Candas Jane Dorsey
BIO
Biography

Candas Jane Dorsey was born and still resides in Edmonton, Alberta.

She writes across genre boundaries, writing poetry, fiction, main-stream and speculative, short and long form, arts journalism and arts advocacy. Dorsey has also written television and stage scripts, magazine and newspaper articles, and reviews. Since the 1980s she has been a strong presence in the speculative fiction world in Canada as a publisher, editor, and community-builder. She helped found, and served on the board of, the Writers' Guild of Alberta and SF Canada. She currently teaches writing and communication studies, and does workshops and readings.

Her published books include speculative novels Black Wine (most recent edition Open Road and audiobook Tantor), A Paradigm of Earth, and (upcoming) (At the) Freak Show; mysteries The Adventures of Isabel, What’s the Matter with Mary Jane?, and He Wasn’t There Again Today (the Epitome Apartments series, ECW Press); YA novel The Story of My Life, Ongoing, by C.J. Cobb (Inanna); also short story collections Machine Sex and other stories, Dark Earth Dreams, Vanilla and other stories, and ICE and other stories; four poetry books; several anthologies edited/co-edited, and numerous published stories, poems, reviews, and critical essays. Her books have received numerous literary awards, and her work has been translated into German, French, Greek, Japanese, and (allegedly, and illicitly!) Russian.

In 2005 she received the Province of Alberta Centennial Gold Medal for artistic achievement and community work, and in 2017 the WGA Golden Pen Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Literary Arts. She was inducted into the City of Edmonton Arts and Cultural Hall of Fame in 2019. Other awards include the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame 2018, YWCA Woman of the Year Arts and Culture 1988, and an Edmonton Arts Achievement Award 1988.

She is also a community activist, advocate and leader who has won two human rights awards and served on many community boards and committees working for neighbourhoods, heritage, social planning, equality of policing, and human rights advocacy. Dorsey is also a visual artist.

Represented by Wayne Arthurson of Wayne Arthurson Agency for adult writing and Stacey Kondla of The Rights Factory for children’s/YA.

ADDRESS
City: Edmonton (Amiskwacywaskihegan), Province/Territory: Alberta
EMAIL
LANGUAGES
English
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS
School presentation details
Intended Audience
High school and college
EQUITY INITIATIVE
As part of the Union’s Equity Implementation Plan, we are committed to increasing awareness of authors who are Black, Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQI2S, or living with a disability. This author identifies as:
Members who identify as:
LGBTQI2S
Living with a disability
Programs & Interests
Interested in participating Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program:
All members are eligible for the Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program. Are you interested in participating in this pro
Yes
Interested in participating in the Northern Ontario WITS program:
The Union’s Northern Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program funds in-person visits to northern Ontario schools when possible. Ar
Yes