, in your characters, in your plot, and in the difficulties you present. I was drawn in immediately and thought to myself, "She is a serious writer." Th...
Thank you Oregon Jewish Life for including White Zion in their summer reading list.
I am delighted to share the latest NovelClass podcast featuring my novel Passport Control. Thanks to Dave Pezza and Daniel Ford for taking the time to read and review Passport Control in a lively and engaging discussion. To give you a taste of their excellent podcast, check out their five-star Goodreads reviews:...
I am excited to tell you that my short story "The Talk of Sephardim" was accepted to Sephardic Horizons for their summer issue. It's one of those stories that I started more than a decade ago and every once in a while, I took it out, asked someone to read it, frowned over their feedback, played with it some more. Then I would put it out o...
Only 23 days left to enter my Goodreads giveaway for White Zion. Enter now for a free copy of White Zion courtesy of Cervena Barva Press.
White Zion is now available on Amazon. Gritty Yet Shimmering Stories! I'm not exaggerating here one bit.It's titled 'White Zion' but Gila Green paints from all the colors/hues of the Jewish palette. These gritty yet shimmering stories get into you. I read them all in two swoops, then stayed up for an hour or two, maybe four, waiting for my heart to...
I'm honored to be part of the May 22 podcast on NovelClass. It's very exciting to be part of such an amazing pool of talent. Thank you to host Dave Pezza for your warm welcome. The next edition of #NovelClass airs on May 22 and will feature @green_gila's Passport Control. Start reading, subscribe, and tune in! https://podcasts.apple.com/...
Thank you so much to my publisher Gloria Mindock who was kind enough to send me a photo of the first copy of White Zion. Right now I have a White Zion giveaway on Goodreads. Join me! And here's a new review from author Tara Lynn Masih: Gila Green has assembled a wonderful, atmospheric collage that depicts a family's historical jour...
I love author interviews. Please let me know in the comments if there's an author you'd like me to interview.
Serendipity day. I'm sharing my exciting moment today of finding my novel No Entry on Dragonfly. It's such a great feeling to find your novel unexpectedly on a site you admire and it makes the release date feel that much more tangible. September 1, you're only three months (and a couple of weeks away).
I was excited to read this email from author Miryam Sivan. I've never met her but hopefully one day I will have the opportunity to meet her and thank her in person for this lovely message. "I read Passport Control and thoroughly enjoyed it! Miriam's story was very moving. Her pain and needs were palpable and often heart breaking. I love...
I'm thrilled to tell you that a Flash story I workshopped with you last winter is a Finalist for a WOW contest! (The story was "Shared Calendars", about a trapeze student).I'm so appreciative of your guidance, and look forward to another class - I'm a Flash addict now. I hope all is well with you. Thank you again, and I look forward to working with...
I'm so excited to share that White Zion is coming out in May with Cervena Barva Press, USA. This novel-in-stories takes readers into the worlds of 19th century Yemen, pre-State Israel, modern Israel and modern Canada. You will hear the voices of a young boy marveling at Israel's first air force on his own roof, the cry of a newly married woman help...
I'm thrilled to tell you that my first young adult, environmental fiction novel No Entry is available for pre order. You can also request a review copy. Broken-hearted after losing her brother in a terrorist attack, 17-year-old Yael Amar seeks solace on an elephant conservation program in South Africa's Kruger National Park. Catapu...
I was thrilled to spend half an hour with author Janet Groom. You can listen to it on ITunes or watch it on YouTube. We discuss writing fiction and why I think we have to get away from characterizing fiction as either plot driven or character driven. Thank you so much for having me on your show, Janet. Stay tuned for a review of Janet's novel...
I'm delighted to announce my daughter's engagement. Welcome to the family! May you be blessed until 120!
I am excited to present this month's Jewish Book Carnival, a monthly event where those who cover Jewish books online "can meet, read, and comment on each others' posts." Organized by the Association of Jewish Libraries, the Carnival travels around and is hosted on a different participant's site on the 15th of each month. For me April&nb...
I love it when I'm surfing and find something unexpected. Just found this review of Passport Control on Amazon Canada posted on behalf of Tommy Dewar (unfortunately, reviews put on Amazon USA and Amazon Canada are separate). I've never met Tommy but thank you so much and I hope you enjoy White Zion coming out April 25. 5.0 out of 5 stars Great...
Just had a fantastic WiSh (Wisdom Share) with Bev Joy Ehrlich and shared a tip to help you create your next dream. Can't wait for this to air! I'll post the details to the WiSh as soon as it goes live. Meantime don't you love this photo from the Jerusalem Mahane Yehudah Market? Took it last night.
Contests With Deadlines in April April 7 (contest runs on Australian time, so deadline may be considerably earlier than midnight depending on your timezone) Up to 500 words based on prompt (released April 5). Prize: 500AUD https://www.writerscentre.com.au/furious-fiction/ April 10: Up to 2,500 words on topic "Identity." Prizes: £10,000, £3,000, £2,...
Check back on April 15th! Looking forward to sharing more Jewish creativity with you soon.
Thank you to Brian Henry for re-posting my article originally published on Mark Mirsky's Fiction Magazine website which I titled "My Ironic Story" and Brian re-titled "Sensitivity Readings." I've followed Brian's site Quick Brown Fox for years and I am always grateful for Brian's support of my work. I recommend his site, pa...
I am honored to host the next April Jewish Book Carnival right here, so check back April 15 for all new links. Also, this week my podcast on Janet Groom just in time for the Purim holiday this Wednesday. I'll post that, too.
I enjoyed this so much, I'm reposting this article by Jody J. Sperling on BookFox. I'd like to ask Sperling if this advice equally applies to young adult. If I get a response, I'll share it. Stories are only truly great when they confront the great fears. Bernard Malamud knew this. His character of Roy Hobbs, a naturally gifted baseball playe...
I am not very well versed in Jewish and Middle Eastern culture and politics. And while some of the historically impactful events the author refers to throughout this book were familiar to me, I'm relieved to say that my general lack of cultural awareness did not hinder my enjoyment of Passport Control in the least. In fact, it was quite easy ...
Ellen MarcantanoSat, Mar 2, 4:00 AM (1 day ago)Hi Gila,I just wanted to share my fantastic news. The Dime Show Review wants to publish a flash piece I sent to them. There are no words to express my thanks to you because without you this would not be happening. I bow to you my writing Goddess!!You are an amazing teacher and mentor who gave me the co...
White Zion, my novel in stories, will be released mid-April by Cervena Barva Press. I started this collection a dozen years ago and it was almost published a handful of times. Finally, it has found its proper home. So excited! I plan to do a giveaway on Goodreads, so stay tuned for that. Grateful for early reviews: In a journey of generations from ...
Today I'm excited to bring you an author interview with Jeff Gerstenfeld, a fellow writer in Israel writing in English. While I have not had the pleasure of meeting Jeff in person, I'm so pleased that he contacted me about his new book Downsized and Oversized. Often genre writers get sidelined and it's a great opportunity for me today to introduce...
If you haven't had a chance to read my interviews with these authors about their new works, this is a friendly reminder. I'm honored to be able to help spread the word about so much talent and creativity. If you have comments on my interviews or a question you'd like me to ask authors for future interviews, please comment below. Check out my...
I am excited to present this month's Jewish Book Carnival, a monthly event where those who cover Jewish books online "can meet, read, and comment on each others' posts." Organized by the Association of Jewish Libraries, the Carnival travels around and is hosted on a different participant's site on the 15th of each month. For me February ...
Thank you Debra Martens for hosting me and my dear friend and colleague, Anna Levine, on your site today. It was a pleasure. Working in silence, alone with your thoughts, writing can be a lonely business. But have you looked at the list of acknowledgements at the back of some books lately? They seem to be getting longer, as if a bo...
My poem Late Night on the Phone is out on The Dime Show Review. Thank you again. Late Night on the Phone by Gila Green I so rarely have time to write poetry, so I'm thrilled this was accepted. https://www.dimeshowreview.com/late-night-on-the-phone-by-gila-green/
A new short story has been accepted to The Bookends Review. I have a podcast interview lined up there as well (in August), so stay tuned. I originally titled the story The Kike Caller then probably in the politically correct climate changed it to Summer Job. Now, I'm unsure. I might change it back to its original title which reson...
I was planning to break until the fall but, due to demand, I am offering two new classes in June: WRITING FICTION: SETTING AND DESCRIPTION START DATE: Wednesday, June 12, 2019 DURATION: 4 weeks COURSE DESCRIPTION: Great story has a memorable sense of place. In this four-week course you will discover why setting and description are the...
I'm thrilled to be hosted on Joanna Penn's The Creative Penn today. Thank you so much for having me on your site. Writing Tips: Writing Beyond The 5 Senses The most useful way to show what you want to say is to tap into the five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing and get into the 'why' behind each sense. In other words, you must ...
California's Dime Show Review! I'm thrilled to share that my poem, "Late Night on the Phone" was just accepted to Dime Show Review for online publication and they are considering it for their three times a year print run. Thank you to editor Kae Sable for accepting my poem.
In South Africa's Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, I discuss improving setting in your story.
Enjoy the view. Today's vlog was filmed at Chapman's Peak, a mountain on the western side of the Cape Peninsula, between Hout Bay and Noordhoek in Cape Town, South Africa.
Today's question is about adding some levity to your flash fiction. You don't want to write an extended joke. What's the difference?
It was a pleasure to talk with Laura Parish, who hosts the fiction readers and writers blog, Novel Kicks. Thank you so much for having me. My first interview of 2019 and my first in the UK! Hi Gila, thank you for joining me today. Your novel is called Passport Control. Can you tell me about it and what inspired the story? Passport Control is a comi...
I'm so pleased to share Rebecca Klempner's review of Passport Control with you. Reviewed by Rebecca Klempner Gila Green's recent novel, Passport Control, is not light entertainment. But it's perfect for those readers interested in a suspenseful, well-written, and thought-provoking piece of literary fiction that may make them deeply uncom...
Register Now: Come as you are, with a fifth version of a piece you've been working on since your high school graduation or as a writer who has never heard of flash until you saw this advertisement and rushed to sign up. In the first part of this masterclass, we'll define flash fiction and take you all the way from idea to premise to micro fla...
"What I draw from is not a photographic memory, but an emotional one." Thank you, Amy Tan. I reread that again and again. I must use this as a prompt to write about the truths in fiction. What is the purpose of fiction? To write what I cannot say. Though I cannot tell you what happened for so many reasons (pain, shame), if I...
Live Write thrive, Writers Write, Christi Craig, Kathy Steinemann, Kathryn Schleich, Writers Helping Writers, Fiction Magazine, The Book Designer, The Millions, WOW-Women on Writing hailing from USA, Canada, and South Africa. The writing community is global. Writers take note and think BIG.
In 2013, I published my first novel King of the Class (KOTC). Three months later I wrote a post titled "What I learned from Publishing my First Novel." It was a necessary integration of what I'd gleaned after three months of full-time, dedicated hard work—the kind of 24-hour work after which you can't even think about the topic. I was burnt out of...
I won't make you wait. Here are three things I learned from writing my second novel Passport Control. 1. You can deviate from the traditional coming-of-age structure. Classically, protagonists in coming-of-age stories encounter a singularly painful experience that make them realize once and for all that they are alone in the world. They soon ...
I am thrilled to be hosted today by Christi Craig. In addition to my guest post, we are having a book giveaway courtesy of my publisher S&H Publishing.
Thank you Sasson Magazine for posting "Roller Coaster," an excerpt from my novel in stories White Zion, forthcoming from Cervena Barva Press, April 2019. Faith was too late getting down the stairs. By the time she made it into the living room it was over. She could only look from her son to her husband. Shock parachuted into the room li...
Today I was thrilled to be hosted on the Ottawa Mommy Club blog. Your Failure to Thrive Baby Doesn't make you a Failure as a Mother When most mothers think of challenging events in the first two years of an average child's life, they might think of vaccinations, fevers, tantrums, and night-waking. What about weighings? Believe it or not, for some m...
Warm up with a free copy of Passport Control. Thank you to Christi Craig who is hosting me this week on her blog. To add to the occasion I'm doing my first ever book giveaway courtesy of my publisher S&H Publishing.
I'm excited to share with you that my vlog: "What is the difference between non fiction flash & essay writing?" is on today's The Muffin on the WOW-women on writing site. If you have a question about writing, contact me and I'll do my best to vlog the answer in one minute or less. I'd love to hear from you.
My newest flash fiction piece is out on Writer's Bone. Britannia is a hilly area with duplexes and triplexes on tree-lined streets. The Dillain's new convenience store is on the corner at the bottom of the hill. It has a picturesque frontal view of the large, local park and the Ottawa River, the chief tributary of the Saint Lawrence Ri...
I wrote this post back in 2013 and it's fascinating for me to read now. The landscape has changed so much in five years that I felt compelled to repost. Yet, much of it remains spot on #2, #4, #8 #9 and did I mention #4? It also serves as a prompt for me to write a "Ten Things I learned from Publishing Passport Control" post at the end of this year...
Do you have burning questions about the publication process and how to publicize your book once it's "out there"? We've paired a Canadian-Israeli novelist and short-story writer together with a German-American essayist and memoirist to share the fruits of their hard-won knowledge with you. Sign up and submit your question in advance so you can get ...
Come as you are, with a fifth version of a piece you've been working on since your high school graduation or as a writer who has never heard of flash until you saw this advertisement and rushed to sign up. In the first part of this masterclass, we'll define flash fiction and take you all the way from idea to premise to micro flash, threading imager...
The tribalism that reigned in Beit Shemesh for a decade is over Female mayor's election curtails runaway extremism in Beit Shemesh | Arizona Jewish Life Enter some description here... http://azjewishlife.com/female-mayors-election-curtails-runaway-extremism-in-beit-shemesh/
I recommend this emotional page-turner by Pinar Tarhan, Addicted to Writing Thank you, Pinar, for the review on your excellent blog Addicted to Writing. I look forward to our upcoming interview. I'll try to keep the plot summary short and sweet as to avoid spoilers. There are several twists, and they are pretty jaw-dropping. Plot Summary Due ...
Are Arabic-speaking Christian writers ever advised to make their heroines Hebrew-speaking Jews? Gila Green Gila Green sent me a very talented novel "Passport Control," that raised some of the most painful and yet important questions about contemporary Israel and how its political riddles touched the lives both of Israelis, Palestinians. What ...
I'll Bet You Think This Story's about You: When People Keep Finding Themselves in Your Fiction It was an honor today to be hosted on The Millions site. In today's post you can read a conversation with my mother. https://themillions.com/2018/11/ill-bet-you-think-this-storys-about-you-the-un-omitted-omissions-and-the-real.html
I'm thrilled to share with you that my latest flash piece, "Cutty Sark" has been accepted to the Writer's Bone. This piece is part of a larger manuscript titled Backroad.
I was thrilled this morning to find myself at the top of the Book Club Reader Recommended list on the Jewish Women's Archive site. Thank you JWA!
Passport Control by Gila Green is an amazing book with lots of plot twists and mystery. It tells the story of a Canadian Jew, Miriam Gil, who comes to Haifa University to study. She gets involved with many unexpected people and events. Passport Control is fiction, but to be honest, it's clear that everything Green writes about is a real possibility...
The autumn issue of The Fiddlehead is out and I'm honored my piece "Winnipeg 1987" is part of it. Thank you to editor, Alicia Elliott. I enjoyed your editorial so much, I repost it here. So many of you ask me for a definition of non-fiction, I recommend you read below. Whatever We Need It To BePosted on November 12, 2018 Late last year ...
THE TRIBALISM THAT REIGNED IN BEIT SHEMESH FOR A DECADE IS OVER BY GILA GREEN I live in Beit Shemesh, the city that made global headlines when a Jewish man spat on a young girl (in December 2011). As a writer I was asked to speak out, to write a blog post or article that would distance "us" from "them." But I felt articles created more hatred, wer...
Are you looking for a place online where you can find writing advice, read author interviews, watch short and useful vlogs and learn about life in Israel at the same time? You're here. I'm Gila Green, a Canadian author from Ottawa living in Israel. I'm excited to have a new writing space online and I would love to hear what you'd like to see ...
Thank you to Writers Write for guest posting this blog. You can increase your writing productivity by partnering with another writer and critiquing each other's work. But not any good-natured writer will do. If you really want to improve your writing productivity, look for these seven things in your next critique partner: Someone who wr...
Thank you to Writers Helping Writers for Guest Posting this blog. Book publishing is a tough, competitive business. Still, there's no reason to make the road harder to travel. Enter flash fiction—an excellent way to break into both fiction and nonfiction book publishing. Flash fiction pieces are very short stories that still include the...
Thank you to the Book Designer for guest posting this blog. We hear it all the time, "How can I possibly market my existing book while writing my next book?"or "I don't like marketing. I just want to write." But the reality is that to be successful as an author, most of us need to continually do both–marketing AND writing new books. The...
An excerpt from my young adult novel, No Entry is out. My novel is now signed with Stormbird Press, Australia for a September 2019 release. I'm working on a sequel right now.What's No Entry about?Teen heroine, Yael Yekutiel, signs on to an elephant conservation program and ends up coming face to face with violence, greed and murder. The story takes place in South Africa’s famous, breathtaking Kruger National Park. Yael vows to devote herself to saving the planet from human greed and is set to learn all she can about ivory poaching when she accidentally encounters a murderous poaching ring taking place below the surface of her newfound paradise. She receives a second blow when she discovers her idol Clara Smith, the prestigious and well-respected program director, profits from blood ivory, while preaching about the sanctity of wildlife. Yael is forced to decide on a new mission: expose this poaching ring to...
