Heather Conn
BIO
Biography

Trained as a journalist, Heather Conn has worked as a professional writer for 40+ years, based in the Vancouver, BC region. She has published in 50+ magazines and newspapers, including The Globe and Mail, Vancouver Sun, Georgia Straight, and Canadian Geographic. She has also co-written two short films for Bravo! TV and served as a writer for CBC-TV Vancouver. Her specialty areas include arts and culture, the environment and conservation, travel, social justice issues, and spirituality.

Heather is the author of two nonfiction history books on public transit in Vancouver, BC (Vancouver's Glory Years, Whitecap Books, co-written with Henry Ewert) and two picture books, Gracie's Got a Secret and Six Stinky Feet and a Sasquatch. Her creative nonfiction memoir No Letter in Your Pocket will be published in 2023 by Guernica Editions. Her nonfiction features have appeared in at least a half-dozen anthologies, including New Beginnings (Timbercrest Publishing, 2019), Raincoast Chronicles 22 (Harbour Publishing, 2013), and Emails from India (Seraphim Editions, 2013).

Heather works as a writing coach in nonfiction and fiction and has taught professional writing full-time at Selkirk College. She created and taught five courses in creative writing for adults with mental illness for the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority in Sechelt, BC. Her popular writing courses in Continuing Education for the Vancouver School Board maintained waiting lists. She has taught writing workshops for the City of Port Moody, BC, at Powell River Digital Film School, and Pull Focus (now In Focus) Film School in Vancouver. Other teaching venues, on subjects from travel to memoir and creative nonfiction, include University of King's College (online), Capilano University, Continuing Education (Sechelt), Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre, and the Kootenay School of Writing. Heather has an MFA in creative nonfiction from Goucher College, Baltimore. Contact her for a list of awards.

Besides editing nonfiction and fiction books, Heather has worked as editor-in-chief of PeopleTalk magazine, published by the B.C. Human Resources Management Association. She served as a contributing editor for Alive and BC Woman magazine and as western editor for Trucking Canada. She has edited at least a dozen books for a variety of B.C. publishers, including Harbour Publishing, MW Books, and Opus Productions Inc.

As former communications manager Ending Violence Association of BC and for B.C. Transit, Heather wrote and edited web material, social media, and an extensive range of internal and external content. She served as editorial director for Century Communications in Vancouver and has written and/or edited promotional materials or ad content for groups including Sustainability Television, Pacific Wild, and the Sunshine Coast Regional District.

ADDRESS
City: Vancouver/Sunshine Coast, Province/Territory: British Columbia
EMAIL
GENRE
Creative nonfiction; short and long prose; picture book fiction; screenwriting, short drama and documentary
LANGUAGES
English
PUBLICATIONS
Publications
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS
Presentation details
Audience Size
Audience size
10 people to 1,000
Presentation Genre
Nonfiction; Picture book fiction; creative nonfiction
Presentation Length
One hour or less; have done longer ones -- am flexible; enquire to discuss
Presentation Description
Presentation description

Have presented on broad array of topics, from Writing History to Travel Writing to Writing About Trauma and Taboos, Memoir, Healing from Sexual Crimes, Creative Nonfiction, etc. Can prepare a tailor-made presentation on demand.

Enquire to discuss.

Presentation Fee(s)
$250/hr minimum to $1,000+ , depending on audience, venue, and host
Workshop details
Audience Size
Prefer 12 to 30, will consider larger depending on topic and venue
Intended Audience
See above under Presentation
Workshop Length
Totally flexible on this
Workshop Description
Workshop description

See Presentation description above. Can prepare a tailor-made workshop on many topics that address introduction to journalism, history writing and research, creative nonfiction, memoir, etc.

Workshop Fee(s)
Flexible, sliding scale; call to discuss
School presentation details
Audience Size
30 to 60, preferably -- will consider larger, depending on topic and venue
Intended Audience
Kindergarten, grades 1-3; high school
Presentation Length
usually one hour
Presentation Description
Presentation description

Reading from my picture book and general discussion regarding sasquatch stories, writing, working with publishers etc. Can include art project, if desired.

Presentation Fee(s)
$250/hr minimum plus supply costs, if art project included
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
Yes