For more information,
contact the QWF office:
1200 Atwater, Suite 3
Montréal, QC
H3Z 1X4
Téléphone: (514) 933-0878
info@qwf.org
Writers in CEGEPs
English-Language Writers Eligible for the 2007-2008 Writers in CEGEPs Program
Mark ABLEY, Poetry, non-fiction and children's literature
Mark Abley has wide experience as a poet, journalist, editor, and author of literary non-fiction. He's taught non-fiction courses for the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Maritime Writers Workshop, and the Quebec Writers' Federation. Rather than suggest a specific approach on this page, Mark prefers to speak directly to CEGEP teachers, thereby ensuring that his sessions will be both appropriate and thought-provoking for the classes in question.
Marianne ACKERMAN, Novel and playwriting
Philip AMSEL, Poetry and literature of community involvement
Philip Amsel has used the form of the chapbook since the early 90s to make poetry accessible to the common reader. Having edited publications for low-income readers, Philip is now publishing a series of his own work in chapbook form, because it is easy to create and distribute. In the classroom, he will share the concepts, techniques and problems of distribution of this literary form.
Robert ASTLE, Drama and improv
Oana AVASILICHIOAEI, Poetry and translation
Oana Avasilichioaei is a poet and translator from Romanian and French to English. Her published works include Abandon (2005) and translations of Romanian poet Nichita Stanescu, Occupational Sickness (2006). Her work explores issues of place, real and imagined histories, folktales and play, urban and "natural" landscapes, and crossings between languages, time, voice and silence.
Michelle BARKER, Personal journalism
Michelle Barker has won a National Magazine Award for her non-fiction work. She has published mostly non-fiction and poetry, with a little bit of short fiction on the side. Michelle's classroom experience involves leading small workshops with experienced writers in the Eastern Townships area. Generally, Michelle uses creative prompts to generate new work within the workshop itself, rather than lecturing on any singular aspect of writing.
Janice BENTHIN, Documentary film and scriptwriting
Maxianne BERGER, Poetry
Maxianne Berger is a poet who writes in form as well as free verse—everything from haiku to OuLiPo "experiments" with a peppering of calque, parody and palimpsest—she uses PowerPoint to show, in particular, how poetry is constructed and revised.
Seymour BLICKER, Fiction, playwriting, screenwriting
Seymour Blicker is the author of three acclaimed novels and a playwright whose plays have been produced in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. He has written for various television series, most notably, "The Barney Miller Show," and penned numerous screenplays including "The Kid." He has worked as a film consultant and as a script analyst for Telefilm, Sodec, the Ontario Film Development Corporation, and The Harold Greenberg Fund. From 1978 to 1990 he was a special lecturer in fiction writing at Concordia University. He can discuss key aspects of writing a novel, play, or screenplay and is open to answering questions about his development as a writer and the writing process in general.
Kit BRENNAN, Playwright
Ami Sands BRODOFF, Novel, short story and memoir
Ami Sands Brodoff writes about characters on the edge. She believes extremity puts our truest, deepest selves into sharp relief. She cares a great deal about story in the classic sense, an enveloping yarn that draws readers in and won't let go. When she visits a CEGEP, Ami does a short reading, runs a writing workshop utilizing catalysts to get students' creative juices flowing, and always includes a lively Q&A and discussion period. Ami often talks about where stories come from and her life as an author today.
Roma Gelblum BROSS, Short story
Brian CAMPBELL, Poetry
Brian Campbell is a teacher, translator, musician, songwriter and poet. As a multi-disciplinary artist, he’s open to working within many classroom styles and teaching methods. His workshops introduce the musicality of poetic forms played with guitar. Rhyme and rhythm are easily detected in music, leading to how poems mean. Using poems appropriate to the CEGEP level, he leads students through a brief writing session too. His work has been published widely and he was a finalist for the 2006 CBC Literary Award for Poetry. His book, Guatemala and Other Poems (1994) is still in print.
Michael CARIN, Fiction and non-fiction
Michael Carin was Editor-in-Chief of Montreal Business Magazine for twelve years. He is the author of two novels and a non-fiction work about the Holocaust. At present he is a freelance practitioner of corporate communications and investor relations.
Ann CHARNEY, Novel, short story, essay and creative non-fiction
Ann Charney writes both fiction and non-fiction. Her work has been published in Canada, the US, France, Germany and Italy. Ann has led seminars in creative writing and journalism and has presented her work in schools, libraries, literary festivals and book clubs.
Judith COWAN, Short story
Judith Cowan, in class, usually reads all or part of a published story that has already been handed out by the teacher to the students, and answers their questions about it. She then gives them a general discussion of the enterprise of writing itself, with advice for those who want to write, examining how to begin and what to do with a story (or poem, or memoir) and when they're ready to publish it somewhere. Following that, Judith reads them something short of her own authoring (and funny if she has anything funny) which has not yet been published.
Colleen CURRAN, Plays and novel
Colleen Curran is a playwright, novelist, actor and teacher. Her best known play is the comedy CAKE-WALK. Colleen can help you Learn How To Write a Play or a Novel; get you 'started.' It will be funny, improvisational, and creative. If all goes well, students can build characters, write a scene, or even a very short play AND see it performed in the same workshop.
Laura DAVIS, Fiction and novel
Laura Davis has been a teacher for 8 years, teaching every level, including adults. Presently, Laura teaches three English courses at the College de Shawinigan. Also a fiction writer, Laura's latest book is 3015 in the genre of science fiction. She is also a researcher and is presently the sociological consultant for a research project in the Mauricie.
Marci DENESIUK, Fiction and short story
Marci Denesiuk's collection of short stories, The Far Away Home (NeWest Press, 2005), was named co-winner of the Quebec Writers' Federation McAuslan First Book Award in 2005, with jurors calling it "beautifully written, by understatement and indirection creating powerful moments of recognition." She has been a guest lecturer in many university and college classes. Marci has produced a claymation film that she shows to accompany the reading of her story "Two Feet in Texas." She has her M.A. in Creative Writing from Concordia University and has taught creative writing at Seneca College, composition at Concordia, and children's literature at UQAM.
Ann DIAMOND, Novel and short story
Ann Diamond is an award-winning Montreal writer of fiction and poetry, whose book A Nun's Diary became the basis for a play by Robert Lepage and the subject of an NFB documentary. Her most recent novel is My Cold War, a story of growing up in Quebec at a particularly secretive time in the history of North America.
Monique DYKSTRA, Photographic essays
Endre FARKAS, Poetry and drama
Bonnie FARMER, Children's literature and picture books
Bonnie Farmer was born in Nova Scotia and now lives in Montreal. As an elementary school teacher, she certainly knows her way around the library, which prompted her to write her third children's book, ABC Letters in the Library, a 2006 Children's Book Centre Our Choice selection. Her first children's book, Isaac's Dreamcatcher was a Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice selection in 2003.
David FENNARIO
Ian FERRIER, Poetry and performance artist
Ian Ferrier specializes in poetry and literature in performance. He presents and discusses literature as a spoken medium, often involving young writers in presenting their own work to an audience. He likes to look at how language and literature are rooted in a writer's voice.
Jon Paul FIORENTINO, Poetry
Tess FRAGOULIS, Short story
Anna FUERSTENBERG, Drama
Anna Fuerstenberg has worked as a theatre director, playwright, dramaturg and teacher in Montreal and Toronto, in addition to producing and publishing plays and film scripts. In the classroom, Anna particularly likes to teach whatever the faculty needs, using theatre to facilitate current readings and discussion.
Susan GABORI, Creative non-fiction and essay
Linda GHAN, Fiction and biography
Linda Ghan's cross-cultural experience ranges from Jamaica, to Nunavut, to Japan. She has published and been produced in children's fiction, adult fiction, radio drama (CBC), stage drama, and non-fiction: exclusive interviews with, VS Naipual, Carol Sheilds, Haruki Murakami, Tomson Highway and others. With experience in teaching creative writing, Linda is able to do workshops with students at any stage of their own writing process.
Bernice GOLD, Children's literature
Marcia Rajnus GOLDBERG, Poetry
Marcia Goldberg is a poet and writes stories. She teaches creative writing workshops in a course called "Lemonwheels and Hubcaps". She has a strong voice and musical inflection in her presentation of poetry that catches an audience up effectively.
Joanna GOSSE, Fiction and journal writing
Joseph GRAHAM, Regional history and journalism
Joseph Graham loves to share and learn in both English and French, when he is not raising chickens and bees, or gardening. He has spoken many times on Laurentian history and is often consulted on the subject. He would like to share, in an environment of open discussion, how writing can help students find their own voice and place in the world.
Derek GROUT, Historical non-fiction
Aurian HALLER, Poetry
Poet, Aurian Haller has published in Canada and abroad, and his book, A Dream of Sulphur, was released in 2000 by McGill-Queen's University Press. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has taught Creative Writing workshops in elementary schools, high schools, and CEGEPs in British Columbia and Quebec. He has taught for the Quebec Writers' Federation Mentorship program and has most recently been writer in residence for the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Michael HARRIS, Poetry
Michael Harris has written six books of poetry and published a number of short stories and essays. He has taught literature, poetry and Creative Writing for 30 years, and now runs Montreal Books Press and publishes poetry broadsides and chapbooks. Michael also runs www.montrealbooks.com, a rare and used books internet bookshop.
David HOMEL, Novel and translation
David Homel's goal is to help students understand where stories come from, in order that they may begin finding their own. He begins with the openings of two or three of his own novels, and branches out from there. David has found that this approach works, since it mixes specific and general issues about writing and the elements of narration.
Debbie HOWLETT, Short story and novel
Linda KAY, Memoir and journalism
Linda Kay's memoir, The Reading List, documents her fateful meeting with famed author Nelson Algren and accused killer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter at the beginning of her journalism career. For CEGEP students, Kay, now a professor of journalism at Concordia, would either lecture on the history, versatility and controversy surrounding the memoir format, or give a workshop on writing a piece of narrative non-fiction suitable for a newspaper or magazine.
Catherine KIDD, Spoken word performance artist
Nancy KILPATRICK, Novel and short story, horror and mystery
Nancy Kilpatrick has published 16 novels, 5 collections of stories and 1 non-fiction book. She has edited 8 anthologies. Nancy's award-winning work is in the genres of dark fantasy, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery. She has taught writing at George Brown College for 15 years (9 on the Internet for the Distance Ed program), as well as courses for Writers on the Net; Coursebridge; and private writing and editing courses, and has lectured at various schools, including UCLA.
Linda LEITH, Novel
Linda Leith is a novelist and writer of non-fiction with extensive classroom experience teaching English at the CEGEP level. Her work has been translated into French and Serbian. In addition to writing, Linda has also worked as fiction editor for Véhicule Press, as publisher and editor of the literary magazine Matrix, as a literary translator, and as president of Blue Metropolis Foundation and founder and artistic director of the annual Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival.
Elizabeth LENIHAN, Detective fiction and mystery
Angela LEUCK, Poetry and haiku
Angela Leuck is Canada's leading authority on English-language haiku and tanka. Through her numerous workshops and readings, she has inspired many to explore their creativity through these unique short poetry forms. An award-winning poet, she has edited numerous anthologies and is the author of Flower Heart (Blue Ginkgo Press, 2006).
Neale MCDEVITT, Fiction
Neale McDevitt's 2002 collection of short stories won the QWF McAuslan First Book Prize—a far cry from his days as a lunk on the Canadian Weightlifting Team. Neale has taught composition at Concordia and has led short story workshops at the QWF.
Neil MCKENTY, Biography and memoir
Akhtar NARAGHI, Short story
Akhtar Naraghi's stories present a picture of the struggle for personal identity against obstacles of national, politics and cultural prejudice. Her work tackles complex issues with simple language. With a Ph.D. in English and expertise in literary theories, Akhtar tries to read the stories, analyze their issues, and the concepts behind them in simple and understandable language.
Dimitri NASRALLAH, Fiction
Dimitri Nasrallah is the author of Blackbodying (DC Books, 2005), the debut novel that garnered international acclaim and co-won the 2005 Quebec Writers' Federation McAuslan First Book Award. Nasrallah's writings have been noted for their insightful and original outlooks, in both content and style, on the migrant narrative. His subject, an exiled Lebanese citizenry who experiences the world while awaiting a resolution to conflicts that may never end, is especially potent in the context of contemporary emigration, and is no doubt relevant to the lives of Montreal's multicultural student body.
Elaine Kalman NAVES, Essay and creative non-fiction
Elaine Kalman Naves is an award-winning literary journalist and author of five books. She has covered the Montreal literary scene (both French and English) over the course of many years. Her experience in the classroom includes lecturing and readings from her books (the two most popular ones are memoirs that touch on the Holocaust). Elaine also gives inspirational talks about the life of the writer which help students realize that it is possible to pursue a career in the arts.
Sharon NELSON, Poetry
Heather PATERSON, Playwright
Monique POLAK, Children's and young adult literature
Monique Polak is the author of four novels for young adults, as well as an active freelance journalist and longtime CEGEP teacher. She uses her own work as a springboard to encourage students to pursue their writing dreams. Monique's classroom activities include reading from her work, as well as exercises to develop character, plot, dialogue and setting.
Lewis J. POTEET, Origins of words, structure of English, dialect
Lewis J. Poteet's expertise is mainly in slang, vernacular language, and graffiti. In addition to writing fifteen books, he was the Canadian contributor to the forthcoming Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional Language. His classroom presentation may be tailored to English or French CEGEP students (though it is in English, he includes some Quebecois references), and involves principles of slang formation and usage, examples, etc. He can also do a storytelling session with tales from Nova Scotia and Quebec.
Alan REED
Byron REMPEL, Novel
Byron Rempel has published a novel and autobiography, and edited or contributed to school textbooks concerning the history, geography and environment of Belize. His last book was a finalist for the Mavis Gallant Prize for Non-Fiction, and was also named among the Globe and Mail's "Books of the Year" for 2006. His specialty is in using humour in any kind of writing, while still mining for soul and poignancy. He has experience as a guest lecturer at universities and workshops, and has frequently "appeared" as a guest on radio.
Peter RICHARDSON, Poetry
Howard RICHLER, Essay and word history
Howard Richler tries to communicate to students of all ages that language is a fun-filled activity. He starts of all his lectures by presenting some word puzzles. Depending on the level, his subjects include topics such as how words are created, the French nature of English and how people try to manipulate language.
Denise ROIG, Short story
Denise Roig's approach is hands-on, pens-to-the-paper. A short-story writer, she gives her students writing exercises to help tap into their own stories. Every workshop includes in-class writing time, plus the opportunity to hear what fellow students have written.
Claire ROTHMAN, Short story
Claire Rothman's genres are short story and novel. She offers a reading and discussion format for a visit, or creative writing workshops, or a combination of the two. One of Claire's specialties is short in-class fiction exercises to jumpstart the creative process in students.
Denis SAMPSON, Essay and biography
Robyn SARAH, Poetry and short story
Robyn Sarah has 20 years' experience as a CEGEP English teacher, and has served as a facilitator for creative writing groups and workshops for participants of all ages. Her approach depends on the class she is visiting, so she prefers to confer with the teacher to select material that will be thematically or otherwise appropriate. Robyn usually reads from her own and others' work, talks about the selections she has read, and answers students' questions about the presentation or writing in general; on request she can also prepare a presentation on the writer's perspective and how it can enhance the teaching of literature.
Jaspreet SINGH, Fiction and short story
L. MacKay SMITH, Essay, travel writing
MacKay Smith wrote, self-published and distributed a 9" x 12" 144 page hardcover book, Montreal’s Sherbrooke Street:The Spine of the City and a French edition, La rue Sherbrooke de Montréal: La colonne vertébrale de la ville. In five months, he sold 3250 copies (retail value of $45.95) in Montreal. In the classroom, he would discuss the complete process from idea to reprint. Earlier publications: Jews of Montreal and Their Judiasms, A Christian in Israel, The Whole-In-One Golf Book.
Mary SODERSTROM, Fiction, novel and short story
Mary Soderstrom is a writer of fiction and non-fiction. The author of nine published books, her most recent non-fiction work is Green City: People, Nature and Urban Places (Véhicule Press, 2006) while her most recent fiction is After Surfing Ocean Beach (Dundurn Press, 2004.) She can give presentations on writing either fiction or non-fiction as well as engage students in discussion about what the differences between them are—if any.
Carolyn Marie SOUAID, Poetry
Carolyn Souaid is the author of four books of poetry. She is also co-producer with Endre Farkas of the multilingual cabaret event Circus of Words / Cirque des mots, and the 2004 poetry-on-the-buses project in Montreal. She has toured and read all across Canada and, most recently, in France. As a licensed teacher, Carolyn is qualified to give lectures, readings and poetry-writing workshops to CEGEP students, having visited over 50 educational institutions across the country in the past ten years to enthusiastic feedback.
Laird STEVENS, Comparative children's literature, fairytales
Nigel THOMAS, Novel and short story
L. E. VOLLICK, Fiction and short story
L. E. Vollick is well practised in large and small lectures, workshop teaching, and readings. Subjects she is capable of weaving into sessions include contemporary literature, with an emphasis on Canadian, American, and postcolonial literatures, urban fiction, political fiction, postmodernism and modernism, and small press publishing. She is most often called upon for readings and discussions regarding her first novel, The Originals.
Nalini WARRIAR, Short story and novel
Nalini Warriar writes short and long fiction. Her first book, Blues from the Malabar Coast, won the 2002 QWF McAuslan First Book Prize. Her most recent book, The Enemy Within, was published in 2005. She is a molecular biologist who has conducted seminars for young adults at the school (secondary 4 and 5) and CEGEP level.
Lori WEBER, Young adult fiction
Lori Weber writes young adult novels, appropriate for teens 13—18. She can give readings and answer questions on writing for young people. Lori also has a creative writing workshop called "Show Not Tell" which she deliver to young writers and which focuses on using concrete imagery in fiction and poetry.
Joel YANOFSKY, Novel and essay
Carolyn ZONAILO, Poetry
