Louise Penny

Louise Penny

Keynote Speaker: Canadian Journalist & Author of Mystery Novels

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Louise Penny Biography

Louise Penny is a Canadian author of mystery novels set in the Canadian province of Quebec centered on the work of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. Penny's first career was as a radio broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. After she turned to writing, she won numerous awards for her work, including the Agatha Award for best mystery novel of the year for four consecutive years (2007–2010) and the Anthony Award for two novels. Her novels have been published in 23 languages.

Penny was born in Toronto in 1958. Her mother was an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction, with a particular liking for crime fiction, and Louise grew up reading mystery writers such as Agatha Christie, Georges Simenon, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Michael Innes.

Penny earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Radio and Television) from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Ryerson University) in 1979. After graduation, at age 21, she embarked on an 18-year career as a radio host and journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. At the start of her broadcasting career, Penny took postings at locations far from friends and family, and to help deal with feelings of loneliness and isolation, she increasingly turned to alcohol. At age 35, she admitted to an alcohol problem and has been sober since. Shortly afterward, she met her future husband, Michael Whitehead, head of hematology at Montreal Children's Hospital, on a blind date.

After her marriage, Penny left the CBC to take up writing. Although she started a historical novel, she had difficulty finishing it, and eventually switched to mystery writing. She entered her first novel, "Still Life," in the "Debut Dagger" competition in the United Kingdom, placing second out of 800 entries. The novel won other awards, including the "New Blood" Dagger award in the United Kingdom, the Arthur Ellis Award in Canada for best first crime novel, the Dilys Award, the Anthony Award and the Barry Award for Best First Novel in the United States.

Penny has published a further fifteen novels, garnering major crime novel award nominations for almost every one of her novels and subsequently winning several of those awards.

Her oeuvre features Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, head of the homicide department of the Sûreté du Québec. Although set in the province of Quebec, the novels feature many hallmarks of the British whodunit genre, including murders by unconventional means, bucolic villages, large casts of suspects, red herrings and a dramatic disclosure of the murderer in the last few pages of the book.

In 2009, Penny helped to launch a new award for aspiring Canadian mystery writers, the Unhanged Arthur for Best Unpublished First Novel.

In 2013, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada "for her contributions to Canadian culture as an author shining a spotlight on the Eastern Townships of Quebec."

In 2013, "Still Life" was made into a movie for CBC TV with British actor Nathaniel Parker cast as Chief Inspector Gamache.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Louise Penny and other top speakers and celebrities.

Louise Penny Videos

Louise Penny, "A Better Man" - YouTube
Louise Penny: 2018 National Book Festival
Ann Cleeves and Louise Penny on writing, mystery, and friendship ...

How do I book Louise Penny to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Louise Penny for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Louise Penny, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Louise Penny or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Louise Penny for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Louise Penny, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is $10,000 - $20,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Louise Penny, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Louise Penny speak about?

Louise Penny is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Authors, Women and Literary.

Where does Louise Penny travel from?

Louise Penny generally travels from Montreal, Canada and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Louise Penny?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Louise Penny for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Louise Penny for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Louise Penny or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Louise Penny is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Authors, Women and Literary. The estimated speaking fee range to book Louise Penny for live events is $10,000 - $20,000. Please contact us for virtual event fees. Louise Penny generally travels from Montreal, Canada and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Lois Lowry, Pam Muñoz Ryan and Michael Koryta. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Louise Penny for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 02/07/2024.

Louise Penny Videos

Louise Penny, "A Better Man" - YouTube
Louise Penny: 2018 National Book Festival
Ann Cleeves and Louise Penny on writing, mystery, and friendship ...

Louise Penny News

  • How do I book Louise Penny to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Louise Penny for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Louise Penny, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Louise Penny or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Louise Penny for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Louise Penny, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is $10,000 - $20,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Louise Penny, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Louise Penny speak about?

    Louise Penny is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Authors, Women and Literary.
  • Where does Louise Penny travel from?

    Louise Penny generally travels from Montreal, Canada and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Louise Penny?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Louise Penny for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Louise Penny for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Louise Penny or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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