My name is Stella Renée. Stella means Star and Renée means Born Again.

You could say I’m Stella The Third, since I am named after my Grandma Stella, and my mother’s name is Estelle, which means Little Star. My mom and grandmother just happen to be two of my favourite people!

I was raised in a small town in the province of Mpumalanga, South Africa. Mpumalanga means Where the Sun Rises. I spent my childhood playing in the savannah just across the road from our home. As a child I could be found dressed as a fairy, a witch, or anything fantastical, creating potions and making spells in buckets. I was never bored and my imagination was my best friend. As a child, I seriously considered running away with the circus or becoming a pop singer.

meet Stella

I “wrote” my first book when I was five years old by dictating it to my mother. She wrote down the words and I drew the pictures. I promptly stapled the pages together and asked my mom to deliver my book to the local library. I went back every week to see if anyone had read my book. My wonderful mom and the librarian hid it for a while and I was ecstatic when I saw it was no longer on the shelf!

I still enjoy reading children’s literature because I will forever be a child at heart. I love my work as an elementary school special education assistant in Canada, and I consider it a blessing that I’ve remained childlike in some ways.

I have, some would say, excessive amounts of energy!

I struggled with focus in both elementary and high school. When I went to school there were no education assistants, and students who didn’t fit into a square box were often misunderstood.

I want to be what I needed at school for those like me: students who zone out, who are sensitive and struggle with emotional regulation, students who have much too much energy and cannot sit still for long.

I was often labeled weird, like my protagonist in Mirabella, Mindful Witch. Inclusion is therefore incredibly important to me. In my own way, I know what it means to feel left out.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of South Africa. I never thought I was university material, but I received my degree with honours. I mention this not to boast, but because I am proud of surpassing my own limiting beliefs.

I also studied playwriting, acting, and directing at the South African School of Film, Television & Dramatic Art for two years. When I moved to Vancouver, Canada, I developed an ESL course, English through Drama, and wrote and performed plays featured on the Multicultural TV channel. I also staged one of my plays at the Vancouver Little Theatre on Main Street. I had an acting agent for a brief time but soon discovered that I was much more interested in writing scripts.

I wrote The Mystery of Miss Astrid Jones, which was published by Caramel Tree. PEN/Faulkner shortlisted my poem Stunned and longlisted my work, Suffertown, in the incomplete novel category in 2011. I also self-published an anthology of poems, Gaia’s Ghost, in aid of a local women’s shelter.

I have spent half my life in South Africa, and half in Canada. I wondered and wandered until I found the shores of Vancouver and got lost in a sea of green trees. I met my husband, the love of my life, in my neighborhood park where we walked our dogs.

I try not to take myself too seriously, and I think I’m at my best when I’m at my silliest.

I live by Dr. Seuss’s words: “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in life.” Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in my life, and sometimes a vehicle to communicate a deeper message. I like to throw it all into one cauldron: a dash of silly, a spoonful of fantasy, and a hint of allegory. And as one of my characters often says, I try to “sprinkle kindness” wherever I go!

Everything I do is an extension of my belief in the force that sustains it all: Love. I thank God for every blessing and every lesson.

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A few of my favourite things

Yoga. I have been practicing yoga for the past ten years, and I meditate on a daily basis. One of my many dreams is to teach yoga and meditation to children.

Nature. In my free time, you’ll find me at the river. I like swimming in rivers and lakes, and there’s nothing I love more than simply being outside.

Painting and journalling at my favourite spot by the river near my home. I have journals with poetry, lyrics, and diary entries that date back to my early teens.

The Wizard of Oz starring Julie Garland is my all-time favourite movie.

Reading & Literature. I’m inspired by authors such as JK Rolling, Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, and Julia Donaldson. I also love Paula Braxton and Alice Hoffman.

Gospel Music. To this day there are few things that bring me more joy than singing from the bottom of my soul in church.

I am a dog person and I love my husband’s Jack Russell just as much as I loved my toy-size Pomeranian. I’m also particularly fond of foxes, owls, and hummingbirds.

Cooking stews, soups, and curries. I LOVE spicy food! Baking feels too much like science and I have a special talent for losing recipes!

I love flowers, but wildflowers are my favourite.

I’m obsessed with the color purple. In fact, I’m obsessed with color in general.