contemporary women– & a few from the last century
This list includes essayists (lyric, personal, and otherwise), literary nonfiction writers, memoirists, bloggers, environmental writers, historians, columnists and journalists. The range of prose writing is intended to suggest the multiple spokes in the umbrella category called “nonfiction writing.” Some of these writers work in “creative nonfiction,” a contested term that is intended to describe work after New Journalism’s transformations in voice and form. Creative nonfiction has various descriptions. This is mine: “Fact-based writing with a strong narrative voice and a style informed by literary techniques of fiction and sometimes poetry.”
Thanks to Aldora Cole who helped with the initial versionof the pomegranate’s Index. If you have additional information or notice errors or omissions, please write to us via the pomegranate contact form.
- Abbot, Elizabeth (history)
www.elizabethabbott.ca - Abraham, Carolyn (science)
http://www.cookeagency.ca/books/Abraham-C_Juggler.ht - Amiel, Barbara (memoir, politics)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Amiel - Anderson, Doris (journalism, editor, politics, memoir)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Anderson - Armstrong, Jeannette (oratory, poetry, essay, cultural critique)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeannette_Armstrong - Armstrong, Luanne (environmental, memoir, fiction)
http://www.luannearmstrong.ca/ - Atwood, Margaret (essay, fiction, poetry, cultural critique)
www.margaretatwood.ca/ - Banting, Pam (environmental writing, poetry, cultural critique)
http://www.english.ucalgary.ca/profiles/pamela-banting - Barlow, Maude (politics, environment, activism, social justice)
http://www.canadians.org/about/Maude_Barlow/ - Beresford-Kroger, Diana (science)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/science/12prof.html
http://explore.wingsworldquest.org/node/436 - Birnie, Lisa (biography, memoir, crime, history, travel, journalism) www.lisabirnie.wordpress.com
- Blatchford, Christie (journalism, crime)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/christie-blatchford/ - Boddy, Janice (science)
http://www.anthropology.utoronto.ca/people/faculty-1/faculty-profiles/janice-boddy - Borel Jr., Katherine (memoir)
www.kathrynborel.com - Botsford Frasier, Marion (creative nonfiction, cultural analysis, memoir, travel, biography) www.marianbotsfordfraser.ca
- Bowen, Lynn (history, creative nonfiction)
www.lynnebowen.ca - Braid, Kate (poetry, memoir)
www.katebraid.com - Brandis, Marianne (memoir, biography, essays)
www.mariannebrandis.ca - Butala, Sharon (environmental, memoir)
www.sharonbutala.com - Brand, Dionne (poetry, fiction, essays, memoir, film)
Canadian Encyclopedia DB entry - Brandt, Di (poetry, essays, cultural analysis, creative nonfiction
http://www2.brandonu.ca/di_brandt/ - Cameron, Elspeth
www.elspethcameron.ca - Campbell, Anne (creative nonfiction, biography, history, poetry, short fiction)
www.annecampbell.ca - Campbell, Deborah (radio & print, immersive journalism, essays, literary nonfiction) http://deborahcampbell.org/
- Campbell, Maria (memoir, essay, children’s)
http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/campbell_maria_1940-.html - Campbell, Marjorie Wilkins (history, historical fiction)
Canadian Encyclopedia MWC entry - *Carr, Emily (memoir)
www.emilycarr.ca - Caser, Katha (history, children’s lit, historical fiction)
www.kathycaser.com - Chong, Denise
http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000006777,00.html - Coleman, Anne
www.mcclelland.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=59304 - Collins, Anne (history, cultural analysis)
http://writersread.concordia.ca/collins.html - Connelly, Karen (memoir, travel, fiction, poetry, politics, religion)
www.karenconnelly.ca - Cooper, Afua (history, poetry)
www.afuacooper.com - Coyote, Ivan
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=1399&L=C&N=Ivan%A0Coyote
www.ivanecoyote.com - Crean, Susan (biography, creative nonfiction, cultural analysis, history)
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=1123&L=C&N=Susan%A0Crean - Curtis, Andrea
www.andreacurtis.ca - De Vries, Maggie
www.maggiedevries.com - Dobson, Wendy (business, politics)
- Doe, Jane
http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780679312758 - Doyle Driedger, Sharon (history, memoir, journalism)
harpercollins SDD book website - Doyle, Marjorie (memoir, columnist, journalist, creative nonfiction, radio)
www.marjoriedoyle.ca - Dubinsky, Karen (cultural critique, history)
www.karendubinsky.com - Duncan, Dorothy (food historian)
www.dundurn.com/authors/dorothy_duncan - Dunphey, Catherine
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=1090&L=D&N=Catherine%A0Dunphy - Echlin, Kim (fiction, biography, creative nonfiction)
- Edwards, Caterina (memoir, fiction)
http://www.caterinaedwards.com/ - Cameron, Elspeth (biography, memoir)
- Ellis, Deborah (children’s)
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=800&L=E&N=Deborah%A0Ellis - Ellis, Sarah (children’s, nonfiction?)
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=1104&L=E&N=Sarah%A0Ellis - Farrant, M.A.C. (humour, short fiction, memoir, journalist)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._A._C._Farrant - Finley, Mary Lou
- Fong Bates, Judy (memoir)
www.judyfongbates.com - Fowler, Marian (history, biography)
http://www.randomhouse.ca/author/results.pperl?authorid=9102 - Frayne, Jill
http://www.randomhouse.ca/author/results.pperl?authorid=9258 - Giese, Rachel (essay, radio, newspaper, and magazine journalism)
http://www.mastheadonline.com/news/2010/20101129837.shtml - Godfrey, Rebecca (crime, novel)
www.rebeccagodfrey.com - Goodison, Lorna (memoir, poet)
http://www.mcclelland.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=10505&view=full_sptlght - Grant, Sheila D.
- Gray, Charlotte (biography)
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=592&L=G&N=Charlotte%A0Gray - Gunnars, Kristyana (memoir, innovative nonfiction, poetry, fiction, art criticism)
http://www2.athabascau.ca/cll/writers/english/writers/kgunnars/kgunnars.php - Gwyn, Sandra
- Haggerty, Joan
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=1480&L=H&N=Joan%A0Haggerty - Hampson, Sarah
- Harley Eber, Dorothy
- Hemlow, Joyce
- Henley Rubio, Mary
- Howard, Cori (radio, print, tv journalism, personal essay, anthologist)
http://www.themomoirproject.com/?page_id=2 - Gildner, Catherine (memoir)
http://www.gildiner.com/ - Huggan, Isabel (memoir, essay, short fiction)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Huggan - http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=1032&L=H&N=Isabel%A0Huggan
- Iglauer, Edith
www.edithiglauer.com - Jackson, Marni (memoir, essay, cultural analysis, creative nonfiction)
www.marnijackson.com - Jacobs, Jane
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Jacobs - Johns, Linda
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=700&L=J&N=Linda%A0Johns - Juby, Susan
www.susanjuby.com - Kaplan, Beth (memoir, family history, biography, personal essay, blog)
http://www.bethkaplan.ca/ - Kulyk Keefer, Janice http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=207&L=K&N=Janice%20Kulyk%A0Keefer
- Kennedy-Glans, Donna
- Khan, Sheema (politics, memoir, religion, columnist)
http://www.tsarbooks.com/OfHockeyandHijab.htm - Kishkan, Theresa
http://theresakishkan.com/ - Klein, Naomi
www.naomiklein.org - Kome, Penney
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=964&L=K&N=Penney%A0Kome - Kostash, Myrna (cultural criticism, memoir, anthologist, editor, journalist, historian, radio documentary)
http://www.myrnakostash.com/ - Lam, Fiona (essays, journalism, anthologist/editor)
http://fionalam.net/ - Leavitt, Sarah (essay, graphic nonfiction)
www.sarahleavitt.com - Lemay, Shawna (poetry, essay)
http://calmthings.blogspot.com/ - Lowther, Christine (poetry, nature, memoir, humour)
http://christinelowther.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-nature-for-half-year-christine.html - Mackprang Baer, Gertrude (memoir)
http://writerscafe.ca/book_blogs/writers/gertrud-mackprang-baer_in-the-shadow-of-silence.php - MacPherson, Margaret (essays, biography, novel, short story, history, poetry)
http://margaretmacpherson.com - Heather Mallick (humour, commentary, columnist, essayist) http://www.thestar.com/news/columnists/847463–mallick-heather
- Manley, Rachel (memoir)
http://www.rachelmanley.com/?page_id=2 - Marlatt, Daphne (essays, poetry, fiction, libretto)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne_Marlatt - Massing, Conni (drama, memoir
http://www.connimassing.com/ - Mayse, Susan
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=1037&L=M&N=Susan%A0Mayse - McCall Newman, Christina (politics)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/article880188.ece - McClung, Nellie (novel, memoir, essay)
www.mta.ca/about_canada/study…/nellie_mcclung.html - McDonald, Marci
www.marcimcdonald.ca - McQuaig, Linda (essay, politics, economics)
www.lindamcquaig.com - Melfi, Mary (memoir)
http://www.italyrevisited.org/ - Metcalf-Chalmers, Danielle (memoir, narrative history, blogging)
- Miller, Carmen
- Miller, Ruth
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=347&L=M&N=Ruth%A0Miller - Moir, Rita
http://bcwriters.com/off_the_page.php?id=43 - Moray, Gerta
http://www.ubcpress.ubc.ca/search/title_book.asp?BookID=1960 - Mullens, Anne
www.annemullens.com - Murphy, Sarah
http://www.mtroyal.ca/CampusServices/CampusResources/BookStore/FacultyStaff/bkstr_sarah_murphy.htm - Musgrave, Susan
http://www.susanmusgrave.com/ - Mustafa, Naheed (journalist, essayist, radio documentary)
- Neilsen Glenn, Lorri (memoir, essays, poetics)
http://www.writers.ns.ca/writers/N/neilsenglennlorri.html - Nemat, Marina (memoir)
http://www.marinanemat.com - Olding, Susan (essay)
www.susanolding.com - Olwen McMillan, Margaret (history, essay)
http://www.cerc.gc.ca/selection/macmillan-eng.shtml - Ostlere, Kathy
http://cathy-ostlere.com/ - Page, P.K. (poetry, essay)
www.pkpage.ca - Paris, Erna (history, politics, essay)
www.ernaparis.com - Paskal, Cleo (politics)
http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/about/directory/view/-/id/87/ - Paulson, Else
http://www.dmpibooks.com/author/else-poulsen - Penny, Laura
http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=51994 - Phillip, M. Nourbese (novel, poetry, essay, politics, cultural critique)
http://www.nourbese.com/ - Phinney, Sandra (travel, memoir, essay, fiction, poetry)
www.sandraphinney.com - Pither, Kerry (politics)
www.kerrypither.com - Popoff, Alexandra
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=2587&L=P&N=Alexandra%20G.%A0Popoff - Porter, Anna
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=1841&L=P&N=Anna%A0Porter - Prince, Althea
www.altheaprince.com - Pratt, Sheila (politics, newspaper columnist, feature writer, essayist, author)
http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/columnists/sheila_pratt.html - Richardson, Evalyn M.
- Ritter, Erika (humorist, playwright, essayist)
www.erikaritter.com - Robertson, Heather (history, politics, science, business, journalism, essays, fiction, activism)
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=809&L=R&N=Heather%A0Robertson - Rodin, Renee
http://www.talonbooks.com/authors/renee-rodin - Roig, Denise (journalism, personal essay, memoir)
http://quebecbooks.qwf.org/authors/view/447 - Salverson, Laura G.
- Savage, Candace (science, nature, children, adult, history)
http://www.candacesavage.ca/
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=1537&L=S&N=Candace%A0Savage - Shaben, Carol
http://www.walrusmagazine.com/author/carol-shaben - Skogan, Joan
http://www.banffcentre.ca/press/contributors/stu/skogan_j/ - Schultz, Judy
- Sheikh, Nazneen
http://www.cormorantbooks.com/authors/sheikhnazneen.shtml - Shields, Carol
www.carol-shields.com - Sigaris, Lake
http://www.sagaris.cl/writer.htm - Silcott, Jane Hamilton
- Siggins, Maggie
www.maggiesiggins.ca - Siljak, Ana
http://www.queensu.ca/history/people/facultyinstructorsalpha/siljak.html - Simonds, Merilyn
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=281&L=S&N=Merilyn%A0Simonds - Simpson, Anne
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Simpson - Smardz Frost, Karolyn
- Smart, Patricia
- Smith, Alisa (magazine writing, immersive journalism, blogger)
http://alisasmith.ca/ - Smith Matheson, Shirlee
http://www.ssmatheson.ca/ - Spalding, Linda
http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=29189 - Spears, Heather
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=357&L=S&N=Heather%A0Spears - Stonehouse, Cathy (creative nonfiction, poetry, short fiction, anthologist)
http://cathystonehouse.com/ - Stonier-Newman, Lynn
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=1619&L=S&N=Lynne%A0Stonier-Newman - Story, Nora
- Stutchbury, Bridget
- Sullivan, Rosemary (biography, memoir, poetry)
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=752&L=S&N=Rosemary%A0Sullivan - Thompson, Donna
- Thompson, Margaret
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=340&L=T&N=Margaret%A0Thompson - Timson, Judith (commentary, literary journalism, columnist)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/relationships/news-and-views/judith-timson/ - Tippit, Marice (art history)
- Tostevin, Lola Lemire (essays, poetry, fiction)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lola_Lemire_Tostevin - Tone, Andrea
- Tye, Diane
- Vanderhoof, Ann
- Van Luven, Lynne (creative nonfiction, memoir, journalism, editor)
http://finearts.uvic.ca/writing/faculty/vanluven/ - Visser, Margaret
www.margaretvisser.com - Wadden, Marie
- Wakan, Naomi Beth
www.naomiwakan.com - Walia, Harsha (writer, activist, legal researcher)
http://twitter.com/#!/harshawalia - Warland, Betsy
http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=704&L=W&N=Betsy%A0Warland - Warner, Jessica
www.jessica-warner.com - Watt, Allison
- Weisbord, Merrily
http://quebecbooks.qwf.org/authors/view/148 - Wiesenthall, Christine (literary nonfiction, biography, poetry, editor)
http://www.newestpress.com/catalog/authors/christine-wiesenthal.html - White, Emily
- Wilkes, Helen Waldstein (memoir, history, letters)
http://www.lettersfromthelost.com - Williamson, Janice (creative nonfiction, cultural criticism, memoir, poetry, politics)
http://janicewilliamson.wordpress.com - Woodbury, Mary (nonfiction writing, e.g. memoir, science, humour, creative nonfiction, politics, cultural journalism, literary nonfiction, reportage, history, personal essay, innovative nonfiction)
http://www.marywoodbury.ca/ - Zwicky, Jan (poetry, essays)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Zwicky
the pomegranate 
[…] site includes an “Index” of 175 Canadian women nonfiction writers that includes links to individual websites. The list is “in process.” (My gratitude […]
[…] site includes an “Index” of 175 Canadian women nonfiction writers with links to individual websites. The list is “in process.” (My gratitude to Aldora […]
[…] site includes an “Index” of 175 Canadian women nonfiction writers with links to individual websites. The list is “in process.” (My gratitude to Aldora […]