Giorgia has been with the Writers’ Guild of Alberta since 2008 and has spent the time gathering information and developing resources to best serve Alberta writers. She has a BA Honours in English from the University of Manitoba and an MA in Drama from the University of Alberta. Outside of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, she is a theatre director, playwright, manuscript reader, and Online Features Editor for Canadian Theatre Review. Her most recent original play, Border Breakdown, was produced at the 2019 Edmonton Fringe and read at the 2020 SkirtsAFire Festival Peep Show.
Program and Operations Coordinator
Ashley Mann (She/Her)
Ashley was born in Grande Prairie but moved to Edmonton as a child. She worked as a veterinary assistant in her early twenties before returning to school to study literature. Ashley went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree (English) from MacEwan University in 2017, where she also contributed two short fiction pieces to MacEwan’s anthology series, The Bolo Tie Collective (Volumes I and II). Ashley continues to read and be inspired by all types of literature, but is especially fond of speculative fiction. She writes poetry and fiction in her spare time.
Program and Events Coordinator
Jason Lee Norman
Jason was born and raised on the shores of the mighty North Saskatchewan. He received a Bachelor of Arts (English) degree from the University of Alberta and a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Manchester. Since returning home from studying in the UK Jason has worked tirelessly to create new opportunities and projects that showcase local writers. He was the publisher behind the 40 Below winter anthologies, currently publishes Monto Books and edits the new Edmonton literary journal Funicular Magazine. He mainly writes short fiction and hilarious tweets these days.
Program and Fund Development Coordinator (Southern Alberta Office, Calgary)
Ashley Frerichs (She/Her)
Ashley Frerichs (aka Ashley J.J. White) was born and raised in Calgary where she worked in radio until 2012 when she made a swift escape to the west coast. In Vancouver, she was the Program & Promotions Coordinator at the Rickshaw Theatre and co-founder of The Revival Festival. She moved to London in early 2017 where she spent three years attending as many writing workshops and music festivals as possible while working as a freelance copywriter and occasional bartender. She is now (finally) working toward a BA in English from Athabasca University. In addition to her studies, she is a writer of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction; she’s had a few short stories and poems published in various literary magazines.
Communications Coordinator
Christyn Carter (She/Her)
With nine years of experience in professional writing, coupled with a background in administrative assistance and social media coordination, Christyn brings a multifaceted skill set to the workplace. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree with a minor in Creative Writing from The University of Western Ontario. Originally from Ontario, she planted roots in St. Albert in December 2022 and quickly discovered Alberta as her new home.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Christyn authored a book of poetry and crafted numerous children’s books for her nieces and nephews. Her passion for writing extends into her personal life, where she dedicates time to writing poetry, crafting fantasy stories, and developing epic backstories for her Dungeons & Dragons characters.
Member Services Coordinator
Mike Maguire (They/Them)
Mike Maguire started as an intern at the WGA while working on their Bachelor’s Degree in Communications Studies at MacEwan University, going on to become a member of the regular staff after completing their degree. When not working, Mike spends some of their spare time down in the game room playing a variety of board games and card games, getting together every couple weeks with a few friends for an online roleplaying game night, or reading. Mike reads a wide range of books, with a particular interest in the horror genre – both fictional horror stories and reading non-fiction works discussing the genre itself.
