Leona Gom was born on an isolated farm in the north Peace River district of Alberta, where she lived for 20 years. She received her B.Ed. and M.A. from the University of Alberta. She has taught at various colleges and universities, including the University of Alberta, U.B.C., and Douglas/Kwantlen Colleges in Surrey, B.C., where she edited the literary magazine Event for nearly 10 years. She has published six books of poetry and seven novels. She currently lives in White Rock, B.C., and is working on a new novel.