CRAFT
Mark is available to give talks on various elements of the writing process. They’ve given lectures and taught workshops on the following topics: writing compelling dialogue, structure, outlining, editing, brainstorming, and more.

PUBLISHING
If you’re looking for an overview of breaking into the industry, navigating publishing, insight into the editorial process, or Mark’s experiences as an openly queer person of color in publishing, they’re also willing to speak specifically about publishing as a whole!

KEYNOTES
Mark has given numerous original keynotes to organizations, festivals, and conventions, and is absolutely interested in catering a talk to a specific theme. In the past, they’ve presented: “How Do You Do It?,” a keynote about writing, momentum, and mental health; “The Sun and The Star,” a presentation about the experience of co-writing with Rick Riordan; and “The Mathematics of Writing,” a personal piece in which numbers tell the story of Mark’s journey through publishing.

“2024 Locus Awards Top Ten Finalists”

Mary Sue Logo

“‘Percy Jackson’ Spinoff ‘The Sun and the Star’: Rick Riordan & Mark Oshiro Interview”

Visit Mark Oshiro’s markoshiro and follow them on Twitter, and Instagram.

“Mark was a delight and made an impact at all three programs.”

“I just wanted to thank you, again, for your generosity in engaging with our kiddos. You made a BIG impact that is still rippling through the community. I thought you’d like to hear a little story that my colleague shared with me this week; his advisee came into his office after you left, asked if she had permission to curse (to which he said yes) and she sat down, sighed, and said, “that was f—ing cool.”

“Thank you so much for your time and energy today! It was sensational. Please know that I preordered Into the Light and have had several kids ask me for it already!”

“MARK! Thank you so much for taking AN HOUR out of your day to chat with the fifth graders and then the seniors! So awesome! You really made a difference in a whole bunch of kids today! Thank you!”

Testimonials from Lambda Literary Writers in Schools Program

“Mark: As always it was an absolute pleasure having you visit us and you will always be welcomed with open arms at MS 137!”

“Mark Oshiro’s March 21st virtual visit with my students was incredibly powerful. To quote one student’s whisper to another during the presentation, ‘WOW, he real!’ Such a wonderful role model for my high school students. Students going through struggles with gender identity, homelessness, ethnic and cultural identity, and religious identity could all identify with Mark Oshiro. Mark shared his personal experiences which resonated with my high school students.”

“When I first applied and we matched with Mark Oshiro, I knew that the students would experience something they never have before. They were so excited to see a queer Hispanic person who was once in their shoes, telling a fantasy story, referencing their own experiences. The students who are LGBTQIA+, along with our students who are children of immigrants, have never felt more seen or validated. Our population is largely Hispanic, so Mark Oshiro’s novel and Author’s Visit was life changing for many of them. They saw themselves in Mark.”

“The presentation was well-timed, inclusive, and multi-modal (loved the pictures), and exciting. Mark had a great presence and they really understood how to engage the students. The question and answer portion was particularly meaningful as Mark encouraged students to ask all kinds of questions, not just questions related to The Insiders.”

“We enjoyed not only Mark Oshiro’s PowerPoint presentation, which was amazing, but also how much our students remained engaged and were excited about having a book talk.”

“This program made the students extremely happy. Not only were they excited to meet an LGBTQ author but having the space to openly discuss their options and questions on the book was a great experience for them. They felt heard and appreciated by the author (Mark Oshiro). We enjoyed the Q&A portion. The open dialogue between students and the author was great. Students felt so cool being able to ask their own questions and receive such honest responses.”

“Meeting Mark Oshiro was an amazing experience for our GSA students. The students enjoyed reading and discussing the book The Insiders as we led up to the author visit but they burst with excitement and curiosity upon meeting Mark. The energy that Mark brought was contagious and their ability to connect with the students was wonderful. Mark put together a wonderful slideshow from childhood to present, which really allowed for our students to connect. Mark shared about their process and gave students an inside scoop into their work, which students loved! In addition, Mark’s candidness in which they shared their own struggles with being LGBTQ+ really resonated with the students. The experience exceeded my expectations.”