Patricia MacQuarrie is a professional writer with a degree in criminology, which greatly influences her writing choices. She has been a member of the WGA since 2007 and a member of the WGA board since 2008. She is also a member of the Writer’s Union of Canada and the Creative Nonfiction Collective. She has been published by the CBC and The Globe and Mail as well as had a true crime book, Deadly Canadian Women, published by Quagmire Press. She works from home where she writes, edits, and works with organizations on contract proposals and final reports and is currently an Alderman with the City of Wetaskiwin.

Julie Sedivy is a citizen of three nations (Canada, Czech Republic and the U.S.A.), and moved to Calgary in 2008 from Rhode Island, where she taught Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences at Brown University. She is the lead author of a popular science book, Sold on Language: How Advertisers Talk to You and What It Says About You (John Wiley & Sons). Having recently left full-time academic life to focus on writing, her ambitions span the entire range from scholarly to literary. She holds an adjunct appointment at the University of Calgary, where she teaches courses on language and persuasion, and is currently at work on a textbook on the psychology of language, as well as a collection of poetry. She is the chair of the Writers Guild of Alberta Standing Committee on Advocacy.

Kimberley Champigny is an accountant with over 20 years experience. Her involvement with the arts stems from her current position as the Community Services Accountant for Recreation, Parks, and Culture with The City of Red Deer. She has also been the Municipal Treasurer/Finance Officer for the Municipality of Callander, Ontario. Kim has volunteered for various organizations including Callander Volunteer Firefighters, Neigbourhood Watch, and the St. Johns Ambulance Pet Therapy Program. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brock University and is currently pursuing a Project Management Certificate at Red Deer College.

Rosemary Griebel is a writer, librarian and community activist. She has worked at Calgary Public Library (CPL) for the past 20 years in a variety of roles including Manager of the Humanities Department where she was responsible for organizing literary events and developing collections that supported the work of the writing community. Currently, she is CPL’s Special Projects librarian and is involved in planning, research and advocacy. She is an active community member having served as a Board member of the CNIB National Library, Markin-Flanagan Distinguished Writers Program and the Calgary 2012 Cultural Capital initiative. Her poetry has been published in various media including CBC Radio, anthologies, literary magazines, chapbooks and on buses. Yes, a full-length book of poetry was published by Frontenac in March 2011. She is passionate about words, community and the land.

Teresa Wouters, Grande Prairie

Teresa Wouters has been a 'practicing' author for thirty years. While working on writing projects, Teresa leads a Young Author's Club and the Cygnets Writers Group. She teaches English at the Grande Prairie Regional College. Teresa has a poem and two award-winning short stories published. She has also won other story writing contests as well as winning speech contests through Toastmasters. Teresa is an active member in the arts community in the Peace Region. She is actively pursuing her Masters in Fine Arts degree for Creative Writing through UBC. Teresa’s experiences, as a writer and board member,is an asset to the WGA. She believes in promoting and supporting both ‘practicing’ and professional authors.

Dianne Linden’s poetry, essays and short stories have appeared in numerous literary journals and have been anthologized in Canada, Britain and the US. She is co-editor of Running Barefoot: Women Write the Land, an anthology of women’s writing. Her first young adult novel, Peacekeepers, was short-listed for the R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature and the Red Maple Young Reader’s Choice Award. Her second, Shimmerdogs, was a finalist for the 2008 Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature and also for the R. Ross Annett Award. Dianne lives and writes in Edmonton.

Susan Toy has been a bookseller, an award-winning publishing sales representative, a literacy teacher, and is now a writer, with two published short stories, and advises and promotes fellow authors and their books through her company, Alberta Books Canada. She created the writing contest, Coffee Shop Author, sat on the Board of Directors of the Fernie Writers' Conference, and is now a member of the Markin-Flanagan Distinguished Writers' Program steering committee. Susan speaks about resources for writers and Alberta authors, and displays books for authors and publishers at Alberta library conferences throughout the province.

Jordanna Bubar is an aspiring writer. She joined the WGA a year ago and began entering contests as well as attending classes. Her personal accomplishments include publication in poetry anthologies, writing for Grip Magazine and being on their Youth Advisory Council, as well as giving speeches at her local High school. She has been accepted into the Bachelor of Communication Studies (Journalism) at Grant MacEwan University. Her hope is that through the program, and being involved with the WGA, she will achieve her dream of becoming a writer. It is out of these dreams, and her passion, that she would like to be the Youth Representative for the WGA board. She looks forward to the impact it will have on the lives of young writers, but also their impact on her life in return.

Peter Midgley is a writer, storyteller, and editor. He lives in Edmonton, Canada. When he is not writing, he works as the Acquisitions Editor for the University of Alberta Press. His most recent scholarly publication is Grappling with the Beast: Indigenous Southern African Responses to Colonialism, 1840–1930, which he co-edited with Peter Limb and Norman Etherington. Peter also writes poetry and children’s books, and performs as a storyteller.