2025 Writing Mentorship Award Shortlist

Lily is a 24-year-old graduate of the University of Toronto. Her writing dream is to publish one or more of her novels. She enjoys writing character-driven fantasy with complex plotlines and magical worlds that reflect our own. Readers have described her works as "descriptive and well-paced" and "an

I live in Ottawa, Canada, with my wife, two cats, and a writing dream. With a degree in political science, I love travelling and seeing the world.

A former English Teacher who hung up his chalk (well, whiteboard markers) to pen a few of his own words. Loves folklore-inspired horror, dystopian fiction and of course sci-fi; but more than anything - and unsurprisingly - loves a literary surprise, where genre and blurb are little more than cursory

Mike Duggan is a 50 year old writer from London. His poetry has appeared in various literary journals including, The Rialto, Tears in the Fence and Magma. For the past six years he has been working on a novel for young adults, ‘Nightmare Fuel’ exploring the idea of dreams being filtrations of

Roxanne O'Connell has nearly two decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, focusing on economic and climate justice. Her short story was published in Free Spirit Collection: About the Environment, and her poetry has appeared in Wildfire Magazine. She holds a Master’s degree in International

Cindy MacDonald is a middle grade and young adult writer living on the East Coast of Canada. She is a former eLearning technical writer, designer, and project manager, Bed and Breakfast owner, and stained glass artist. When not running, she enjoys golfing with friends, gardening, hiking and

Whitney has many identities: avid reader, genetic counselor, professor, wife, and mother. But writer was a bit of a secret identity until she completed her first novel, the Edited. The speculative genres are a cornerstone of her writing, and romance almost always receives a shout out.

I am a London-based writer of speculative fiction.

British debut novelist who began his working life as a waiter, but since has had a varied career in financial services, documentary film production and the travel industry. Much of his writing experience has been within the business world, where he has been head of corporate communications, and

Lily Lu is a budding author of fantasy and science fiction stories.

Dorit d’Scarlett is a CaLD poet and writer ‘of a certain age’ whose short stories and prize-winning poetry have featured in Rattle, Meniscus, Antler Velvet, and other international literary journals. Her long-form fiction has been both short and long-listed for multiple writing awards. Recently

Erin L. Swann is an avid home cook who has taught visual art for eighteen years in Central Maryland. She recently became an online writing instructor for Authors Publish and has given several free online lectures through them as well. Her work appears in numerous anthologies and publications

I am a Canadian-born, former financial journalist, now living in London. I worked in Australia, Britain and the US, in print and radio, reporting on topics from Mexican bull-fighting to economics to street gangs. My novel, A Beautiful Land, is inspired by the contrast I found between the pressure of

Olly was born in England and was a child of the 1990s. He grew up watching science-fiction and reading non-fiction. After graduating with a BA in History from the University of Cambridge and finding work at a media company, he acquired a taste for literary fiction and a craving to write it. He

Andy Sykes is a retired engineer turned writer. He has used various resources, such as National Centre for Writing, Jericho Writers and Curtis Brown Creative, over a few years to learn the craft of creative writing. He is the founder of Stockport Storytellers, a short story writing group, now in its

Lavender Hemlock has a bachelor’s in English from Virginia Commonwealth University and has works published in Crow & Cross Keys, Dark Poets Club, Chimes Anthology, and Dear Blank Zine. Besides playing the harp in her free time, she writes macabre poetry and experimental fiction. She is currently