Variations on the "branded" self: theme, invention, improvisation and inventory. Alison Hearn is an academic and writer; she also enjoys singing and acting when the opportunity arises. A former resident of Peterborough, who dreams of one day returning, she currently lives in Toronto and teaches Media Studies at the University of Western Ontario. Her current research and writing addresses new forms and practices of self-presentation in popular culture. Reality television and on-line social network sites are places where the construction of a persuasive and potentially profit-producing version of the self can take place. Bios offer a similar opportunity...

Lauren is a young writer of poetry who lives in Peterborough who is happy to have the opportunity to read at the Cooked and Eaten.

Paul Mason is a teacher at Lakefield College School. His books and plays include Battered Soles, The Discipline Committee, Circles of Grace and Servant of Light.

Nauni Parkinson is a Peterborogh songwriter and story-teller.

Through Peterborough Parent Child Mother Goose sessions she helps people to remember what it's like to have someone tell you a story and to learn the art of story telling. She is also a mother of two and a fantastic gardener.