Meet Judy Everson — Writingbird Woman

Judy Everson, known as Writingbird Woman, is a proud band member of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation (BON), Manitoba, and a storyteller whose community has stood behind her from the very beginning. Her reserve continues to celebrate her work and can't wait for the next book to arrive.

Roots

Judy was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 1979, her family set out to find a new home in the West. Her mother fell in love with Calgary, and since her father was already working in and around the city, Calgary became home. The family camped at St. Patrick's Island while they searched for a permanent place to live it didn't take long, thanks to her parents' resourcefulness and they later settled in Victoria Park, in downtown Calgary.

Finding Her Voice

Not long after arriving in Calgary, school began, and with it, Judy discovered a love of reading and writing. One elementary school teacher in particular helped her find her own path to learning, something she treasures given that her parents, though deeply resourceful, had low literacy themselves.

By age eight, Judy was writing poetry and short stories. Without realizing it, those early pieces became the seeds of her first children's book, Chippy's Adventures: The Curious Little Squirrel, which she self-published in 2004.

Turning No's Into Yes

Growing up, Judy rarely saw Indigenous books, or characters who looked like her, on the shelves. She wanted that to change — for her children, her future grandchildren, her nieces and nephews, and for families everywhere. When traditional publishers kept saying no, Judy made a decision: she would turn those no's into yes. She began self-publishing her children's books herself, and she never looked back.

Today, that mission has become a family affair. Her daughter, Elle, brings the stories to life through illustration, and together, mother and daughter continue building on a legacy rooted in culture and storytelling.

Her Books

• Little One Discovers His Calling One Feather at a Time — her first Indigenous story

• Northern Lights: Starry Night Dancer

• The Brave Little Princess (charity book)

• Sparkle: A Kidney Journey (charity book)

The charity books hold a special place in Judy's heart — close to her family, and close to home.

What Lights Her Up

For Judy, nothing compares to reading her stories to children in person. Watching their faces light up at the illustrations, and hearing them talk about the story and the artwork afterward, fills her heart — and reminds her exactly why she started.