Elizabeth’s fiction and non-fiction have appeared magazines including Alberta Views, The New Quarterly, The Malahat Review, Prism, Room and many anthologies, most recently This Place a Stranger: Canadian Women Travelling Alone (Caitlin Press), Shy: an anthology, Waiting and You Look Good for your Age (University of Alberta Press). She has won the Jon Whyte Memorial Essay Competition (Alberta Book Awards), the Western Magazine Award for fiction and the American Heart award for fiction. Her short fiction collection, Speak Mandarin Not Dialect (Thistledown Press) was a finalist for the Alberta Book Awards. Her first novel, The Errant Husband, was published by Radiant Press in October, 2021. Elizabeth has studied writing at the University of Victoria, University of Calgary, Booming Ground (UBC) and the Banff Centre Wired Writing Studio. She was the 2023 writer in residence at the Calgary Public Library. Her travel memoir, Food for the Journey: a life in travel, will be published by Thistledown Press in May, 2025.
I am happy to meet virtually or in person with book clubs. I can respond to questions sent in advance or in a live/virtual setting, and do a short reading from the book, if requested. I would respond to questions about the book specifically, my writing process, tips for writing a novel etc.
I will discuss the elements of a good travel story including character, description, theme, voice, mood, and structure. She will provide examples from contemporary literary travel writing. Participants will have the opportunity to plan and write introductory paragraphs for their own travel essay.