An avid reader of mysteries, Vanessa Westermann is a former Arthur Ellis Awards judge, holds an M.A. in English Literature and a Bachelor of Education, and has taught creative writing. Cover Art, first of the Charley Scott Mysteries, was published to great acclaim in 2022. At the heart of all Westermann’s stories are strong female … Continue reading Vanessa Westermann

Welcome Linda! Linda has published four picture books, three juvenile plays, two mid-grade novels and Polka Dot Door scripts as well as a literary novel, That Summer in Franklin, a two-act comedy, A Certain Singing Teacher, a memoir, Fearless and Determined about her 1960’s teaching experiences a one room elementary school west of Cobourg. Her latest picture book, Finding Moufette, was … Continue reading Linda Hutsell Manning

This week we welcome Richard Pope. Richard was born in Toronto and lived and birded there until 2006. He is a retired professor of Russian literature and culture. Richard is a long-standing member of the Toronto Ornithological Club, The Ontario Field Ornithologists, and the Willow Beach Field Naturalists. He is the author of a number … Continue reading Richard Pope

This Sunday, June 15th we welcome Brandon Hahn to Word on the Hills. Brandon wears many hats. Mostly a poet, the author of a small pile of chapbooks and a self-help book called Trigger Happy, and a bit of a comedian, Brandon W Hahn has been a professional mental health advocate since 2002 and has … Continue reading Brandon Hahn

Karin Wells is a journalist, lawyer and much acclaimed author of When Women Woke Up the Law: Inside the Cases that Changed Women’s Rights in Canada released only weeks ago. Her previous books are The Abortion Caravan short listed for the Shaughnessy Cohen award for political writing and winner of the Alison Prentice Award for … Continue reading Karin Wells

Mark Whitney grew up and attended high school in Kitchener and Milton Ontario.  After earning a diploma from Sheridan College, he attended night school for an additional seven years, finally earning his accountancy credentials in 1994, solidifying his career in the financial services sector.  After 30 odd year of office drudgery, he retired in 2019 … Continue reading Mark Whitney

This is an encore presentation of interviews and readings we made with Sharon Ramsay Curtis in 2023. She has always described her artistic interests as a “mixed bag” sampling many types of activities and learning a great deal in the process. After many years of struggling with this she has made peace with the concept … Continue reading Sharon Ramsay Curtis

This week, May 18th, we welcome Bänoo Zan winner of this year’s Freedom to Read Award given by The Writers’ Union of Canada. Bänoo Zan is a poet, translator, essayist, and poetry curator, who has published over 300 poems and three books. Songs of Exile, shortlisted for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award. Letters to My … Continue reading Bänoo Zan

This weekend, we welcome April Potter to Word on the Hills. April is a local poet, freelance writer, and artist in Port Hope. She graduated from York University with a literature degree and also studied philosophy. She has built a freelance copywriting and marketing business, Potter Creative, since moving to Northumberland County in 2014. Her … Continue reading April Potter

Antony Di Nardo has written nine books of poetry. His award-winning work appears widely in journals and anthologies across Canada and internationally and  has been translated into several languages. His long poem suite May June July was winner of the Gwendolyn MacEwen Poetry Prize for 2017 and was short-listed for a National Magazine Award. He … Continue reading Antony Di Nardo