Emma Rosa Ugarelli’s Author Blog

​There is only one sin, and that is theft.”
— Khaled Hosseini
Khaled Hosseini’s words are short, but they carry a powerful idea. When we hear the word theft, we usually think about someone taking something that belongs to another person. But what if theft means more than material possessions?
What if we can also steal something invisible—someone’s hope, freedom, confidence, motivation, or even their belief in the possibility of a different future?
This quote made me think about the many ways people can take from one another, sometimes openly and sometimes in ways that are much harder to recognize.
What can be stolen from a person without anything physical being taken?
Next week, I will share my personal reflection on this powerful idea and explore what Hosseini’s words mean to me when we look beyond the traditional meaning of theft.
I invite you to think about this question with me:
What is the greatest thing one person can steal from another?
Read my full reflection next week on my blog.

This week, for Literary Fact, we celebrate the birthday of Michael Ondaatje, a Canadian writer known for his poetic storytelling and his exploration of memory, identity, history, and the human experience.
Born on September 12, 1943, in Sri Lanka, Ondaatje later made Canada his home and became one of the country's most internationally recognized writers. His best-known novel, The English Patient, won the Booker Prize and established him as an important voice in contemporary literature.
But what interests me most about writers is not only what they write, but what moves them to write.
One quote attributed to Ondaatje particularly speaks to me:
“We are all trying to change the world, one story at a time.”
To me, writing can be a way of offering another perspective—to face fears, tell truths, and bring attention to what matters. When we write about human feelings, social issues, culture, or the experiences that move us, we are often trying to help others see something they may not have seen before.
Some writers see writing as a responsibility. Others see it as a mission, a motivation, or simply a way of expressing what lives inside them.
Whatever brings us to the page, every writer gives something of themselves through their stories.
Perhaps we cannot change the whole world with one story. But we may change the way one person thinks, feels, understands, or sees another human being.
And perhaps that is where change begins.
One story. One perspective. One reader at a time.

Poetic Corner: Writing to Love, Writing to HopeSometimes, before the words appear on the page, we have to stop and look at ourselves.
This poem began with a moment when I wanted to write, but nothing came. I stood up, looked at my reflection, and began asking myself two simple questions: Am I happy? Do I feel love?
The answers led me somewhere I did not expect.
I thought about the pages I have turned, the chapters I have finished, the regrets I carry, the memories I treasure, and everything I have experienced—the sadness and the joy, the falling and the getting up.
And I realized that, despite the chaos and unfairness I sometimes see in the world, I am happy.
Because I feel love.
Love for my family, my friends, the people around me, and somehow, for the world itself. I may not be able to change everything or repair all its broken pieces, but I can try. I can speak. I can write. I can create. I can offer a little kindness.
And perhaps that is one of the ways love travels—from one person to another, through our words, our stories, and the little pieces of ourselves we leave behind.
This is another poem in my Poetic Corner series.
A poem about love, happiness, hope, and the reason I continue to write.
I write for love.
I write for happiness.
I write for hope.
I write for you.
And that is why I write.

​Writing to Love, Writing to Hope Today I tried to write,
but the words would not come.
So I stood up
and stared at my reflection.
The time has passed.
The seasons have changed.
And so have I.
Looking at myself,
I asked:
Am I happy?
Do I feel love?
In my life,
I have turned so many pages,
finished so many chapters,
left some behind
and carried others with me.
Regrets?
Yes,
I have a few.
But I also have memories,
accomplishments,
lessons,
and dreams that still
have not learned how to end.
I have lived
the sadness and the joy,
the falling
and the getting up.
I have experienced it all.
And still,
I look again at my reflection
and answer:
Yes.
I am happy.
I feel love.
And I have learned
to accept myself.
I give love
to my family,
to my friends,
to the people around me,
and, somehow,
to the world.
A world that can be
unfair, chaotic,
and sometimes
almost impossible to understand.
I cannot change everything.
I cannot repair
all its broken pieces.
But I can try.
I can speak.
I can write.
I can create.
I can offer a little kindness
where I find a place for it.
Because love--
Love is a force
that moves us.
It begins somewhere
deep inside,
and then
it travels.
I love my partner.
I love my parents.
I love my children.
I love my grandchildren.
And somehow,
that love refuses
to stay inside me.
It spreads,
like a magical sheet
covering the world--
not with my hands,
but with my words.
With my stories.
With the little pieces of myself
that I leave behind
for someone else to find.
So yes,
I am happy.
I sit down again.
I take my place
in front of the blank page.
And this time,
the words come.
I write for love.
I write for happiness.
I write for hope.
I write for you.
And that is why
I write.

For this week's Authors of the Americas, I chose the Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector, an author whose writing often takes us into a very personal place: our inner world.
Clarice Lispector was born in 1920 and became one of the most distinctive and influential writers in Brazilian literature. Her work explored questions of identity, existence, emotions, desire, and the experience of being human. Her first novel, Perto do Coração Selvagem (Near to the Wild Heart), was published in 1943.
A line from the novel particularly caught my attention:
“Freedom is too little. What I desire still has no name.”
“La libertad es muy  poco. Lo que deseo todavía no tiene nombre.”
The words belong to Joana, the novel's protagonist, and express a desire that seems to go beyond what she can already define or put into words. Literary studies of the novel connect this idea with Joana's search for freedom and for something beyond the limitations already placed around her life.
When We Want Change but Don't Know What Comes NextFor me, these words speak about something many of us experience at different moments in life.
Sometimes we feel a desire for change.
We may want to make our own decisions, take a different direction, or simply feel that there must be something more for us. But knowing that we want something to change is not the same as knowing exactly what we want.
Sometimes, we don't even have the words to explain it.
We only know that something inside us is asking for something different.
And that can be confusing.
Looking Outside Ourselves for AnswersWhen we don't know what to do, it is natural to look outside ourselves.
We ask other people for advice. We listen to their experiences. We look at what others are doing and sometimes wonder whether we should follow the same path.
We may even compare our lives with theirs.
But other people's answers belong to them.
Their dreams are not necessarily our dreams. Their definition of success is not necessarily ours. Their idea of freedom may be completely different from what freedom means to us.
This is why I believe that, sometimes, we need to stop looking outside ourselves and begin looking within.
What Does Freedom Mean to Us?Freedom can mean many different things.
For one person, it may mean making their own decisions. For another, it may mean having the courage to change direction. For someone else, it may mean expressing who they truly are, following a dream, creating something new, or simply being able to live according to their own values.
Perhaps freedom is not only about being free from something.
Perhaps it is also about being free to become who we are capable of becoming.
And to understand that, we need to know ourselves.
Listening to Our Inner VoiceI believe we can learn a great deal by paying attention to what happens inside us.
Our thoughts can tell us what we value.
Our feelings can reveal what matters to us.
Our instincts can sometimes point us toward something we have not yet been able to explain.
Our dreams can show us possibilities.
And even our fears can teach us something about what is important to us.
This does not mean that every feeling gives us the answer. But listening to ourselves can be the beginning of understanding what we truly need.
We Don't Always Need an Immediate AnswerI think we live in a world that often expects immediate answers.
What do you want to do?
Where are you going?
What is your plan?
What comes next?
But perhaps some of the most important questions in life need time.
There may be moments when we know what we no longer want, but we don't yet know what should replace it.
That is okay.
We can allow ourselves to explore.
We can ask questions.
We can change our minds.
We can listen.
We can discover.
Not everything meaningful in our lives needs to have a name immediately.
Finding Our Own PathFor me, the most important message I take from these words is this:
Do not always look outside yourself for answers.
The world can offer us advice, inspiration, knowledge, and different possibilities. Other people can guide us and teach us. But ultimately, we have to discover what feels true for us.
Our path cannot always be copied from someone else's path.
Sometimes, we have to create it ourselves.
And perhaps that begins with becoming quiet enough to listen to what is happening inside us.
To explore our own ideas.
To understand our feelings.
To recognize our dreams and our fears.
To trust our instincts.
And most importantly, to get to know ourselves.
Maybe the reason what we desire still has no name is because we are still discovering it.
Perhaps we are still discovering ourselves.
And maybe the path we have been searching for outside of us has been waiting, all along, to be found within.
Sometimes, before we can find the path we are looking for, we have to find ourselves.

Labour Day is more than a day off from work. It is an opportunity to pause and recognize the importance of work in our lives and in our communities.
Work gives us opportunities to use our abilities, develop our talents, support others, create something meaningful, and contribute to the world around us. Not all work looks the same, and not every contribution is visible, but each one can have value.
A teacher may shape a child's future. A caregiver may provide comfort and security. A farmer grows the food we eat. A builder creates the places where we live and work. A writer creates stories that may inspire a child's imagination. There are countless ways people contribute every day.
Perhaps Labour Day is also a reminder that the value of our work is not measured only by how much we earn, but by the difference our efforts make.
When we recognize the work of others, we also recognize something important about being part of a community: we depend on one another, and each of us has something to contribute.
 Happy Labour Day! May we appreciate the work we do, the people who make a difference every day, and the many contributions—large and small—that help make our world a better place.

When we read a wonderful book, we often become absorbed in the story, the characters, and the world the author has created. But have you ever wondered about the person behind those words?
Writers are people with their own personalities, habits, interests, passions, and sometimes wonderfully peculiar ways of doing things. Learning a little about their lives can give us a different perspective on their books and help us see the imagination and experiences that may have influenced their work.
Here are eight fun and fascinating facts about famous writers.
1. Charles Dickens gave his characters unusual names Charles Dickens had a remarkable talent for creating memorable characters, and their names were often just as unforgettable. Think of Ebenezer Scrooge, Oliver Twist, Uriah Heep, or Miss Havisham.
His unusual names were not chosen randomly. They often gave readers clues about a character's personality, appearance, or role in the story.
Dickens understood that a name could become an important part of a character. Even today, many of his characters' names are immediately recognizable.
2. J.K. Rowling created an entire magical world When J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books, she did much more than create a story about a young wizard. She built an entire magical universe.
She invented magical creatures, spells, sports, schools, traditions, places, and hundreds of names. Many of these details were carefully planned and connected throughout the series.
Her imagination reminds us that a writer doesn't simply tell a story. A writer can create an entire world and invite readers to step inside it.
3. Henry David Thoreau lived simply in a small cabin American writer Henry David Thoreau is famous for Walden, a book inspired by the time he spent living in a small cabin near Walden Pond in Massachusetts.
He wanted to experience a simpler way of life and spend more time observing nature and thinking about life.
His experience became much more than a personal experiment. It inspired writing about nature, simplicity, independence, and our relationship with the world around us.
4. C.S. Lewis created the magical land of Narnia C.S. Lewis took readers through a magical doorway into Narnia, a world filled with talking animals, mythical creatures, kings and queens, battles, and adventure.
One of the most memorable characters is Aslan, the great lion who became one of the best-known figures in children's literature.
Lewis showed how powerful imagination can be. A story written for children can create a world that remains in readers' memories for many years.
5. Beatrix Potter loved animals Beatrix Potter is beloved by generations of children for her charming animal characters, including Peter Rabbit.
Her love of animals was not simply something she put into her stories. She spent a great deal of time observing and drawing animals and nature. Her detailed illustrations show how carefully she studied the world around her.
Her curiosity and attention to small details helped transform ordinary animals into memorable characters with their own personalities.
6. Jules Verne imagined incredible journeys Long before many of the technologies we know today existed, French writer Jules Verne was imagining extraordinary adventures.
His novels took readers on journeys around the world, beneath the sea, and even toward the moon. Some of his ideas seemed almost impossible when he wrote them.
His books demonstrate how imagination can sometimes look ahead of its time. Writers can dream about possibilities that later inspire scientists, inventors, and future generations.
7. Arthur Conan Doyle was a doctor before becoming a famous writer Before becoming famous for creating Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle studied medicine and worked as a doctor.
His medical training influenced his writing. Sherlock Holmes is famous for carefully observing details, gathering evidence, and using logical reasoning to solve mysteries.
It is fascinating to think that Doyle's experience as a doctor may have helped shape one of literature's greatest detectives.
8. William Shakespeare gave us words and expressions we still use today William Shakespeare lived more than four centuries ago, yet his influence can still be found in the English language.
He is credited with creating or popularizing many words and expressions that have become part of everyday English. His plays also introduced generations of readers to unforgettable characters, powerful emotions, humor, tragedy, and unforgettable stories.
Shakespeare's work reminds us that words can have a very long life. A writer may put words on a page hundreds of years ago, and those words can still speak to people today.
 Behind Every Writer, There Is a Unique PersonIt is fascinating to discover the stories behind great writers. Learning about their writing styles, interests, peculiar habits, and even their little quirks can help us understand not only their work, but also the people behind the words.
And perhaps this is one of the most interesting things about writers: they are all different.
Some are quiet and reflective. Others are adventurous and curious. Some develop unusual routines, while others find inspiration in nature, animals, science, travel, or everyday life.
But writers aren't the only people with interesting quirks.
We all have our own funny ideas, little habits, passions, and peculiarities. These things may seem small, but they are part of our personalities and part of what makes each of us unique.
Perhaps the next time you read a book, you will wonder not only “What happens in this story?” but also:
“What kind of person imagined this world?”
Because sometimes, discovering the person behind the story makes the story even more fascinating. 

I arrived in Barcelona from Madrid around noon. After checking into my hotel, I was happy to find that it was clean, modern, and well located. It also had something I had learned to appreciate during this trip: an elevator.
Before leaving the hotel, I left my backpack behind and took only what I considered essential. As I had done throughout my trip, I carried my Surface, my light laptop, with me, along with a small separate bag containing my passport, cards, and other important things. My phone also had a little strap attached to it, something that proved extremely useful during my travels. I could keep it around my wrist or attached to me instead of constantly worrying about dropping or losing it.
I had been told that I should be careful about walking alone at night in Barcelona, so I decided to explore during the day and return to my hotel before it became late.
I began walking through some of the oldest and most interesting parts of the city. I went toward Port Vell, Plaça del Palau, Ciutat Vella, La Ribera, Plaça Nova, the Quadrat d'Or, and La Rambla. From there, I continued through the Gothic Quarter, walking along its main streets and admiring the historic buildings and narrow streets.
Barcelona felt very different from the other European cities I had visited. There was something particularly lively about the combination of history, architecture, art, shops, restaurants, and people filling the streets.
After walking for hours, I stopped at a restaurant near the Gothic Quarter and had a typical Basque dish. It was a nice way to end my first exploration of Barcelona. After seeing the Cathedral and wandering through the Gothic Quarter and along La Rambla, I returned to my hotel.
The next morning, I had breakfast at the hotel and went out again.
My first destination was the area around Plaça de Gaudí and the Sagrada Família.
The Sagrada FamíliaThe Sagrada Família was spectacular.
I knew before visiting that it was one of Barcelona's most famous landmarks, but seeing it in person was something completely different. What impressed me most was learning more about its history as an ongoing project inspired by Antoni Gaudí, continuing and changing over generations.
The basilica is majestic, both inside and outside. What fascinated me was that so many elements have a purpose. The architecture, shapes, materials, colours, symbols, and especially the use of light all work together to tell a story.
For me, the Sagrada Família was much more than a religious building. Of course, its religious meaning is fundamental, but its architecture and aesthetic qualities make it extraordinary even for someone simply interested in art, design, creativity, and human imagination.
After the Sagrada Família, I went to Barceloneta Beach and enjoyed a stroll along the waterfront.
By around two in the afternoon, I continued toward Park Güell. On the way, I stopped at Can Baró to take a picture of the city. The view was beautiful, and it gave me another opportunity to appreciate how Barcelona stretches between the hills and the Mediterranean.
Park Güell and a Long WalkPark Güell was amazing. I walked and walked, exploring as much as I could and stopping frequently to admire the architecture and the views.
By then, however, my feet were beginning to complain. My new sneakers, which I had hoped would make all the walking easier, were still hurting my feet. But I was on a mission, and I didn't want to stop.
From Park Güell, I continued toward Montjuïc.
This turned out to be one of the more adventurous parts of my Barcelona experience.
At some point on Montjuïc Hill, I realized that I was lost. I was very high up, my feet hurt, and there was almost nobody around whom I could ask for directions. To make matters worse, the taxis I tried to find simply would not stop.
So I decided that the only thing I could do was walk downhill.
Looking back, I think getting lost was actually a blessing.
Because I had to walk down instead of taking a taxi, I saw places I might otherwise have missed. I passed the Olympic Stadium, the Mirador del Palau Nacional, the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, and the Magic Fountain.
I stopped whenever I could to rest my feet and then continued.
Eventually, after a very long but productive walk downhill, I finally found a taxi that would take me back to my hotel.
My feet were tired, but I was happy.
Barcelona's Street ArtOne small detail about Barcelona also caught my attention. Something I don't commonly see in Vancouver is the way some stores seem to use art on their doors and storefronts almost as a form of promotion. The graffiti and painted designs made many of the entrances look colourful and artistic. Instead of simply being advertisements, they became part of the visual character of the city.
Barcelona in Two DaysBarcelona was amazing.
In only two days, I felt that I had grasped a great deal of its beauty—not because I had seen everything, but because I had walked so much of it. I walked through its historic neighbourhoods, along the beach, through Gaudí's extraordinary creations, up and down its hills, and even got lost along the way.
Sometimes, getting lost is part of discovering a place.
And Barcelona gave me plenty to discover.

Today I’m introducing Yuri and the Treasure Box, my second published book after Lou and His Mane and the first story to feature Yuri, a lively and curious little monkey who lives in the Peruvian Amazon.
Yuri loves exploring and discovering new things. But sometimes his curiosity and impulsiveness lead him into trouble.
One day, Yuri finds a mysterious object in the jungle. He doesn't know what it is, so he tries using it as a hat, a seat, and even a drum. Nothing seems to work—until a tiny leaf falls inside.
Then Yuri has an idea: he will make it his very own treasure box.
But what should he collect?
Yuri begins putting little creatures into his box, thinking of them as treasures. He doesn't stop to consider how they feel or whether they want to be there. The box becomes crowded, and eventually Yuri experiences something that makes him see the situation differently.
When Yuri finds himself trapped, he begins to understand what the little creatures may have been feeling.
Through Yuri's adventure, children can explore the importance of empathy, respect, consideration, self-regulation, kindness, and caring for the environment.
Yuri's story reminds us that our actions affect others—and that sometimes we need to pause, think, and try to see a situation from another's point of view.
Empathy begins when we take the time to consider how others feel.
I invite you to discover more about Yuri and his adventure!
Visit EugarelliBooks or Emma's Place to learn more about Yuri and the Treasure Box, explore my other books, and find free Yuri activities and educational resources to enjoy with children.
 Come meet Yuri and discover his treasure box!