About the Author

BASIL SYLVESTER is a non-binary writer and bookseller. Their first book, The Fabulous Zed Watson!, co-written with Kevin Sylvester, was a finalist for the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award, the 2021 Lambda Award and the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. Night of the Living Zed is their second novel.

Reviews

"Completely irresistible . . . There are few books that offer unadulterated joy from beginning to end. But The Fabulous Zed Watson! is a middle-grade wonder." -- Quill & Quire (starred review)"Zed is a delightful protagonist, full of heart and humour, with a personality as big and colourful as their outfits--many of which are amusingly illustrated by Kevin throughout the book. Gabe and Zed's friendship shines on the page, and discussion of Zed's gender is treated with respect and nuance. Full of twists and turns, laughs and emotional lows, The Fabulous Zed Watson is a delightful road trip novel for young readers." -- CM Magazine"Led by an endearing and self-empowered main character who knows they're 'over the top' in the best of ways, this road trip mystery is filled with original queer, trans, and nonbinary characters who I am delighted for kids to meet." -- Alex Gino, Stonewall and Lambda Award-winning author of GEORGE and RICK"Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester have populated their novel with a refreshing cast of interesting and gender-nonconforming characters, as well as one dastardly villain . . . In the end, this is a book about the importance of seeing ourselves in the stories we read." -- Canadian Children's Book News"What could be better than a novel by the incredible Sylvester? A novel by two Sylvesters! This family is bound to become Canadian middle-grade royalty." -- Susin Nielsen, author of No Fixed Address and We Are All Made of Molecules"It is impossible not to fall in love with Zed Watson. Fabulous indeed!" -- Kenneth Oppel, bestselling author of Inking and the Bloom Trilogy"Wow: A literary puzzle, a road trip adventure, a delightfully exuberant nonbinary protagonist, and a cast of quirky and very lovable characters. Add in the wonderful wordplay, fabulous nerdiness, adorable illustrations and plenty of laugh out loud moments and you have a book that is sure to be a hit. I cannot wait to introduce to young readers to Zed Watson!" -- Robin Stevenson, Stonewall Honor Award-winning author of Pride"The Fabulous Zed Watson was everything I wanted: a madcap adventure full of hijinks, a loving portrayal of a nonbinary kid, and a nerdy literary romp that my nonbinary ten-year-old literally begged for more of every night." -- S. Bear Bergman, Lambda Award-winning author and publisher"I love that ZED is a story like no other on the market. The sensitive manner in which this subject is explored is one of the story's strong points. I also love the sweet illustrations which work so well to capture Zed's impishness." -- Monica Kulling, author of Mary Anning's Curiosity