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Ellen Kartz is an active writer who was born and raised in Edmonton. She has a BA from the University of Calgary and an MFA from UBC. Ellen writes mainly poetry and creative notification. Ellen worked with and for the Edmonton Poetry Festival for many years as a volunteer coordinator, funding and board member. Currently, she is the Communications & Partnerships Coordinator for the Writer’s Guild of Alberta.  1. I know that you have been studied at the U of

Jenna Butler realized early, that living on and writing about the land would be an important aspect of her life. Butler is a travel and eco-criticism writer as well as an academic writer and professor. Not only is she a writer and teacher, but she and her husband have built an off-grid organic farm. In addition to everything she has done in Canada and Alberta, she has also lived, written and taught in many places around the world, all adding

Gunnilla Nilsson is a 46 year old writer from Athabasca, Alberta. She has published her master’s thesis in Forest Economics at the University of Alberta, but has now shifted her interests to creative writing. Discovering that creative writing was her true passion took some time for Gunnilla. Following her student life, she worked in the natural resource industry as a professional forester, but later she returned to school to learn how to trim horse’s hooves. It wasn’t until a couple

The Journey of writing       The writer that I interviewed is called Jock Mackenzie. He is of Scottish descent but was born in Canada so he speaks English and a bit of French. He worked as an experienced language arts teacher, Vice Principal and Principal with RDPSD (Red Deer Public School District) for 31 years. He has a Bachelor of Education and Post Graduate Diploma in English, focused in English/Language Arts Teacher Education from University of Alberta. Moreover,

 The Multifacetedness of a Writer: Turning Challenges Into Opportunities An occasional teacher, avid traveller, and accomplished writer with forty years of professional experience, Cheryl Mahaffy illustrates the value of versatility in writing. She has a diverse body of work, including periodicals, books, magazines, annual reports, and has a multitude of strong ties to her community. The following is a short interview I had the pleasure of conducting with Cheryl Mahaffy, discussing various challenges she has faced in her career, and

Leslie Greentree is a Canadian poet and playwright who is very keen with establishing a genuine relatability with her audience. Her work ranges from short stories and essays (The Waiting Anthology), to books of poetry, an award-winning short fiction novel (A Minor Planet for You), two plays. Her most recent work features herself as the lead actress of a successful one-woman play called “The Year of Magical Thinking”.   Does your cultural background play a vital role in influencing the

By Colleen Penton For this project, I had the chance to interview Breanna Massey, who is a writer living in Calgary while working on various writing projects. She is a graduate of Mount Royal University with a degree in English and was part of an interesting program during her studies in which she lived in a seniors residence for 15 months while teaching literature classes to the seniors there. She currently writes poetry and is completing a novel for middle

Shirley Serviss is a local Edmonton writer, and poet, who works with the University of Alberta Hospital to uplift the spirits of patients through her writing. Through this interview, Shirley sheds light onto the positive benefits that exist when art and writing is integrated into the healthcare system, and the positive effects it can have on patients in their recovery process.   LM: Hi Shirley, after reading a little about how you are involved in the Friends of University Hospitals

Moji Taiwo is an award-winning author from Lagos, Nigeria located in West Africa. As a young woman, she immigrated to Canada and began working as a civil servant for the Government of Alberta. Ever since her childhood, Moji loved to convey her emotions and feelings through writing and storytelling. After retiring from her civil servant duties, Moji released her established novel “ I give because I’m blessed- I’m blessed because I give,” which explores her life as an immigrant showcasing

Audrey Whitson is a published author who grew up on a farm in Alberta. She was born here, and has spent her life collecting experiences and stories, transferring thought to page as it comes to her. Audrey has lived or travelled extensively in many places, including Mexico and South America, the United States, Alberta, and the Northwest territories. She has studied both social work and theology, and has taught at the graduate and undergraduate level. She published her first book

  Anamol Mani Paudel was born and raised in Nepal, Asia. Paudel has a strong connection to his culture, writing stories and poems in his mother language, Napalese. His culture and experiences are the main influences of his writing pieces. One piece in particular, “Test-Tube Baby and My Beloved”, is heavily based upon the culture of Nepalese society. Aside from writing, Paudel enjoys travelling, visiting United States of America, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka and China. Paudel has been a member

    To Inspire While some authors may choose to leave their writing and real lives unattached, many make use of their experiences to further enhance the stories they wish to tell. Recently I had the opportunity of getting to know Susan Calder, a very inspirational woman who almost seamlessly integrates her background into her books. Susan moved from Montreal to Calgary in 1996, and is the author of two mystery novels. She has also won contests for many of

Lori Hahnel is the author behind three fictional novels that brings readers into a world of  romance, music, and relationships. Her dream to be a writer started very young and she dedicated many hours of her life into pursuing this goal. She did her Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Calgary while initially wanting to take creative writing.  As she grew older, she learned that with doing what you love, comes hardships such as rejection, long hours

Cheryl Foggo is an accomplished author, playwright, historian, and public speaker. According to the Writers Guild of Alberta site, she is a recipient of numerous awards such as the Professional of the year by Black Gold Awards Society of Alberta and the Sondra Kelly Screenplay Award from the Writers’ Guild of Canada. A native of Calgary, Cheryl is a descendant of Black Pioneers who arrived to western Canada from the United States  in 1910. Alongside approximately 1500 African Americans, her

  Barb Howard is a short story writer who resides in Calgary, spending her spare time enjoying Alberta’s Rocky Mountains by hiking, biking and skiing. She has been the President’s Writers’ Guild of Alberta and is well known for her short story collection Western Taxidermy. Howard is recognized for her non-fiction and fiction writings that have been published in magazines and journals nationwide.   Q: Based off my research I am aware that you have pursued many jobs such as

Gunnilla Nilsson is a 46 year old writer from Athabasca, Alberta. She has published her master’s thesis in Forest Economics at the University of Alberta, but has now shifted her interests to creative writing. Discovering that creative writing was her true passion took some time for Gunnilla. Following her student life, she worked in the natural resource industry as a professional forester, but later she returned to school to learn how to trim horse’s hooves. It wasn’t until a couple