Photo Credit:
Photo credit
Lorraine Payette
Deborah Dunleavy
BIO
Biography

Deborah Dunleavy is an award-winning Literary Artist with over 30 years of professional experience in creating, producing and touring her programs both nationally and internationally.

‘Unsayable Absence’ an historical fiction set between the years of 1900 and 1932 had a premier release in November 2021 and a formal release in June 2022.  ‘Unsayable Absence’ is an enduring historical novel of love and loss during the early years of the twentieth century. Readers who enjoy early Canadian history and the ever-changing roles of women in Canada will marvel at the adventures and challenges facing Una McFadden.” – L. Payette

‘The Truth About Trees’ is Dunleavy’s first work of fiction. “This is a compelling story of one woman's journey from denial to acceptance of illness and mortality. I liked the way the enigmatic title is gradually explained in the symbolism of trees and the tree of life in the main character's youthful memories.”- K. Arthur

Previously KidsCan Press published ‘The Jumbo Book of Music’ and ‘The Jumbo Book of Drama’ while Pembroke Publishers released her book for educators entitled ‘The Language Beat.

As a storyteller Deborah is highly regarded by her peers. She is a recipient of numerous awards from The Canada Council for the Arts, The Ontario Arts Council, and Storytelling Toronto. The Scottish International Storytelling Festival in Edinburgh invited Deborah to be a featured Canadian storyteller at their 2019 event where she performed the storytelling oratorio ‘Isobel Gunn’.

Deborah frequently collaborates with composer (and husband) Howard Alexander on her literary projects including ‘Isobel Gunn’, ‘La Befana's Gifts’ - a Storytelling Oratorio, and ‘The Last Wife’ - Chamber Opera. They wrote ‘Scantily Clad - A Musical Melodrama’ which was produced by a community theatre troupe in the summer of 2022.

Her playwriting works include 'Battlefield Petticoats - Women in the War of 1812', and 'At The Canoe Club Dance' a two act musical based on true accounts collected from seniors who remembered the years before 1945.

While wiling away the hours in her studio in Eastern Ontario, Deborah delights in discovering more untold stories and muses about her next literary adventure.

ADDRESS
City: Brockville, Province/Territory: Ontario
EMAIL
GENRE
Fiction
LANGUAGES
English
PUBLICATIONS
Publications
Title
The Truth About Trees
Publisher
FishOwl
Year
2015
Title
Unsayable Absence
Publisher
FriesenPress
Year
2021
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS
Presentation details
Audience Size
Audience size
flexible
Presentation Genre
Fiction, storytelling
Presentation Length
30 minutes to one hour
Presentation Description
Presentation description

Designed for specific group

Presentation Fee(s)
negotiable
Workshop details
Audience Size
20 - 30
Intended Audience
flexible
Workshop Length
45 - 60 minutes
Workshop Description
Workshop description

Designed for specific group

Workshop Fee(s)
negotiable
School presentation details
Audience Size
30
Intended Audience
high school
Presentation Length
50 minutes
Presentation Description
Presentation description

Designed for specific group

Presentation Fee(s)
negotiable
Programs & Interests
Interested in participating Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program:
All members are eligible for the Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program. Are you interested in participating in this pro
Yes
Interested in participating in the Northern Ontario WITS program:
The Union’s Northern Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program funds in-person visits to northern Ontario schools when possible. Ar
No