Name: Xan Halmagiu, Xan van Rooyen
Pronouns: They/Them
Neurodivergence: Autistic
Professional Role: Author. Music teacher.
Bio: Climber, tattoo collector, and peanut-butter connoisseur, Xan van Rooyen is an autistic, non-binary storyteller from South Africa, currently living in Finland. Xan has a Master’s degree in music, and, when not teaching, enjoys conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters.
As an educator, Xan is committed to creating an anti-racist, trauma-informed curriculum and a classroom truly safe and accessible for all students. You can find Xan’s stories in the likes of Three-Lobed Burning Eye, Daily Science Fiction, and Galaxy's Edge among others. They have also written several novels including YA fantasy My Name is Magic, and adult arcanopunk novel Silver Helix. Xan is also part of the Sauutiverse, an African writer's collective with their first anthology due out this November from Android Press.
As an educator, Xan is committed to creating an anti-racist, trauma-informed curriculum and a classroom truly safe and accessible for all students. You can find Xan’s stories in the likes of Three-Lobed Burning Eye, Daily Science Fiction, and Galaxy's Edge among others. They have also written several novels including YA fantasy My Name is Magic, and adult arcanopunk novel Silver Helix. Xan is also part of the Sauutiverse, an African writer's collective with their first anthology due out this November from Android Press.
Recent Publications: Mothersound: The Sauutiverse Anthology forthcoming from Android Press, Nov 2023; My Name is Magic, YA fantasy Tiny Ghost Press, September 2022; Silver Helix, adult cyberpunk, forthcoming from Android Press, Sept 2023.
Website: www.suzannevanrooyen.com/
Twitter: @xan_writer
Instagram: @xan_writer
Facebook: xan van rooyen
Discord: xan#7646
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Available for Virtual Sessions: YES
Available for In-Person Sessions: POSSIBLY
Available to Travel: European/UK bookings are most possible. Bookings in South Africa also possible depending on when. Travel outside of Europe/UK might be possible if the engagement were paid or subsidized.
Specific Support Required: All important information needs to be communicated in writing. Everything else I can manage myself.
Speaking Topics Include: Late-diagnosed autism; Universal design for learning; Play-based education in early childhood education and inclusiveness for neurodivergent students; Trauma-informed approaches to curriculum; DEIJ school policies specifically for LGBT+ students; How to build a neurodivergent-friendly classroom; How to accommodate and celebrate neurodiversity in music class; LGBT+ themes; Afrocentric world-building in SF/F; Neurodiversity in characters; intersectionality of neurodiversity and queerness.
Suitable Audiences Include: Primary and secondary students; Fellow educators; Fellow writers; Anyone interested in the topics listed.
Speaker Experience: I've been a music teacher for 12+ years working at schools in South Africa, Australia, Sweden, and Finland. I've been teaching at international IB schools for the past 7+ years where I have learned a lot about neurodiversity (my own included), DEIJ practices, how to decolonize curriculum and create an anti-racist classroom, principles of universal design for learning getting away from the 'othering' that occurs with traditional differentiation, the importance of play-based learning especially to include neurodivergent students, and most recently trauma-informed approaches to curriculum. I've attended numerous conferences and workshops on a variety of topics.
I've been a published author for 10+ years and am deeply committed to writing stories featuring authentic and diverse representation specifically of queer characters. I have been a panelist and moderator at various cons including: FinnCon, Archipelacon, SweCon, WorldCon, and most recently at the Nebula conference. I am a founding member of the Sauuti collective, a writer's group who has created an Afrocentric story world deliberately bringing African mythology, culture, and pre-colonial perspectives into SF/F. I have participated both in-person and online. I have also been invited to give presentations on queerness in fiction at the University of Johannesburg and at schools in South Africa, as well as at bookshops and libraries in Finland.
I've been a published author for 10+ years and am deeply committed to writing stories featuring authentic and diverse representation specifically of queer characters. I have been a panelist and moderator at various cons including: FinnCon, Archipelacon, SweCon, WorldCon, and most recently at the Nebula conference. I am a founding member of the Sauuti collective, a writer's group who has created an Afrocentric story world deliberately bringing African mythology, culture, and pre-colonial perspectives into SF/F. I have participated both in-person and online. I have also been invited to give presentations on queerness in fiction at the University of Johannesburg and at schools in South Africa, as well as at bookshops and libraries in Finland.
Presentation Pitch: Creating an inclusive music classroom; Queerness and neurodiversity; Open to any and all suggestions.
Book This Speaker: Via email at [email protected]
