Irena F. Karafilly is a Montreal writer and journalist. She obtained an M.A. in English from McGill and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. Her work has been broadcast, anthologized, and published in both literary and consumer magazines, and in newspapers such as the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune. Her short fiction has won prestigious prizes; her memoir, "The Stranger in the Plumed Hat", was Pamela Wallin's No. 1 pick in September 2000 and was shortlisted for two literary awards. She is currently at work on a novel.