Author Feature: Johanna Wagstaffe

Author Feature: Johanna Wagstaffe

Fault Lines: Understanding the Power of EarthquakesEarthquakes are a terrifying yet fascinating force of nature. Seismologist Johanna Wagstaffe takes you through her own journey of understanding the earth beneath our feet. Along the way you’ll learn the science behind what makes the earth rumble and hear from kids around the world who have experienced the wonder, and terror, of an earthquake.

What planning and research did you do for you book?

I have spent a lot of time going to classrooms to talk to children about earthquakes. I thought about what questions and topics students found most interesting, and many times it was wanting to learn more about the actual experience of an earthquake. I also talked a lot with seismologists working in the field to make sure the science was still accurate after I had tried to make it understandable for a younger age group.

What is your favorite part of being a writer?

I really enjoy getting people excited about science. But communicating enthusiasm through writing is a different challenge. I like having to think of ways to encourage readers to use there own imagination to figure out the science in their own time.

Fault LinesWhat’s your favorite movie or TV show? The show you binge watched the fastest?

Love movies! All-time favorite is Bladerunner…last binge-watched show was The Leftovers based on the book that I also binge-read.

What’s your biggest indulgence?

Travel…

What do you admire most in a book?

When you find yourself viewing the world with a new perspective…

You’re stranded on a desert island and are allowed 3 books—which do you choose?

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Catch 22, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

What’s your favorite genre to read? To Write?

Science fiction. Getting lost in a world where technology and science are such a big part of the framework is exciting (and sometimes terrifying). It makes me feel like the future is right around the corner—and that I could actually be part of creating it.

 What has been your most unlikely adventure?

Moving to Vancouver from Toronto and finding a connection to nature.

What is your favorite book from your childhood?

Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Fault Lines is available now!

Wagstaffe, Johanna
Johanna Wagstaffe is the meteorologist and science host for CBC Vancouver and CBC News Network. With a background in seismology, geophysics and earth science, Johanna has covered a wide range of science stories, from the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire and the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami to the Paris Climate Change Conference. She enjoys sharing her passion for science education with children and on social media. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. You can find her on Twitter @jwagstaffe.

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