Since 1984, M. E. Csamer has been widely published in Canadian literary magazines from coast to coast. Her first collection Paper Moon appeared from watershedBooks in 1998. Her latest work is Light is What We Live In, an exploration of light as physical presence and emotional metaphor. A former board member of The ArtBar poetry reading series in Toronto, she currently serves as President for the League of Canadian Poets. The mother of two grown daughters, Csamer lives in Kingston, Ontario with her husband Steve. Mary Ellen Csamer appears courtesy of the League of Canadian Poets and the Canada Council.

The award-winning author Ken McGoogan has just published Lady Franklin's Revenge: A True Story of Ambition, Obsession and the Remaking of Arctic History. Reviewers have hailed this biography as "a vivid recreation of an extraordinary life"; "fast-paced, well-written and eminently accessible"; and an "unforgettable book" that "belongs on the shelf next to such Arctic classics as Pierre Berton's The Arctic Grail." Ken has family in Peterborough and visits often. Ken McGoogan appears courtesy of The Writers' Union of Canada.

Bea Quarrie is a firm believer in the transformative power of the Arts. Theatre and visual art has been her life's dedication, with over 200 productions to date under her belt.

Unfortunately Elizabeth Ruth did not read this night because of a scheduling error. We hope to have the opportunity to bring her back nextyear.
Elizabeth Ruth's debut novel, Ten Good Seconds of Silence was published to critical acclaim in 2001, was a finalist for the Rogers' Writer's Trust of Canada Fiction Prize, the Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award, and the City of Toronto Book Award. Her second novel, Smoke, just published by Penguin is garnering rave reviews from readers and critics across the country. Elizabeth Ruth was an editor with Fireweed Feminist Quarterly from 1999-2002, and the founder and curator of a monthly queer literary series that ran between 1998 and 2002. Over 400 writers read at the series, and in 2002 Elizabeth compiled and edited some of their most memorable pieces for an anthology entitled, Bent On Writing: contemporary queer tales. Elizabeth Ruth is teaching a creative writing course and the University of Toronto this fall and is at work on another novel and a short story collection. She may be reached at www.elizabethruth.com. She is currently on a cross-Canada book tour.