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Danielle Bobker is a Professor in the Department of Women's Studies and an English Fellow at Concordia University. She is affiliated with the Simone de Beauvoir Institute and specializes in 17th-18th century literature & culture, critical humour studies, gender & sexuality studies, and pedagogy. Education BA, English & Drama, University of Toronto BEd, English, Drama, & French, University of Toronto MA, English, Concordia University PhD, English, Rutgers University Danielle’s research explores intersections of 17th-18th century British literature, satire, critical humour studies, gender & sexuality, and pedagogy. Her work analyzes how private spaces like closets shaped interpersonal relationships and how humor intersects with human rights and legal discourse. She is currently working on a SSHRC-funded project, Ward v. Quebec: A Case for Literary-Critical Humour Studies (2024-2026), and an upcoming book Flayed: How to Talk about Jokes without Hurting Anyone . Danielle’s publications span topics like closet rhetoric in 18th century literature, affect theory in autobiographical writing, and feminist approaches to humor. Her recent projects integrate AI and humor studies, reflecting her interdisciplinary methodology. She welcomes doctoral students interested in critical humour studies, satire, and gender studies.

• 17th & 18th Century Literature & Culture
• Critical Humour Studies
• Gender & Sexuality Studies
• +6 more

Melek Su Ortabasi is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Simon Fraser University (SFU), where she leads the Department of World Languages and Literatures. Her academic journey includes roles as Chair of the department (2020–2021) and Director of the World Literature Program (2015–2019). She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Washington (2001), specializing in Japanese cultural history and Yanagita Kunio’s ethnographic works. Ortabasi’s research bridges comparative literature, translation theory, and transnational children’s literature, with a focus on Japan’s literary and cultural intersections with Europe. She has held visiting positions at institutions like Sophia University (Tokyo) and Goethe Universität (Frankfurt), supported by prestigious fellowships including the Japan Foundation and JSPS grants. Her book The Undiscovered Country: Text, Translation and Modernity in the Work of Yanagita Kunio (2014) explores folklore’s role in shaping modern Japanese identity. Current courses emphasize global literary analysis, translation, and the transnational dimensions of children’s literature. Ortabasi advocates for multilingual pedagogy and has published extensively on topics like transnational youth narratives and the global reception of Japanese classics. Professional memberships include the MLA, AAS, and IRSCL, reflecting her interdisciplinary engagement. Education: PhD, Comparative Literature (University of Washington, 2001) MA, Comparative Literature (University of Washington, 1994) BA, Comparative Literature (University of California, Berkeley, 1992) Research Interests: Children’s literature, translation theory, Japanese cultural studies, transnationalism, folklore studies, and popular culture. Her current book project examines modern Japanese children’s literature’s global connections, tentatively titled A World of Friends: The Transnational Story of Modern Japanese Children’s Literature . Awards/Grants: Over 20 grants/fellowships, including David Lam Centre Research Grants (2018–2019), Japan Foundation fellowships, and SSHRC funding. Recognized for contributions to pedagogy and international collaboration. Advising/Grants: Supervised numerous graduate projects and secured grants for research on transnational literature and comparative methodology. Current initiatives focus on global childhood narratives and multilingualism in education. Labs/Teams: Leads SFU’s World Literature Program and collaborates with international networks like the Meiji at 150 Podcast and Global Literature in Libraries Initiative. Active in curriculum development for transnational literary studies.

• Comparative Literature
• Japanese Literature
• German Literature
• +7 more

Amber Moore is Assistant Professor of Teaching in Library, Literacy, and Teacher Education at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Education. Her research examines adolescent literacies, feminist pedagogies, and representations of sexual violence in young adult literature and popular culture. Moore investigates how trauma literature, particularly sexual assault narratives, is taught in English education and teacher preparation programs. Her scholarship employs arts-based methodologies including poetic inquiry to explore teacher candidates' responses to difficult content and fanfiction as a form of critical engagement. Research emphases include rape culture in educational contexts, feminist media analysis of Riverdale and Hallmark narratives, and pedagogical approaches to trauma literature. Recent publications explore allyship in fanfiction communities, epistolary education, and affective responses to YA sexual assault narratives.

• Trauma Literature Pedagogy
• Feminist Pedagogies
• YA Literature
• +3 more

Miranda Green-Barteet is an Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario, jointly appointed in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and the Department of English and Writing Studies. Her research focuses on 19th-century U.S. literature written by women and contemporary young adult literature, particularly examining how female characters resist societal and familial constraints to claim agency and subjectivity. Research Emphasis: Racial representation in YA fiction, feminist analysis of dystopian spaces, and historical intersections of gender and genre Notable Publications: Co-editor of Race in Young Adult Speculative Fiction (2021); Reconsidering Laura Ingalls Wilder (2019); and Female Rebellion in Young Adult Dystopian Fiction (2014) Her scholarly work investigates transgressive female subjectivities across centuries, connecting historical and modern narratives. Recent research explores neoliberalism's racial erasure in YA fiction, allegorical diversity in fairy-tale dystopias, and techno-cultural representations of race. Contact: mgreenb6@uwo.ca | Office: Somerville House, Room 3340 (open Fall 2025)

• 19th-century American literature
• Gender studies
• Young adult literature
• +3 more

Dr. Nicole Markotic is a Professor in the Department of English and Creative Writing at the University of Windsor. She holds an M.A. from the University of Manitoba and a Ph.D. from the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on Canadian literature, creative writing (fiction and poetry), disability studies, and children’s literature, with a particular interest in theorizing the 'problem body' and feminist critical theory. Markotic is an award-winning poet and author, with publications including poetry collections like Minotaurs & Other Alphabets , Bent at the Spine , and Whelmed , as well as chapbooks such as more excess (winner of the bpNichol Chapbook Award). Her fiction includes Yellow Pages and the YA novel Rough Patch . She has contributed short stories to literary journals and is currently working on a poetry book and a collection of essays on disability in children’s literature. She has held editorial roles as poetry editor for Red Deer Press and is currently a fiction editor for NeWest Press. Her recent critical work, Disability in Film and Literature , explores interdisciplinary approaches to disability representation. Her current projects include essays on disability narratives in children’s literature and ongoing creative writing initiatives. Awards: bpNichol Chapbook Award (2010) Editing: NeWest Press (fiction editor), Red Deer Press (former poetry editor)

• Canadian Literature
• Creative Writing
• Disability Studies
• +3 more

Kim Snowden is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in Feminist Media Studies and Popular Culture at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice within UBC's Faculty of Arts. She has held this position since completing her PhD in Women's and Gender Studies from UBC in 2004 and currently serves as the Undergraduate Co-Chair and Academic Advisor for GRSJ students. Her scholarly work spans multiple disciplines with particular expertise in cultural studies, literary studies, film studies, popular culture, and fairy tale studies . Dr. Snowden teaches a diverse range of courses including social media, folk and fairy tales, vampires, science fiction and fantasy, social justice storytelling, young adult literature, and monsters. In recent years, she has developed and taught GRSJ 225 (Youth Activism and Social Justice) which explores youth movements, digital activism, fan cultures, and literature by and for youth. Dr. Snowden's publication record demonstrates consistent scholarly engagement with fairy tale studies, feminist media analysis, and cultural criticism. Her research trajectory shows an evolution from traditional literary and film analysis toward contemporary explorations of fandom cultures and digital media. Her most recent work examines the gendered, sexual, and racial politics of shipping in television fandoms like The Vampire Diaries and The 100, analyzing how fan communities create space for queer readings while also navigating problematic behaviors like harassment and entitlement. She has taught continuously at UBC since 2004 and currently teaches GRSJ 224B and C (Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice in Literature) as well as GRSJ 225 (Youth Activism and Social Justice) across multiple academic terms through 2025. Her teaching portfolio reveals a commitment to intersectional approaches that connect literary analysis with contemporary social justice issues, particularly through the lens of youth culture and digital media.

• Cultural Studies
• Literary Studies
• Film Studies
• +5 more

Dr. Wendy R. Williams is an Associate Professor of English at Arizona State University's College of Integrative Sciences and Arts , specializing in secondary writing instruction and visual/multimodal narrative. She founded ASU's Young Authors' Studio , a free youth writing program, and serves as the "Teaching Creative Writing" Column Editor for English Journal . Her work bridges arts integration, food studies, and multimedia storytelling in education. Education: Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction: English Education (ASU), M.Ed. in Secondary Education: English (ASU), B.A.E. in Secondary Education: English (ASU), A.O.S. in Culinary Arts (Le Cordon Bleu) Her research explores qualitative methodologies like grounded theory and narrative analysis, focusing on student engagement with visual narratives (graphic novels, anime, film), spoken word poetry, and food studies. Recent projects include a special issue on Food Studies in English Language Arts (2026) and the upcoming book Visual Storytellers (2025). Dr. Williams has received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Arizona Humanities. She co-chairs the NCTE ELATE Commission on Arts and Literacies and ASU's Curriculum and Academic Programs Committee. Her outreach includes Creative Writing Workshops and collaborations with Maricopa County Master Gardeners.

• Secondary Writing Instruction
• Visual/Multimodal Narrative
• English Education
• +5 more

Margaret Reeves is an Associate Professor in the Department of English and Cultural Studies at the University of British Columbia Okanagan . She holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Toronto and completed a Collaborative Graduate Program in Women’s Studies. Her academic career spans roles at York University and UBC Okanagan since 2007, with leadership positions including Acting Coordinator of the Undergraduate English Program and current Associate Dean of the College of Graduate Studies . B.A. (Hons), York University M.A., York University Ph.D., University of Toronto Reeves specializes in Early Modern Women’s Writing , Children’s Literary Cultures , and Political Theory . Her research excavates women’s literary interventions in public politics through genres like romance, utopian texts, and autobiographical narratives, contextualized within feminist literary recovery projects. She also investigates the history of children’s literature and concepts of female youth in seventeenth-century British culture. Her publication trends reflect interdisciplinary engagement with Medieval and Renaissance studies , satiric fiction , and feminist theory . Key awards include the 2009 CSRS Montaigne Prize and the 2002 SSEMW Award for Best Graduate Student Paper . Reeves advocates for graduate and undergraduate research, supervising theses on topics ranging from myth in fantasy literature to trans representation in YA fiction . Current projects include co-editing a critical edition of Margaret Cavendish’s Orations . Her service roles extend to the Canadian Society for Renaissance Studies and Society for the Study of Early Modern Women .

• Early Modern Women’s Writing
• Children’s Literary Cultures
• Early Modern Political Theory
• +9 more

Heather Snell is an Associate Professor in the English Department at the University of Winnipeg. She specializes in critical theory, cultural studies, and children’s, Canadian, and postcolonial literature. She co-edited Cultural Memory in Texts for and about Children (Routledge, 2014) and has published on science fiction, dystopian YA fiction, and representations of young people in media. Snell is affiliated with the Centre for Young People’s Texts and Cultures and co-founded the journal Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures . She also participates in the Manitoba Walls to Bridges collective, advocating for education access for incarcerated individuals. Education: Ph.D. in English, Western University M.A. in Theory and Criticism, Western University B.A. in English, University of Guelph Research Interests: Snell’s work focuses on feminist speculative fiction, climate fiction (cli-fi), and the intersection of cultural memory with children’s texts. She explores postcolonial literatures, Canadian literature, and the role of young people in media narratives. Professional Contributions: Advisory Board Member for Studies in Canadian Literature (SCL). Active in interdisciplinary publishing and prison education initiatives.

• Critical Theory
• Cultural Studies
• Children's Literature
• +5 more

Dr. Mark Morton serves as Senior Educational Developer in Teaching Inquiry & Communications at the University of Waterloo’s Centre for Teaching Excellence. He holds a PhD in 16th-century non-dramatic English literature from the University of Toronto (1992) and previously taught at the University of Winnipeg for over a decade. His expertise spans educational technology integration, pedagogical strategy development, and academic communications oversight. Research interests include food studies, language history, and dystopian narratives. He authored four award-winning nonfiction books—e.g., Cupboard Love (culinary etymology) and The Lover’s Tongue (linguistics of love/sex)—and contributed over 50 articles to Gastronomica . His 2024 YA novel The Headmasters explores themes of oppression and autonomy in a post-apocalyptic setting. Recognized for bridging literary scholarship with contemporary educational innovation, Morton’s work emphasizes practical applications of research in teaching practices.

• Educational Technology
• Food Studies
• Literary History
• +3 more

Elisabeth Gruner is a Professor of English at the University of Richmond’s College of Arts & Sciences. She teaches Children’s Literature, Victorian Literature, and Creative Nonfiction Writing, while serving as Coordinator of Faculty Development in Teaching at the Faculty Hub for Teaching & Scholarship. Her past roles include Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences, Director of the Academic Advising Resources Center, and Coordinator of the First-Year Seminar Program. Her research focuses on the intersection of young adult literature and educational pedagogy, particularly the "crisis in reading" and how YA literature shapes adolescent readers. She is a leading advocate for "ungrading" practices, which prioritize feedback and student self-assessment over traditional grading to reduce stress, enhance equity, and foster deeper learning. This approach has been widely discussed, including in her influential article on The Conversation. Key themes in her publications include the role of symbolism in literature, relevance of classic texts like Shakespeare’s works, and the alchemical metaphor in storytelling. Her articles highlight interdisciplinary connections between literature, education, and reader psychology, emphasizing how texts empower critical thinking and personal growth.

• Children's Literature
• Young Adult Literature
• Victorian Literature
• +5 more

Mark Anthony Jarman is a Professor of English at the University of New Brunswick, teaching creative writing and serving as fiction editor for The Fiddlehead journal. An acclaimed author, his works include the hockey novel Salvage King Ya! (listed among 50 Essential Canadian Books) and story collections like Knife Party at the Hotel Europa . His writing spans fiction, nonfiction, and travel literature, appearing in publications such as Walrus , Canadian Geographic , and The Globe and Mail . Honors include multiple National Magazine Awards, O. Henry Prize nominations, and fellowships at Yaddo. Critic A.S. Byatt ranked his story 'Burn Man on a Texas Porch' among literature's finest short works.

• Creative Writing
• Fiction
• Short Stories
• +2 more

Sarah Tsiang is an Instructor Affiliate in the Creative Writing Faculty at Queen's University and a supervisor of MA students in Creative Writing at the University of Toronto. She teaches creative writing courses at Queen's and co-teaches an experiential learning course called 'Writing in the Community.' Her roles include Creative Director of Poetry In Voice/Les Voix de la Poésie, a national non-profit promoting poetry education in Canadian schools. Previously, she contributed to establishing Sheridan College's Creative Writing and Publishing program and taught MFA students at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests span creative writing genres including poetry, children's literature (K-12), fiction, and non-fiction. She emphasizes student-centered learning, encouraging critical thinking through diverse perspectives and collaborative discussions. Beyond academia, she has worked with non-profits like AIDS New Brunswick and the FAS Network of New Brunswick. Her literary output includes 11 published books across genres, with another due in 2026. Notable works include Grappling Hook (2022, poetry), Breathing Fire (2013, YA novel), and Everyone Has Toesy Toes (2018, board book). Her writing often explores themes of identity, culture, and education through innovative narrative forms. As a leader in Poetry In Voice, she champions poetry's role in education, organizing national recitation competitions and curriculum development. Her creative approach to teaching and writing reflects a commitment to fostering curiosity and critical thinking in students.

• Creative Writing
• Poetry
• Children's Literature
• +4 more

Diane Dakers is an Associate Professor in the Communication & Culture department. She is a multidisciplinary professional with expertise in journalism, communications, and writing for youth audiences. Her roles include teaching television journalism during her Master's studies and currently working as a self-employed author, media coach, and writing instructor. Education: Master of Journalism, Carleton University (2012) Honours Journalism Diploma, MacEwan University (1991) Bachelor of Science in Physical Sciences, University of Guelph (1987) Professional Experience: Arts and culture reporter/reviewer for Times Colonist , CHEK-TV , CTV Two , and CBC Radio Communications Manager at Royal BC Museum (2006–2010) Self-employed author and media coach since 2012 Research & Creative Work: Dakers has authored 26 nonfiction books for youth, one adult nonfiction title, and three teen novels. She is currently developing her first full-length Young Adult (YA) novel. Her writing spans journalism, science communication (e.g., YES Mag ), and narrative fiction.

• Journalism
• Communications
• Media Studies
• +3 more

Jacqueline Baker is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at MacEwan University, specializing in Creative Writing and the Gothic genres. She holds an MA from the University of Alberta and a BA from the University of Victoria. Her roles include serving as MacEwan’s Writer-in-Residence and Board of Governors Research Chair (2021-2023). Her work focuses on literary fiction, contemporary horror, and YA literature, with notable publications in novels, short stories, and screenplays. Research interests include the contemporary gothic, screenwriting, ghost stories, and adaptation studies. Her creative works have earned prestigious awards such as the Danuta Gleed Prize and the Robert Kroetsch Award. Baker is actively involved in mentoring emerging writers through programs at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Sage Hill Writing. Awards highlight her contributions to literature and teaching, including the Distinguished Teaching Award (2018-19). Current projects include a feature-length screenplay in development and scholarly editing work like Shadowmen: Selected Stories of H.P. Lovecraft .

• Creative Writing
• Literary Fiction
• Contemporary Gothic
• +6 more