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• Barbara K. Adamski

  Vancouver, British Columbia

  A writer, editor, and certified proofreader, Barb has worked on educational manuals, annual reports, brochures, newsletters, and web copy. She writes for several magazines and trade publications and has written and recorded for CBC Radio. A stickler for facts, she is a regular contributor to The Canadian Encyclopedia. Barb has a B.A. in French Literature, a diploma in professional writing and editing, and an M.A. in Integrated Studies (specializing in cultural studies). An avid lacrosse fan, Barb's thesis is on the history of lacrosse, a topic she has written about extensively. She also speaks Japanese.

• Erica Alini

  Toronto, ON

  Erica Alini is a Toronto-based journalist at Maclean’s, where she focuses on international politics and business, but also pens the occasional culture and society feature. She has written for The Wall Street Journal’s economics desk, and Foreign Policy magazine, among other media outlets, and for the Council on Foreign Relations, a think-tank based in New York.

  She grew up in Milan, Italy, and is bilingual. She has a master’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, in Washington, DC. She has also lived in Iran and speaks, reads, and writes intermediate-level Farsi.

• Michael Benedict

  Toronto, ON

  Michael Benedict offers writing, editing and consulting services to a diverse group of not-for-profit and for-profit clients. Michael worked in journalism for three decades, including 19 years as an editor at Maclean’s. He also was a director of corporate communications with both the province of Ontario and Canada Post. In 2005, Michael established MCB Strategies, a Vendor of Record for writing services for the Ontario government and registered with the federal government’s Professional Services Online. In the corporate and journalistic worlds, Michael has dealt with prime ministers, premiers, cabinet ministers and CEOs. He is a member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada and the Editors’ Association of Canada.

• Sarah Boesveld

  Toronto, ON

  Born and raised in rural Eastern Ontario, Sarah sees the world from a distinctly Canadian perspective. A driven newshound, she graduated from Ryerson University with a Bachelor of Journalism degree and has worked as a reporter in the Life and News sections at The Globe and Mail, covering everything from the G20 to TIFF. She loves a good ‘get’ and any tale that really grabs a reader while speaking to what matters in their daily lives. You can usually find her digging for story ideas or owning the mike at karaoke.

• Lynn Coady

  Edmonton, AB

  Lynn Coady is a Canadian novelist, editor and journalist living in Edmonton, Alberta.  She has published four award winning works of fiction and has acted as editor on novels and anthologies published by Doubleday Canada, House of Anansi Press, and Brindle and Glass Publishing.  She is also a writing teacher and mentor and regularly contributes non-fiction to magazines and newspapers across Canada.  She writes a weekly advice column for the Globe and Mail, and is the co-founder and senior editor of a the magazine Eighteen Bridges.  Her new novel, The Antagonist, will be published by House of Anansi in Fall 2011.

• Wendy Dennis

  Toronto, ON

  Wendy Dennis is an award-winning journalist and author with a uniquely personal voice who writes provocatively about social, psychological and cultural issues. Her writing is known for its wit, depth, insight and honesty. She has written about psychoanalysis for The Walrus and blogged about divorce for The Huffington Post, where her work has gone viral. Her widely discussed Toronto Life story, “The Divorce From Hell”, prompted a national debate. Dennis also writes copy (Butterfield & Robinson), and speeches for special occasions (from CEO remarks to wedding toasts). Her speechwriting services can be found at crowdpleasercommunications.com.  Her journalism can be found at wendydennis.com and huffingtonpost.com.

• Amy Jo Ehman

  Saskatoon, SK

  After a career in broadcasting at the CBC, Amy Jo turned to freelance writing in 2000. Corporate work pays the bills, but freelance journalism fuels her curious and creative urges. She is a food columnist at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, which bubbled over into the book, Prairie Feast: A Writer’s Journey Home for Dinner. Loves reporting on courtroom dramas for their humanity (The Queen vs. Robert Latimer; Percy Schmeiser vs. Monsanto) and new agricultural achievements for their novelty (lemons for the prairies!). Recent assignments: How is technology changing the practice of law? and Why is Saskatchewan booming while its neighbour isn’t?

• Jeff Gailus

  Canmore, Alberta

  For the past 15 years, Jeff Gailus has been writing about science, nature and the people and politics that determine its fate. An award-winning writer from Calgary, Alberta, he is the author of The Grizzly Manifesto (Rocky Mountain Books, 2010) and numerous magazine articles.  He has also worked with a number of non-profit organizations, including the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, David Suzuki Foundation, Natural Resources Defence Council, TELUS World of Science — Calgary, and the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative.

  His work has been acknowledged for a number of awards, including Story of the Year from the Associated Collegiate Press, numerous nominations for magazine feature writing at the western Canada and national levels, and grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. He also received a Doris Duke Conservation Fellowship, awarded each year to support “future conservation leaders.”

  He has taught writing at both the University of Oregon and the University of Montana, where he completed an M.Sc. in Environmental Studies. He currently lives in Canmore, Alberta.

• Don Gillmor

  Toronto, ON

  Don Gillmor is the author of a two-volume history of Canada, Canada: A People’s History, and two other books of non-fiction, The Desire of Every Living Thing and I Swear by Apollo. He has also written eight books for children, including The Fabulous Song, which won the Mr. Christie Award and was nominated for a Governor General’s Award, and Yuck, A Love Story. His children’s books have been published in eight countries. He has worked as a journalist and was a senior editor at Walrus magazine, and contributing editor at both Saturday Night and Toronto Life. His journalism has appeared in those publications as well as The Globe and Mail, Rolling Stone, and GQ magazines. He has won nine National Magazine Awards. His novel, Kanata, was published by Penguin last year.

  He lives in Toronto with his wife and two children.

• Gerald Hannon

  Toronto, ON

  Gerald has been working as a freelancer for more than twenty years, after coming of age as a journalist with the groundbreaking gay liberation magazine, The Body Politic. He maintains an interest in and commitment to liberation issues, sexual and otherwise, but is also knowledgeable on old-dead-white-guy cultural product, like opera, and up to speed on contemporary artistic production in music and art.

• Ian Harvey

  Toronto, Ontario

  Ian Harvey is an established freelance writer who has worked in marketing, media relations, marketing and daily newspapers for more than 35 years. He specializes in crisis communications planning, media training, media strategies and content creation for a variety of media and business needs. Whether it’s a magazine feature, a breaking story for a newspaper, a case study, web content, white paper, sales brochure Ian’s got it covered.

• David Hayes

  Toronto, ON

  David Hayes is an award-winning freelance journalist, author, editor and teacher. A generalist, his special areas of interest are culture, media, social issues and advertising/marketing/branding. A long-time instructor, later faculty member, at Ryerson University’s School of Journalism, today he teaches Advanced Feature Writing in Ryerson’s G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Studies. He also has lectured and given workshops on various aspects of writing and journalism to a variety of organizations.

• Robert Hercz

  Toronto, ON

  Robert earned a degree in engineering at the University of Toronto in 1979 and spent a decade in the computer industry, based in London (England), Toronto, and finally Los Angeles. During this time, he worked with a fascinating range of clients including the Vatican, the Los Alamos National Laboratories (home of the atomic bomb), and the National Library of France. Finding himself more interested in his clients’ backstories than their computer systems (and unfulfilled by corporate life), he became a full-time writer in 1990. Robert is also an avid photographer and regularly sells photos that illustrate his writing.

• Paul Johnston

  Toronto, ON

  In his relatively short freelance career, Toronto-based journalist Paul Johnston has written on topics including resource warfare in the Congo, the impact of counterfeiting on the Canadian economy and the resurgence of puppetry as an art form in mainstream media for publications ranging from the Toronto Star and Sharp to Vice.

  His interviews and profile pieces have examined individuals ranging from Canadian athletes and celebrities to adult talent agency owners and Kids Help Phone counsellors.

  A graduate of Acadia University and Centennial College's Fast Track Journalism program, he most recently worked as news editor at Post City Magazines in Toronto.

• Christine Langlois

  Toronto, ON

  Christine Langlois is a widely published magazine writer with a talent for narrative and experience writing everything from features to personal essays to service. Christine specializes in health and medical pieces but regularly covers a wide range of topics. She’s the author on one book, lead author on another and editor of a three-book series. To promote her books and articles, Christine has given speeches, done book tours, and made numerous radio and television appearances. Christine also writes and edits copy, and manages communications projects for a roster of corporate and government clients. Her website can be viewed at http://www.christinelanglois.com/.

• Benjamin Leszcz

  London, UK

  Benjamin Leszcz is a freelance writer and editor living in London, UK. Leszcz worked as an associate editor at Saturday Night, once Canada’s oldest consumer magazine, and Toro, a men’s magazine where he edited the style section, before joining enRoute, Air Canada’s in-flight magazine, as senior editor. Most recently, Leszcz co-launched the award-winning online men’s magazine DailyXY.com.

• Jason McBride

  Toronto, ON

  Jason McBride is a former editor at Toronto Life and Coach House Books, where he was co-editor of the popular uTOpia series, among other books. He is currently a full-time freelance writer and editor.

• Paul McLaughlin

  Toronto, ON

  Paul is a highly experienced writer, communications specialist, interviewing and performance trainer and university teacher. He writes for both the journalism and corporate markets, and has produced virtually every kind of publication (as well as a few videos), including magazine and newspaper features, books, scripts, trade articles (ghosted at times), brochures, ad campaigns and plays.

  The author of Asking Questions: The Art of the Media Interview, he’s trained interviewers at the CBC and in private practice, and has lectured extensively on interviewing.

  He teaches in the Professional Writing program at York University, and previously at the schools of journalism at Ryerson and Carleton universities.

• Erin Millar

  Vancouver, BC

  Erin is a journalist, editor, photographer and author. She has experience both in print and online publishing, and was a founding editor of Maclean’s On Campus, a website dedicated to daily news and in-depth features about universities and colleges in Canada published by Maclean’s. Erin has travelled and written in 20 countries in Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Central America.

• Jane Mundy

  Vancouver, BC

  Before launching her writing and photography career Jane Mundy was a successful entrepreneur, including the largest film catering company in Canada, which provided much fodder for food writing.

  Snappy, witty, and direct describes her writing style, along with versatility and tenacity to get the job done. Due to a wealth of life experience to draw from, Jane’s interests are varied and she has a level of confidence and understanding that makes for insightful interviews. Her passion is food and travel, and she has also interviewed hundreds of people-- from personal injury plaintiffs to advocacy and litigation lawyers--on many legal subjects.

• Kim Pittaway

  Toronto, ON

  Kim Pittaway is a freelance journalist, editorial consultant and seminar leader. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of Chatelaine magazine.

• Pamela Post

  Vancouver, BC

  Pamela Post is an award-winning writer, radio, TV and print news reporter, specializing in the fields of health, social affairs, women's issues, arts and culture. Pamela is known across the country as a regular national documentary contributor to CBC Radio and as a feature writer for the Globe & Mail newspaper and its Report on Business Magazine. She also works in documentary film and independent video production. Pamela's creative writing includes short fiction and an opera libretto. She is a respected multi-platform journalist, known for her ability to find great human stories and to tell them with creativity, humour and heart.

• Ingrid Sapona

  Toronto, ON

  Ingrid’s been making complex business information clear since 1997. She has a journalism degree from Northwestern University and a law degree from Case Western Reserve University and belongs to the New York and Ontario bars. It was while practicing law that she realized she has a special talent for making complicated, technical information understandable.

  Ingrid works with professionals and business leaders, creating communications that satisfy strategic business and regulatory requirements. Using plain language principles, she measures success by whether people understand the issue or idea the first time the read it because if they do, they’re more likely to act on it.

  She writes a regular column called “Writer’s Edge” that appears in The Business Valuator, a quarterly publication of the CICBV.

• Alec Scott

  Toronto, ON, San Francisco

  Alec Scott is a writer specializing in the arts, travel and the law. He worked as Toronto Life magazine's arts columnist for several years, writing about painters, dancers, composers, film directors, impresarios, novelists, actors, playwrights and one puppeteer. For work, he has travelled to many places including Australia, Germany, the Shetland Islands and California. Before going into journalism, he worked as a lawyer, practicing defamation and air law, and continued to write about developments in the law, interesting lawyers and prominent cases. He has also worked as an editor for Saturday Night and Toronto Life and a producer at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

• Jay Somerset

  Toronto, ON

  Writer, editor, proofreader and copywriter—Jay Somerset has been dealing in words for nearly 10 years. Articles have ranged from an etiquette guide to Toronto to a five-part newspaper series on a Toronto advertising company to an essay on the aesthetics of AM radio. As well, Jay also has ample editing experience. Besides journalism, he also works as an advertising copywriter. He holds two university degrees, is a board member for two arts organizations and enjoys solo camping and collecting weird records.

• Masa Takei

  Vancouver, BC

  Masa Takei is a freelance writer based in Vancouver, BC. Publications he’s written for include Canadian Geographic, explore Magazine, and The Globe and Mail. His writing interests range from outdoor (mis)adventure, travel and subcultures to, apparently, structuring narrative arcs for mutant mercenaries and half-vampires.

• Micah Toub

  Toronto, ON and New York, NY

  Micah Toub is a writer living in Toronto. His first book, Growing Up Jung: Coming of Age as the Son of Two Shrinks, was published this year. After graduating from McGill University, Toub worked in public relations in New York before moving into editorial at an art magazine. In 2002, he moved to Toronto, where he was an editor at Toro Magazine and then at The Globe and Mail’s weekend Globe Toronto section. Recently, Toub has been writing "The Other Half," a biweekly relationship column from a male perspective for The Globe and Mail, as well as blogging for Psychology Today.

• Chris Turner

  Calgary, Alberta

  Chris Turner is an award-winning journalist and one of Canada's leading writers and speakers on climate change, sustainability and the global cleantech industry. He is the author of the bestseller The Geography of Hope (2007), a Globe & Mail Best Book of the Year and a finalist for the Governor General's Award for Nonfiction and the National Business Book Award. He is also the author of the international bestseller Planet Simpson (2004). He is at work on a new book about the global sustainability movement, which will be published in 2011.

• Eric Veillette

  Toronto, ON

• Anna-Kaisa Walker

  Toronto, ON

  Anna-Kaisa is a Toronto-based writer, researcher and editor. Born in Montreal, she has a Master’s degree in journalism from New York University, and in her five years as a freelancer, she has contributed a wide variety of work to Canadian, U.S. and international publications.

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