Sydney

Aaron Schneider is a writer, teacher and environmental activist. His poems have been published widely in poetry magazines, journals and anthologies in Canada, the US and Europe and have been read on CBC Radio. He has won several awards and prizes including the Word on the Street poetry readings sponsored by Atlantic Books Today, the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia prizes for the A Best Poetry Book in Manuscript in 1985, for Adult Poetry in 1984, and Honourable Mention for Short Fiction in 1995. He received a New York Creative Artists Public Service Program Poetry Fellowship in 1977. A selection of his poems, Wild Honey, was published in late 1998. Other works include CBC Radio Commentaries, the books Deforestation and Development in Canada and the Tropics, Selection Management of Private Woodlands in Nova Scotia: a Steward=s Guide, numerous articles on environment and development issues and art, photography and theatre reviews for Arts Atlantic, Visual Arts News, The Halifax Herald, the Cape Breton Post, Inverness Oran, The Victoria Standard.

Joyce Rankin: Born and raised in Judique, went away to see the world and came back home to raise her children in a place where they'd see the ocean when they awoke. Writes poetry and stories about the people and culture she grew up with. Now lives in Westmount, where she can still see the ocean, warm her toes by the woodstove, and pat a big black dog.

Lewis MacKinnon is the CEO of the Office of Gaelic Affairs with the Provincial Government of Nova Scotia.  He was born in Inverness town and raised in Antigonish County, mainland Nova Scotia. He first heard the Gaelic language as a teenager from his granduncle, Dougald MacDougall. After MacDougall’s death, he and his father, Joe MacKinnon began to use the language and they kept on down to the present day.  He is presently working on his Master’s thesis through the Celtic Studies Department at St.F.X. University.  From 1996 – 2006, he served as General Manager of Zep Manufacturing Company.  From 1998 – 2005, he served as President of Comhairle na Gàidhlig (The Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia). Lewis is also a singer and musician.  In 2006, he released an all Gaelic CD titled, A’ Seo (Here). A book of his poems came out in the fall of 2008 published by Cape Breton University Press, titled, Famhair: Agus Dàin Ghàidhlig Eile (Giant: And Other Gaelic Poems).  He and his wife Susan now live in Lower Sackville. 

Sandy MacEachern was born in Glace Bay and raised in Reserve Mines. He enjoys making rap music and was nominated for Rap single of the year in the 2009 East Coast Music Awards. Sandy is a student at Cape Breton University and plans to teach Elementary school.

My name is Shirley Christmas I have been writing for close to tweny four years. I go by the name of Kiju Kawi which means Mother Quill a name given by my Elders at my first book launch in ninty-four or ninty-five. I've published Son's of Membertou, Within My Dreams and Drums over the Mountain which is a play. I am also a member of a Women drum group "Weka'tesk Singers" meaning (Northern lights). With my lastest project I would like to think I put smiles on faces and warm hearts. Its about fictional charaters in a sometimes real life situations. I submit these stories to our local Aknutmaqn (Newsletter)