Heather Smith is the author of several books including the middle-grade novel Ebb & Flow, which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award and won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the BMO Winterset Award. Her YA novel The Agony of Bun O'Keefe won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award, the OLA Forest of Reading White Pine Award. Her picture book, The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota’s Garden, was named the winner of the 2019 Freeman Book Award for Children's Literature. Most recently, her YA novel, Barry Squires, Full Tilt was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and was one of the Globe and Mail’s Globe 100 Favorite Books of 2020.

Heather spent much of her early life wrestling with words. Not only was she a reluctant reader, she struggled with speech as well. Unable to pronounce certain words she became a walking thesaurus, anxiously swapping out words she wanted to say with words she could say. Although Heather’s relationship with words was rocky, the two were eventually able to get over their difficulties and have been on speaking terms ever since. Today, Heather wrestles with words in a different way – she’s a writer! Instead of dodging them, she grabs them tight with both hands and finds them a home on the page.

Originally from Newfoundland, Heather now lives in Waterloo, Ontario, with her husband and three children. Her east coast roots inspire much of her writing.