Genre

Anthony Thomson

After a long career teaching at Acadia University and writing sociology, social thought, and criminology, Tony has pivoted to fiction. His debut novel, About Face: A Mystery was released on September 1st by Moose House Publications in Annapolis Royal.

Tony was born in Halifax’s Hydrostone district and raised on Lawrencetown Beach. He graduated from Graham Creighton High School in Cherry Brook NS and Dalhousie University, Halifax, and has a PhD in social and political science from the University of Cambridge. He is Professor Emeritus at Acadia.

Among other projects, he has researched small-town and rural policing in the Annapolis Valley.

Anthony Thomson Read More »

Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland

I am an author, theatre artist and arts educator with more than four decades of professional experience. As a theatre artist, I have toured with Second City doing improv comedy, played the Witch in Hansel and Gretl with the Honolulu Symphony and told my original stories at the Toronto International Storytelling Festival. My arts education credits include work with Learning Through the Arts, World Vision, and the Storytellers School of Toronto.

I served as Artistic Director of KPH Theater Productions in Miramichi, N.B. from 2012 to 2016, and along with my husband, Beverly Glenn Copeland, completed half a dozen artist residencies* in N.B. schools. I was honoured to serve as Writer-in-Residence* for James M. Hill High School in 2015. (*Funding support through NB Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture.)

In February 2016 I was part of the faculty at the San Miguel Writers Conference (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico), and led the creative writing workshop at the Knowlton Literary Festival in Knowlton, Quebec in October.

In 2017, I returned to Mount Allison University to indulge myself in two years of full time study of eco-poetry, feminist philosophy, sustainability in education and medieval studies. Thanks to MTA, in the summer of 2017 I completed a residency to research and create a one-act spoken-word play entitled, “Bearing Witness”.

During my tenure as 2018 Writer-in-Residence at Joggins Fossil Institute, I researched and wrote — “Daring to Hope at the Cliff’s Edge: Pangea’s Dream Remembered”: an art/science collaboration and conversation between myself and the three-hundred million year old rock. The theme: how to find what Buddhist eco-philosopher, Joanna Macy calls Active Hope as we stand at this cliff’s edge in our evolution as a species. The book was launched in Sackville, N.B. on Sept. 29, 2019 by Chapel Street Editions.

Due to covid, my cross country tour to promote this book was cancelled, but late 2020 saw a resurgence of interest in the work and its message of hope. I participated in the Writing for Change series launched by The Rose Theater in Brampton, ON. An exciting variation on this theme will be happening virtually on March 21 at The Rose with spoken-word artist extraordinaire, Ian Keteku.

Since moving to Spencers Island in Jan. 2021, I am making new writing and peforming friends and will be part of the Shipwright Sessions (Ships Company Theater) in Aug. 2021.

Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland Read More »

Camilla Thompson

Camilla Thompson is an author, educator and storyteller on a mission to improve mental health education and literacy across Canada. As the director of Sunnyside Self Wellness and author of Skating Late, Camilla introduces people of all ages and abilities to writing and wellness practices proven to increase peace, positivity, health and happiness, and shares inspiring stories of hope determination and community involvement.

Camilla’s debut book, Skating Late, is a work of Canadiana in children’s literature that features a confident and creative gender neutral fox that all Canadian kids can relate to. Parents, teachers and grandparents will love to read this tale aloud, but it is best enjoyed when recited by the author during class visits and community events.

“After sleeping in and waking up to a Canadian conundrum, Skating Late to school is the only solution. Facing some slippery situations along the way, is it possible to make it on time? Skating Late is a fast paced adventure full of danger, dread and determination! Strap on your skates, buckle your helmet, and prepare yourself for a wild ride!”

As a dynamic educator and entertaining storyteller with a passion for whole self wellness and mental health education, Camilla is excited to visit classrooms and communities across Canada sharing her Sunnyside stories and introducing the writing and wellness practices that have been life enriching at her best times and life saving during her most difficult trials.

Camilla is a disability entrepreneur returning to the workforce after her career was interrupted by kidney disease and the Covid 19 pandemic. During her three year healing hiatus, Camilla dedicated herself to her writing and studies. She wishes to thank The Halifax Humanities Society for offering free education in the humanities to Nova Scotians who face barriers to traditional education. This life changing educational opportunity is based on The Foundation Year Programme offered by the University of King’s College, and is is made possible by the generosity of local professors who donate their time and tutelage to help participants develop as writers, speakers and thinkers.

Camilla’s second book, Canada’s Ocean Letdown, is the story of a Come From Away grandchild who has an unfortunate introduction to the shores of Nova Scotia when they are stung by a jellyfish, attacked by swarm of mosquitoes and have to eat a peanut butter and SAND sandwich picnic for lunch. Her storytelling performances of this tale are receiving lots of laughs across the province. It will be illustrated by Canadiana artist Bonnie Lemaire and published in March of 2024.

Camilla Thompson Read More »

Jan Fancy Hull

Jan Fancy Hull lives and writes beside (and sometimes on) a quiet lake in Lunenburg County. She was born on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore.

In November 2021 she embarked on a series of Tim Brown Mysteries, which are set on Nova Scotia’s south shore. By the spring of 2026, ten full-length novels will have been launched.

Her debut non-fiction book, Where’s Home?, was published in 2020. She has published two books of short stories, The Church of Little Bo Peep and other stories, 2021, and Inquire Within, 2022.

All are available from the publisher, Moose House Publications, and most mega-vendors online.

Her poem, “Moss Meditations” was awarded the Rita Joe Poetry Prize in the 2022 Nova Writes literary competition. Other poems have been published in The Antigonish Review, in Gathering In, an anthology published by Windywood Publishing in 2020, and in a chapbook, What We All Want, with Janet Barkhouse and Cynthia French, 2024.

Before retiring (from steady paycheques), Jan served in various careers, enterprises, pursuits, and avocations, including as arts administrator, sailing tours skipper, and employee benefits broker. She created sculptures from Nova Scotian sandstone, is a member of the Lunenburg Art Gallery Society, and writes. She is a Member of the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia Writers’ Council.

She also likes to play golf, and drift on the lake in her kayak.

Facebook: Jan Fancy Hull / Jan Hull Stoneist;

Websites: janfancyhull.ca / thestoneist.com

Amazon author page

Jan Fancy Hull Read More »

Ronan O’Driscoll

Originally from the West of Ireland, Ronan O’Driscoll moved to Chicago as a teenager in the 1980s. He returned to Ireland to study at University College Dublin where he graduated with a Masters in English literature. Ronan has travelled a good deal in Europe, America, Japan and Canada. He has found Irish music an important way to keep connected with his roots, and plays fiddle as a hobby. It was through learning tunes that he came to know of Francis O’Neill’s compelling life story and decided it should be popularized as a novel: Chief O’Neill.

Ronan currently lives in Halifax with his wife and family. He has written another novel, Poor Farm, about the experience of an autistic boy on a 19th-century Nova Scotia poor farm. Both his works of historical fiction are carefully researched stories from the past, focused on topics relevant and compelling for today’s readers.

Ronan is currently a senior software engineer at Wattpad, as well as having been an educator in Computer Programming at the Nova Scotia Community College.

Ronan O’Driscoll Read More »

Lana Shupe

Lana Shupe Read More »

Dave Beynon

Originally from Britain, Dave Beynon moved to Canada as an infant, growing up on a farm north and west of Toronto. He has been a cow milker, a short order cook, a waiter, a residence manager at the Hamilton Downtown YMCA (there’s a novel waiting to be written about those four years), a factory worker and a purveyor of fine corrugated packaging and displays.

Dave writes fiction of varying genres and lengths. His short fiction has appeared in anthologies, periodicals, on-line and in podcasts. In 2011, his novel, The Platinum Ticket was shortlisted for the inaugural Terry Pratchett Prize.

Dave co-hosted a local cable TV show called Turning Pages, an in-depth interview show that highlights authors, writing and publishing.

He lives on the South Shore and should have been living there his whole life.

His work is represented by Ed Wilson of Johnson & Alcock.

Dave Beynon Read More »

Genevieve Graham

Genevieve Graham moved to Nova Scotia in 2008 and fell in love with the integral history woven into every aspect of this province. Almost immediately, she realized how little she knew about the history, not only of this province but of all of Canada, and she embarked on a mission to correct that, using her love of historical fiction as a palette. All her novels have spent numerous weeks on the Canadian bestsellers list. Most recently, Genevieve focused her research and passion on the dark, little known story of Canada’s British Home Children in “The Forgotten Home Child”. Despite bookstore shutdowns across the country due to COVID-19, “The Forgotten Home Child” became an “instant #1 bestseller” and remained on that list for 19 weeks – 11 of those at #1. It achieved the #5 position in Canadian Fiction for 2020 and educated tens of thousands of readers about this vital part of our history.

Genevieve Graham is prolific and determined, dedicated to bringing Canadian history to life through the popular, mainstream market of commercial historical fiction. Having started writing relatively late in life (in her forties), she has already published five novels with Simon & Schuster Canada in five years, and is eager to keep on that same track for years to come.

Genevieve Graham Read More »

Sue Murtagh

Sue Murtagh (she/her) lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is a graduate of the Alistair MacLeod mentorship program (Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia) and the Humber School for Writers, where she worked with mentor Danila Botha. Her writing has appeared in The Nashwaak Review, Grain, carte blanche, the Humber Literary Review, The New Quarterly, and yolkliterary.ca.

Nimbus Publishing and Vagrant Press published her debut short story collection, We’re Not Rich, in October 2024. Award-winning writer Alexander MacLeod edited the linked collection. The Walrus featured an excerpt from the book, a story called Extermination, in its print and digital editions.

Sue was the judge for the 2025 David Adams Richards prize in the New Brunswick Writers’ Federation’s annual writing competition.

Sue Murtagh Read More »