Bring Matteo to your…

Book Club Library Youth Group Classroom

and more!

Prices vary by location, size of group, number of sessions per location, etc..

Complete the Session Form at the bottom of this page, and Matteo will be in touch to discuss pricing and availability!

Question Circle

Digital and in-person options

Ideal for small, engaged audiences, such as book clubs or youth groups. Reading the book before hand is recommended to generate questions.

Matteo will:

  • Arrange a 1-hour digital time slot for you and your group OR arrive at your location

  • Provide a short introduction of himself

  • Provide 8-10 minutes of reading

  • Answer any questions about the book or his publishing experience for up to 1 hour, either “interview-style” with a moderator from your group, or from the audience

  • Bring or mail up to 25 free bookmarks related to the chosen book(s)

Topics

Ask about anything!

  • Inspirations, behind the scenes facts, or thematic questions about Matteo L. Cerilli’s novels

  • Publishing process or tips

  • Queer and youth organizing and street activism

  • How to support queer/trans peers or students

Presentation

Digital and in-person options

Ideal for larger audiences such as public library events or school assemblies, or shy groups who may not be comfortable with talking. Reading the book beforehand is not required. Please provide audio/visual equipment for the presentation.

Matteo will:

  • Arrange a digital time slot for you and your group OR arrive at your location

  • Provide a short introduction of himself

  • Provide an interactive presentation on the topic, usually about 20-30 minutes (can be adapted shorter or longer)

  • Provide 8-10 minutes of reading from the topic book

  • Answer questions for the remainder of the allotted time

  • Bring or mail up to 25 free bookmarks related to the chosen book(s)

  • (In-person only) Bring copies of his book(s) to sign and sell. Quantities and titles will be determined beforehand

Topics

Each presentation is aligned with Language Arts/English courses for the age group with focus on theme, comprehension, and analysis. Select presentations also include “bonus” curriculum tie-ins to other subjects:

  • Aligned with the following curriculum strands (Ontario):

    • Grade 10 Civics “Civic Awareness” and “Civic Engagement and Action”

    • Grade 11 Gender Studies, specifically “Implementing Change”

    • Grade 11 Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice

    • Grade 12 Equity and Social Justice: From Theory to Practice

    A presentation on the inspirations behind White Pine nominated YA Horror Lockjaw, including Matteo’s experiences growing up as a neurodivergent trans boy in suburban Ontario, the harms of isolation and apathetic communities (especially against minority groups), and discussion on the importance of being an engaged community member both at home and globally. Also includes reference to Matteo’s time in queer youth protest organizing, with tips on how students can get involved.

  • Ideal for educators, librarians, etc.

    Through the lens of his White Pine nominated YA horror Lockjaw, Matteo delivers a retrospective on his experience as a queer youth activist, interrogating the ways that even the most well-meaning adults can fail in their allyship, and exploring ways we can uplift and empower youth to make change in their communities without speaking over them.

    Originally created as a keynote address for the Ontario Library Association’s 2024 Child & Youth Expo

  • Aligned with the following curriculum strands (Ontario):

    • Grade 6 Social Studies, A1.3-1.4

    • Grade 10 History (CHC2), D1.1, D2.1-2,

    • Social and emotional learning skills

    A presentation on the inspirations behind middle grade ghost story Something’s Up with Arlo, specifically focused on Matteo’s family story from the poverty of war-time Italy to the Italian quarter of Northern Ontario to the suburban Greater Toronto Area. As a second-generation Italian-Canadian, Matteo also discusses how the scars of war, poverty, and immigration are often passed down the family line, starting an empathetic conversation about generational trauma and “curses”, and ending with a list of coping strategies for managing emotions.

General Topics

  • A start to finish look at the basic steps of the publication process, from a basic overview of the drafting process, to the role of a literary agent, and the production steps that turn your story into a book you can hold. Readings and examples will be taken from Something’s Up with Arlo by default, but can be adapted to another book if requested.

  • Aligns with the following curriculum strands (Ontario):

    • Grade 9-10 Entrepreneurial Studies

    • Grade 10 Careers

    • Grade 12 Writer’s Craft

    This presentation provides a realistic look at the additional skills and steps necessary to being an author after the book is written. This presentation combines everything Matteo has learned about publishing from his time as a literary agent social media intern, to his degree in publishing, to his own experiences self-publishing poetry, editing for short fiction at a small press, and publishing with multiple “Big 5” publishers. This presentation covers:

    • Analyzing your work with a publicist’s eye to find a genre, audience, and market

    • “Killing your darlings” and the uncomfortable realities of writing for the world

    • Pros and cons of hiring a literary agent

    • What actually matters in a query letter

    • Self-publishing, what is it, and is it worth it?

    • What to expect from advances, royalties, and a basic contract breakdown

    • The publication timeline and steps from contract signature to shelf

    • Self-marketing 101

    • How authors actually make money (school visits, grants, IP, and the elusive screen deal)

    • Grade 10 History (CHC2), B1.2, C1.2, C1.3,

    • Grade 10 Civics and Citizenship (CHV2), B1.1, B1.3, B3.5, C1.3, C2.1

    • Grade 11 Gender Studies (HSG3M), B1.3-1.5, C3.3,

    • Grade 11 Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice (HSE3E), B1-B3.1, C2.1, C2.3-4,

    • Grade 12 Equity and Social Justice: From Theory to Practice (HSE4M), B1.3-4, B2, C1.1,

    This presentation outlines Matteo’s process for turning the “changeling myth” into an allegory for historical ableism and the rise of 20th century eugenics. Taking students from the medieval fey myths through the history of “insane asylums” into the ways North American eugenics used “ugly laws” to disenfranchise those seen as less desirable, Matteo encourages students to view history through an intersectional lens where ableism is connected to other forms of oppression.

  • Aligned with the following curriculum strands (Ontario):

    • Grade 10 History “Canada, 1914-1929”

    • Grade 10 Civics

    • Grade 11 gender studie

    • Grade 11 Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice

    • Grade 12 Equity and Social Justice: From Theory to Practice

    This presentation sets the stage for the noir genre, providing an overview of how industrialization and capitalism, war and war-related disability, immigration, a rise in female labour power, and the failures of nationalism led to a gender crisis for Western men, birthing the image of the hyper-masculine and jaded hardboiled detective to vocalize these anxieties. Bad in the Blood is then used as a “next step”, with readings and discussions about how modern voices (especially from marginalized creators) can take the heart of the genre in a new direction.

Get a quote for a visit!

Interested in hosting? Fill out the form below and Matteo will be in touch shortly to discuss pricing and scheduling, as well as any questions. If you’d like to be in touch with Matteo before completing a form, you can email him at matteolcerilli@gmail.com