Meet Tanya
Tanya Boteju (she/her) is an English teacher and writer living on stolen territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations (Vancouver, Canada).
Listen to the correct pronunciation of my name here.
Her novel, Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens (Simon & Schuster, 2019), was named an Indie Top 10 Pick of the Summer by the American Booksellers Association and a Rainbow List selection for 2020.
Her next YA novels, Bruised (Simon & Schuster, 2021) and Messy Perfect (HarperCollins, 2025), and her first middle grade nonfiction book, Allyship As Action (Orca, 2025), received many accolades.
Her latest YA novel, Lake Life, and her first adult fiction book, Setting the Stage for Christmas are out in 2026.
When Tanya isn’t writing, she’s teaching and learning from brilliant high school students, riding her bike, drinking tea, reading good books, and trying to chill out at the cosy cabin her wife built for her.
In both her teaching and writing, Tanya hopes she’s bending the universe even the tiniest bit toward justice.
A slightly longer bio…
Tanya’s debut novel, Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens (Simon & Schuster, 2019), was named an Indie Top 10 Pick of the Summer by the American Booksellers Association, a starred review on Shelf Awareness, a Barnes & Noble best YA book of May, a Best Teen Book of 2019 by Indigo, and a Rainbow List selection for 2020.
Bruised (Simon & Schuster, 2021) was selected as a Gold Standard book by the Junior Library Guild.
Tanya’s third YA novel, Messy Perfect (HarperCollins) is a BC & Yukon Book Prize finalist and was a Forest of Reading White Pine Award selection.
Her first middle grade nonfiction book, Allyship As Action (Orca) was named a Best Book for Kids and Teens by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre and a Notable Social Studies Trade Book by the National Council for Social Studies and the Children’s Book Council.
Her latest YA novel, Lake Life, and her first adult fiction book, Setting the Stage for Christmas are out in 2026.
Before attempting a writing career, Tanya completed her English and Education degrees at the University of British Columbia, then spent time in New York attaining her Master of Arts through Columbia University’s Teachers College. More recently, Tanya received a Creative Writing Certificate through Simon Fraser University’s Writer’s Studio, mentored emerging YA writers at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and attended the McCormack Writing Centre (formerly Tin House) residency for YA novel writing with acclaimed author Nina LaCour.
Tanya has been teaching high school English for over twenty years, and has sponsored everything from gr. 8 basketball to senior soccer to public speaking to student government to the gender-and-sexuality alliance! She loves the way teaching and writing contribute to each other in the most magical ways, and learns so much from the brilliant students around her.
You might also find her riding her bike, drinking tea, ogling other people’s dogs, reading good books, and trying to chill out at the cosy cabin her wife built for her.
In both her teaching and writing lives, Tanya hopes she’s bending the universe even the tiniest bit toward justice.
Tanya is represented by Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC.
Downloadable Files:
Headshot
Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens Cover
Bruised Cover
Allyship as Action Cover
Messy Perfect Cover
Lake Life Cover
Setting the Stage for Christmas Cover