Photo Credit:
Photo credit
Chris Ledrew (2023)
Jenn Thornhill Verma
BIO
Biography

Jenn Thornhill Verma is a journalist/writer, visual artist and non-profit executive from Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), now living in Ottawa with her family. She has Master’s degrees of Fine Arts (MFA Creative Nonfiction, University of King’s College) and Science (MSc Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland), is a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (FRCGS), a Fellow International of The Explorers Club (FI'23), a Pulitzer Grantee (2024), an alumna of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, and executive lead of the Global Commission on Evidence to Address Societal Challenges. In 2019, Jenn published her first book, “Cod Collapse: The Rise and Fall of Newfoundland’s Saltwater Cowboys,” which features her cover art and was shortlisted for a historical writing award at the 2021 Atlantic Book Awards. Jenn’s book inspired her first short-film, “Last Fish, First Boat,” which recounts the true story of a fifth-generation fisherman who pivots to boat-building after the cod fishery closes. In 2020, Jenn’s landscape art was recognized for best cover (magazine) at the Atlantic Journalism Awards (AJAs), where she has been a repeat nominee (a thrice silver winner for best proflie article). Also nominated for a data journalism award at the Canadian Association of Journalists awards (2023), best science and technology storytelling award at the Digital Publishing Awards (2023), and best new magazine writer at the National Magazine Awards (2019), Jenn has bylines in Canadian Geographic, CBC, The Independent (NL), The Globe and Mail, The Narwhal, Reader’s Digest, and more. Jenn also serves on the boards of the University of King’s College (also serving as the Alumni Association’s vice-president), Bruyère Continuing Care, Nourish Leadership and the Justice Emmett Hall Memorial Foundation.

ADDRESS
City: Ottawa, Province/Territory: Ontario
EMAIL
GENRE
nonfiction (history, science, narrative, memoir) with experience in scriptwriting, book reviews and arts writing
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS
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