Fiction
Irania Patterson is a dynamic speaker, internationally known, award-winning author of children’s literature, storyteller and educator. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, she came to the U.S. in 1993 and worked as reporter for NBC news. She is also the cofounder of Criss Cross Mangosauce, an edutainment company that foster children’s love for languages, cultures and music.
Irania holds a Master of Literature from La Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain and Teaching Artist Certifications from Wolf Trap and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Currently, she is working on her certification as a Registered Biblio-poetry Therapist Facilitator with the National Association for Poetry Therapy. Since 1997 Irania has worked for the Charlotte Public Library as a Bilingual and Multicultural Specialist developing programs for at risk communities. She has written several publications for librarians and educators in the subjects of creative outreach strategies to reach multilingual communities, and arts integration in bilingual population.
Irania’s bilingual children’s picture book Chipi Chipis, Small Shells of the Sea/Chipi Chipi Caracolitos del Mar (CPCC Press) was an International Reading Association Children’s Choice Award for 2006. She is the author of Wings and Dreams: The Legend of Angel Falls (Novello Press 2010). In 2013 she co-wrote Mama Goose, a bilingual children play recognized in The World Congress of Drama in Education, IDEA, Paris. She is also one of the co-writers of the book 27 Views of Charlotte (Eno Publishing, September 2014).
As an ardent supporter of schools, libraries, and cultural organizations, Irania has spoken in many arts, education and humanities organizations promoting intercultural exchanges for social transformation. A seasoned storyteller in the US and Latin America, Irania has told stories to hundreds of children and families over her 20 year career.
- Chipi Chipis, Small Shells of the Sea / Chipi Chipis, Caracolitos Del Mar (English and Spanish Edition) CPCC Press; Bilingual edition (July 1, 2005)
- Wings and Dreams: The Legend of Angel Falls Novello Festival Press; Bilingual edition (October 1, 2010)
- 27 Views of Charlotte: The Queen City in Prose and Poetry Eno Publishers (September 10, 2014)