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Genre

N.L. Blandford

N.L. Blandford has earned her reputation as the “Queen of Cliffhangers,” crafting psychological thrillers that force readers to root for villains they hate to love. Her narratives are a masterclass in emotional tension, led by cunning, fearless characters on journeys deeply rooted in truth.

Her debut, The Perilous Road Series, shines a necessary light on the realities of human trafficking. Driven by a commitment to this cause, she donates a portion of her annual writing earnings to charities providing survivor support and public education on sexual exploitation.

Since relocating to Nova Scotia, N.L. Blandford has expanded her repertoire with Escaping Victoria, the first installment in a series following a fictional crime family hidden within the province’s idyllic South Shore. Never one to be pigeonholed, she also ventured into comedic suspense with The Great Bloody North. Inspired by the iconic Bob & Doug McKenzie, the novel follows detectives in Hillford as they investigate a series of murders committed in hilariously “quirky” Canadian ways.

Beyond the page, N.L. Blandford is dedicated to making writers the heroes of their own creative journeys. Through her firm, Novel Bound Consulting, she provides personal coaching and specialized tools to help authors reclaim their time and become the heroes of their writing life.

When she isn’t investigating fraud, coaching, or teaching the craft for the Crime Writers of Canada, the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia and local libraries, you’ll likely find her hosting writing events at a local cafe. To recharge, she leans into her community as a member of a bowling league and a choir—and, of course, she is perpetually one book away from finishing her latest read.

(And yes, she does occasionally sleep. 😉)

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Jessica Joy Hiemstra

Jessica Joy Hiemstra is a visual artist, writer and designer living in Gunning Cove, Shelburne County, Mi’kma’ki.  When she’s not gardening or writing, she’s drawing. She especially loves to make hand-drawn animations.  At the moment she’s making drawings to accompany 41 short poems from writers across the country. These poems, edited by herself and Gillian Sze, will be published by Baseline Press in 2027. A book of essays, written in conversation with the art of Claire Wilks, is expected with Exile Editions in 2026. On the back of that book it says: don’t tell me I cannot love. 

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Shelagh Meagher

My work was first published in 1995 with a garden design book. I subsequently studied fiction at Humber College in their summer course and through a writers workshop in Geneva. My first two novels, ‘Colour Studies’ and ‘Pearls in the Ashes’ were mentored by Sarah Sheard and Karen Connelly, respectively, through the Humber College 8-month mentorship program available at that time.

My writing skills have been developed through the writing, editing, and completion of my first three novels with invaluable feedback given by editors, mentors and readers for each one.

I’m an experienced presenter at all levels, including a TEDX talk (viewable on my website).

I’ve lived in Toronto, London (England), Milan, Geneva and Detroit. I moved to LaHave, Nova Scotia in 2015.

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Charlotte Ashley

Charlotte is a writer, editor, book historian, and bookseller living in Kjipuktuk, where she owns & runs Trident Booksellers & Cafe, Trident Roastery, and is Executive Chair of the Trident Conference for Writers of Speculative Fiction (TriCon.)

Her short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, PodCastle, Kaleidotrope and elsewhere, has been included in The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy and The Year’s Best Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy, and has been nominated for both the Aurora and Sunburst Awards. She has also written for TTRPGs, interactive fiction, musical theatre, and more.

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Kathy Mac

Kathy Mac (she/her) has published three books of poetry (Roseway Publishing), two books on the craft of writing (Wording Around Press), and, as Dr. Kathleen McConnell, a book of essays (Wolsak and Wynn Publishers). Her work has been a finalist for several Canadian national and regional awards, and even won some of them.

 

After 22 years teaching creative writing at St Thomas University in Fredericton New Brunswick, Mac is delighted to be back in Nova Scotia. She lives in Nme’kaqnuk (Sambro Head) near Halifax in the unceded traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet and Passamaquoddy peoples.

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Katie Arthur

Katie Arthur is the author and illustrator of Our Woolly Bear (Owlkids Books, 2024) and What if Marty Doesn’t Like My Party? (Owlkids Books, 2025). Katie holds an MA in English Literature & Creative Writing from Concordia University and is also a graduate of the Humber School for Writers. Her work has received support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada, and her adult fiction has been longlisted twice for the CBC Short Story Prize. Born and raised in the suburbs of Southern Ontario, Katie now lives with her family on the rocky shores of Northeastern Nova Scotia.

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Melissa Kuipers

Melissa Kuipers (she/her) is a writer of fiction and creative non-fiction. Her book, The Whole Beautiful World, was published in 2017 with Brindle & Glass. Her fiction has been published in literary journals such as Joyland, Ryga, Ex-Puritan, and The Rusty Toque. She has personal essays in publications like The New Quarterly, Room, Plough, and The Ottawa Arts Review. She has taught creative writing extensively, both in high school and universities, has mentored emerging writers and has led multiple writing workshops. She received her Masters in the Field of Creative Writing from University of Toronto.

Raised on a chicken farm in Southern Ontario/Anishinabewaki, Melissa now resides in eastern Nova Scotia/Epekwitk aq Piktuk with her husband and two children.

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Experience Levels

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) uses the following terms to describe writers’ experience levels:

  • New writers: those with less than two years’ creative writing experience and/or no short-form publications (e.g., short stories, personal essays, or poems in literary magazines, journals, anthologies, or chapbooks).
  • Emerging writers: those with more than two years’ creative writing experience and/or numerous short-form publications.
  • Early-career authors: those with 1 or 2 book-length publications or the equivalent in book-length and short-form publications.
  • Established authors: those with 3 or 4 book-length publications.
  • Professional authors: those with 5 or more book-length publications.

Please keep in mind that each form of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, writing for children, writing for young adults, and others) provides you with a unique set of experiences and skills, so you might consider yourself an ‘established author’ in one form but a ‘new writer’ in another.

Occasionally, WFNS uses the phrase “emerging and established writers/authors” to mean ‘writers and authors of all experience levels.’

The “Recommended experience level” section of each workshop description refers to the above definitions. A workshop’s participants should usually have similar levels of creative writing and / or publication experience. This ensures that each participant gets value from the workshop⁠ and is presented with info, strategies, and skills that suit their experience. 

For “intensive” and “masterclass” workshops, which provide more opportunities for peer-to-peer feedback, the recommended experience level should be followed closely.

For all other workshops, the recommended experience level is just that—a recommendation—and we encourage potential participants to follow their own judgment when registering.

If uncertain about your experience level with respect to any particular workshop, please feel free to contact us at communications@writers.ns.ca