Alhabahbeh, Lina Ismail|entries| BSc (Phys. Ed.) is a teacher, MBC ambassador, and community volunteer working with children and special needs groups in reading clubs and other events as a multilingual storyteller. She recently published her kid’s book, Sam And His Granddad – An Alzheimer’s Story (IOWI, 2018).
Banfalvi, Elizabeth |entries| is the co-founder of the Mississauga Writers Group. She has been teaching meditation and doing workshops on stress relief since 1996. In 2008, she started writing a series of Meditation books. So far, she has written eight, and is looking forward to adding more on a variety of topics.
www.elizabethbanfalvi.com
Baratta, Marisa |entries| is a writer and editor who lives in Ontario with her husband and their daughter. She loves writing, especially novels that touch your heart, open your mind, make you laugh and inspire positive change. Her shelves are lined with short stories, poems and chapter books she wrote since she was five. She can often be found writing, reading, cooking, walking near trees or spending time with her loved ones.
Chowdhury, Ishrat |entries| MSc (Home Economics) started writing Bengali poems in childhood. Later, her English poems (from a love of the Literature) were published in the Bangladesh Observer. She and her husband are well-traveled. She has two adult daughters. An avid nature lover, her observations are reflected in her writing.
Christie, Shannon |entries| was a photographer, artist and writer. Her photography was published in the Mississauga News, Live Music TO and Venture Guelph. Her photographs appeared on Mississauga’s Bike Thief’s 2015 EP release, These Things Happen All The Time. Her artwork was in the Beaux Art Gallery, Visual Arts Mississauga and the Loft Gallery and featured on the Peel Arts Collective website. Poetry was a new chapter in her life, which she began exploring in 2018 along with spoken word performances in the YTGA Open Mic Series at Studio 89, the Oakville Literary Café and Verses Out Loud at the Common Ground Café. Shannon’s poetry, art and photography were recently published in the Technology, Law and Beauty Issues of Free Lit Magazine. — May 1, 2022
De Francesco, Gisele |entries| has been a writer for over 30-years. When the pandemic started, she was inspired more than ever to write. She has always written something every day, whether it is music or poetry. Writing is and will always be cathartic for her.
Duddu, Savithri |entries| is passionate about writing and photography. She has written articles related to business and human resources; and short stories and poems that are thoughtful and inspiring. She has a deep interest in everything surrounding her and in connecting with people. Currently, she is working in the financial sector.
Frommer, Frances |entries| (retired librarian) has been owned by three heavenly felines – Mooney, Angel and Star (deceased) and is currently managed by Precious and Sweetie. She has been published in I Love Cats, Cat Talk and Cats, Cats, Cats and More Cats: The Pride Rescue Anthology.
Gopaul, Vidya Vasant |entries| is the author of Race The Time. He is a regular contributor to the Peel Weekly Newspaper on politics, social justice, religion and current affairs. He is currently working on other novels. He enjoys traveling (visited 65 countries), photography, fishing, gardening and spending quality time with his three cute grandsons.
Hanna, Olive |entries| is a retired Registered Nurse, passionate about women’s health, a mother and grandmother. In making fairy villages for garden display, she finds inspiration for writing about plant and human behaviour. She is the author of Every Woman’s Health Record, to organize and maintain personal health information.
www.myhealthforwomen.com
Hou, Pema |entries| enjoys travelling (sometimes solo if her husband is too busy to accompany her), reading, writing poetry, singing, playing the piano and guitar (Youtube channel), gardening, photography, and taking nature walks to name a few. Her debut chapbook of poetry, When the Heart Sings, is available on Amazon.
Kaur, Parveen |entries| is the author of two books of poetry in Hindi, Main Mand Sameer Se Anandit and Dehri Pe Ruk Ja; and in Punjabi, a book of short stories, Par Kiyoon, and poetry, Rahan Ne Wan Suwaniyan. Her work has been well published. Also a visual artist, she paints landscapes in oil and acrylic many of which are with private collectors and corporations in Canada and abroad.
Lagarde, Maria |entries| has had a long career in public service and now aspires to share her musings about the world around and within us through creative writing.
Lewis, Serina |entries| is a retired educator, a yoga instructor and aspiring writer. She spends time hiking, gardening, meditating, reading, writing, listening to music or simply enjoying the companionship of family and friends.
Manzoor, Sajeda |entries| is an Early Childhood Educator and writer of poems, adult and children’s stories. Her writing portrays love, peace, humanity and nature. She enjoys making and teaching crafts, is working on perfecting the keyboard and has participated in quite a few open mics.
Munteanu, Nina |entries| is a Canadian ecologist/limnologist and internationally published author of award-winning speculative novels, short stories and non-fiction. Nina teaches writing at the University of Toronto and George Brown College. Her book “Water Is…” (Pixl Press)—a scientific study and personal journey as limnologist, mother, and teacher—was Margaret Atwood’s pick in 2016 for the New York Times’ The Year in Reading. And her 2020 novel, A Diary in the Age of Water, was a finalist for the International Book Award 2021, the Bronze winner of the Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year 2020 and Silver Medalist for the 2020 Literary Titan Award.
Nwakoby, Jane |entries| BA, MFA, BEd is an educator and a member of the Colour and Form Society. A number of her spectacular paintings, commissioned projects and murals can be found in many public and private art collections.
www.janenwakoby-art.com
Ryan, Ashleigh |entries| left her government job as a policy advisor to write her first novel, A Geography of Openness, and has never looked back. She has written several short stories, essays, and opinion pieces while running a consulting business specializing in economic development. Her writing explores the connections between people and work, particularly in the context of her multicultural hometown of Toronto.
Shah, Dr. Chandrakant |entries| MD, FRCPC, S.M.(Harv), O.ONT, Dr. Sc. (Hon) is a Professor Emeritus, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Hon. Consulting Physician, Anishnawbe Health Toronto and a Board Member, Anishnawbe Health Foundation. He is the recipient of many awards, including Order of Ontario and Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from the University of Toronto for his outstanding service for public good, as a pioneering leader in public health education in Canada, a tireless advocate for Indigenous peoples and a champion of equity and inclusion.
Shahabuddeen, Faid |entries| is of the legal profession. He wrote two works of historical nonfiction published in 2003 and 2007, respectively. He is a member of Oakville Poetry & Prose where he has been reading his poems since 2017 to appreciative colleagues.
Thomas, Belynda Wilson |entries| is married and the mother of two adult children. She self-published her debut novel, Secrets and Silence, in 2020; and is currently working on her second, Secrets and Sorrow. She is a member of the Toastmasters Club, and author of her own blog.
www.belyndasbooks.com
Wong, Miranda |entries| works in public service within the legal field. She writes poetry, short stories and lyrics on equality, discrimination, self-help and mental wellness. After surviving life-long relationships in turmoil, her journey has centred around self-healing, self-discovery, taking second chances, and giving back to society through advocacy and mentorship. Her conversation with Youtube’s Fenten Mediation, Abuse, Trauma and Mental Health: My Transformation with Recovery, unpacks her journey and offers her poetry and lyrics to inspire others to not give in nor give up.
Yee, Dechen |entries| spent her childhood in Bhutan, was educated in India and now calls Canada home. She is an avid gardener and feels her best when surrounded by nature. She enjoys learning new things and pursuing her many hobbies: music, art, reading, writing, sewing, baking, Tai Chi; and pottering around her garden. She illustrated and self-published her first book, The Unexpected Muse, in Sept 2021. www.dechenyee.com
Yiren |entries| is a Chinese Canadian translator/interpreter. She loves writing and likes to share her work with anyone who is interested. She published her book of poetry, Waiting for Spring, in 2019. She believes that writing is a beautiful way of loving and sharing life.
Yun, Christina |entries| performs on stages worldwide (Canada, USA, Italy). She is the Artistic Matchmaker for Sarah Klapman’s online musician collective, Inside Voice Music, as well as a current contract artist with COSA Canada in their 2021 performance season. She is an avid poet. Connect with her for more poetry and music on her website.
www.christinayun.com
Zia, Hasan |entries| is known as The Grey Poet of Mississauga, an ambient doom and grim romantic (his poetry has aesthetics of symbolism in the perspective of romanticism with a gothic ambience). He has made many public appearances in open mic sessions throughout the GTA. His debut collection of poems, Season of Gloom, is available on Amazon here.
