About Laura

Press & Interviews

Laura has always loved stories. Some of her fondest childhood memories are of hearing adults chat about life and work while playing bridge at the kitchen table. By her late teens, she realized that she wanted to have a career as a writer.

Without a mentor to guide her, her poetry, plays and short stories went no further than her computer and a box of three-ring binders. In the meantime, Laura pursued her other passion - teaching - and earned Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and History, and a Master of Arts in Educational Studies. Along the way her essays won awards and her teaching skills opened many doors for her in the academic world; but it wasn't really where she wanted to be.

Everything came together for Laura when she became a parent. How, she wondered, could she encourage her daughter to follow her dreams if she wasn't doing the same? Her writing grew into telling stories to kids and the storytelling fed her writing. Tutoring ESL and special needs students improved her skills as both a writer and teacher. Now Laura earns her living as a writer and storyteller and by equipping teachers to help their students become better writers and storytellers.

And though she began her journey thinking that she was just a "writer," she has learned that it all begins with being a storyteller, a disappearing art form that has to be both modeled and practiced if it is going to survive. For Laura, exploring the art of the spoken word has been an unexpected joy.

Laura has been working as a professional children's storyteller since April, 2007. Her alter ego, Agent Story, was born when she was asked in July of that year to perform at a vacation bible school camp with a secret agent theme. To date she has entertained thousands of children in more than one hundred performances.

Her latest storytelling project is a live show and YouTube resource for teachers and parents called Money & Me with Agent Story.

Laura recently received a grant from the Storytellers of Canada to organize an event for young writers and storytellers for World Storytelling Day 2011.

Recent Publications
Laura Thomas, " Four Steps to a Memorable Christmas Story," MB Herald, 48:12 (December 2009), p. 32.
Laura Thomas, “Single Parents: Out of the Closet,” MBHerald, 47:2 (February 2008), p. 10-11. (Also published online MBHerald.com and Christianity.ca).

Professional Memberships
Teachers & Writers Collaborative of New York
Storytellers of Canada
ArtStarts British Columbia Artist
Vancouver Society of Storytelling

Press & Interviews