About
An author, editor, creative writing teacher, Mina Witteman writes in English and Dutch. She has seven middle grade novels out in the Netherlands, over 40 short stories, and a Little Golden Book. 'The Unlikely Odyssey of Boreas Wind,' comes out April 2027 with Blue Dot Kids Press.
Witteman won the 2019 San Francisco Writing Contest with an excerpt from her manuscript 'Passing Strange.'
Her Dutch middle grade series tells the story of twelve-year-old Boreas, who circumnavigates the world with his parents on a sailboat. The first book, Boreas en de zeven zeeën (Boreas and the Seven Seas), 2015, received rave reviews, was longlisted for the Kinderjury, and elected core title for the 2019 Dutch National Children’s Book Week.
Blue Dot Kids Press acquired North-American, New Zealand and Australian rights for the first book. The English-language edition, title 'The Unlikely Odyssey of Boreas Wind' is set to come out in the US and Canada in April 2027.'
Boreas en de duizend eilanden (Boreas and the Thousand Islands), 2016, was equally praised, just like the third book, Boreas en de vier windstreken (Boreas and the Four Winds), 2017. Book 4, Boreas en de vijftien vrienden (Boreas and the Fifteen Friends), 2018, is longlisted for the Jonge Jury Prijs, the annual Young Jury Award.
She debuted in 2005 with De wraak van Deedee (Deedee's Revenge), a middle grade novel with Van Goor Children's Books, followed by two more middle grade novels, before she switched to Ploegsma Children's Books.
Witteman has over 40 short stories published in magazines and anthologies, most notably a series of 21 short stories for Bobo Magazine with the illustrations of the illustrious Fiep Westendorp. Witteman has a Dutch Little Golden Book to her name: Mia's Nest, 2014. The Spanish translation, El nido de Mia, 2016, was published by Panamericana.
Witteman was Program Director Children’s and YA Literature of the Bay Area Book Festival and continues to serve on the festival's Program Advisory Board. She served for many years as the International Published Authors’ Coordinator for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Witteman was Chairman of the Working Group Children's Books of the Dutch Authors Guild and Regional Advisor for SCBWI the Netherlands, in which capacity she was one of the main architects and founding members of the successful SCBWI Europolitan Conferences. Witteman was member of the EU Planning Committee of the SCBWI British Isles' Undiscovered Voices Competition for unagented and unpublished writers and illustrators and a nominating body for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. She was Coordinator Children’s and YA Literature for the US of the Dutch Foundation for Literature
Witteman is a seasoned book editor and a certified teacher of creative writing. She teaches across continents at conferences and institutions like UC Berkeley's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. She mentors published and pre-published writers alike.
Witteman lives with her partner, Heyday publisher Steve Wasserman, in Berkeley, California.
Featured Work
The Unlikely Odyssey of Boreas Wind
When twelve-year-old Boreas "Bo" Wind reluctantly leaves his home in Amsterdam to join his parents on a voyage around the world, he expects boredom—not danger. But as fierce stroms, daring rescues, and unforgettable encounters test his courage, Bo discovers that life at sea can change him in ways he never imagined.
Blending high-stakes adventure with themes of family, resilience, and environmental stewardship, The Unlikely Odyssey of Boreas Wind is an action-packed middle grade novel by Dutch author Mina Witteman. As Bo travels across the globe, he faces the challenges of life at sea while gaining a deeper understanding of himself, his family, and the fragile world around him.
Featuring black-and-white logbook illustrations by Carlos Vélez, The Unlikely Odyssey of Boreas Wind offers young readers a memorable coming-of-age story about courage, curiosity, and an unforgettable life at sea.
