MTS Alumnus and Author Kiyash Monsef Visits Campus

We were excited to welcome author Kiyash Monsef, MTS '91, to campus to discuss his recent books with middle school students. Kiyash is an Emmy Award-nominated producer and director. He writes short stories, videos, comic books, and games. He is also a designer of innovative conversational and voice interface experiences. Finally, and most importantly, he is the author of the great young adult fantasy, Once There Was, which won the Morris Award in 2024. In February the companion story to that book – Bird of a Thousand Stories – will be released. 

Kiyash read excerpts from both of his books and talked about his love of mythical creatures, the history surrounding many recurrent mythical beasts throughout different cultures, and the concept around "monsters" in storytelling. He then encouraged students to take a moment to think of a favorite place and imagine a creature of their own and to write or draw their ideas. He later visited the 8th grade humanities class to answer questions about storytelling and becoming an author.

Click here to learn more about Kiyash and his books.