Deborah Ellis was raised in a small town called Paris in southern Ontario. She finished high school there, then lived for a while in Ottawa and Toronto. A long-time feminist and anti-war activist, her hobbies include riding her bike, poking around in the woods, and exploring new places and ideas.
Deborah works as a mental health counsellor in Toronto as well as being an award-winning author. She began writing the Parvana books, about a young girl living in Afghanistan, after visiting refugee camps in Pakistan. All of the royalties from the sale of the books are donated to Women for Women in Afghanistan to support educational projects for Afghan girls in refugee camps in Pakistan.
What was the biggest inspiration for you to become a writer?
'My biggest inspiration to become a writer was the really great books I read - I wanted to be able to do that.'
What was your favourite book as a child?
'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'
What are the best and worst things about being a writer?
'Best thing - when the ideas spark off themselves in my head, also the independence. Worst - back ache from sitting too long at the desk, loneliness, when the work doesn't go well.'
When you're not writing, what do you do?
'When I'm not writing I work at my regular job with women with mental health problems, or I run, or read, or wander around aimlessly.'
If you weren't a writer, what would you be?
'Not a writer? I'd always write, whether I earned money at it or not.'
Where do you do your writing?
'I prefer to write in public places. Canada is full of donut shops where I can sit and write and listen in on other people's conversations.'
Of all the books you have written, which is your favourite?
'A Company of Fools is my favourite of all the books I've written. It was the hardest, and I think it's the best written.'
What makes you laugh?
'Lots of things make me laugh - when people do goofy things, Charlie Brown comics, old movies like Bringing Up Baby, and, when I'm really tired, just about anything.'
What makes you cry?
'Frustration, stupidity, helplessness, feeling powerless - and, when I'm really tired, just about anything.'
Download and print this author profile.