General Discussion Panel: What Made You Want to Write? How do You Stay Creative? Etc.

Lineup

• More details about Alison McGauley

  Alison McGauley

  Alison McGauley is a mom, special education teacher, and children’s author. As a chronic illness warrior, Alison is passionate about writing books that speak to children and caregivers who are impacted by illness or disability. She also loves creating big-hearted stories that feature humour and the natural world. Alison resides in Ontario, Canada with her family. Her debut picture book is Kenzie’s Little Tree (Orca Book Publishers, 2025), illustrated by Emilie Leduc. In 2025, Kenzie’s Little Tree was listed on both the Fold Kids Summer Reading List and the CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens.

• More details about Carter Vance

  Carter Vance

  Carter Vance is a writer and poet originally from Cobourg, Ontario, currently a resident in Gatineau, Quebec. His work has appeared in such publications as The Smart Set, Contemporary Verse 2 and A Midwestern Review, amongst others. Smaller Animals is his first novel, following two poetry collections. Carter has worked as a researcher and policy analyst with government and non-profit organizations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Dominica and Indonesia. He was a staffer for several members of Parliament, including the Opposition House Leader in 2014 and also worked in the Senate of Canada.

• More details about Claris Lam

  Claris Lam

  Claris Lam (she/her) is a Chinese Canadian author & poet writing to inspire readers with hope, perseverance, creativity, and happy endings. Claris’ short fiction and poetry has been published in several collections and projects. The first two books in her murder mystery series, the Harlow Mystery series, were nominated for several categories in the 2023 Indie Ink Awards and 2024 Queer Indie Awards. Her debut poetry chapbook, Refilling The Well, was published in February 2025 and her debut young adult (YA) short story collection, Stay Magical, was published in September 2025. Her debut children's fantasy chapter book, Sadie Rowe And The Missing Necklace, was published in February 2026.

• More details about J.P. Bird

  J.P. Bird

  JP writes cozy mysteries with quirky characters that make her laugh when they disagree with the laid-out plans for their story and take her on a different path. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada, and hates the cold weather but loves the winter months because they’re a great excuse to hibernate with a cup of tea or a glass of red wine. When she’s not writing or reading, she spends her summers in the garden and her winters plotting how to win her neighbourhood Christmas display competition. They don’t know it’s a competition, but she plays to win nonetheless.

• More details about HOSTED BY: N.P. Thompson

  HOSTED BY: N.P. Thompson

  N.P. Thompson is the founder/organizer of Canada Fiction Fest. She is also the award-winning author of River of Crows and the other books in The Arcanium saga. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with her two awesome kids and a very lazy cat.