Photo Credit:
Photo credit
Faith Chaput
Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland
BIO
Biography

I am a writer, theatre artist, and arts educator whose work over the past 40 years has evolved at the intersection of arts and activism. My short stories, poems and personal essays have been published in Resilience Magazine, Deep Times Journal, Forge Journal, The Furious Gazelle, Circa - A Journal of Historical Fiction and What Rough Beast, to name a few. An excerpt from my novel, "Traeh Gnul - Miranda's Journey from the Great Forest" won the 2014 Writers Federation of New Brunswick Young Adult Fiction Award. In 2017, with the support of Mount Allison University, I wrote, directed and produced the spoken-word play, "Bearing Witness". After 12 wonderful years on the East Coast, I currently live in Hamilton, Ontario w/ my composer husband, Beverly Glenn-Copeland.

My most recent book, "Daring to Hope at the Cliff's Edge: Pangea's Dream Remembered" was written during a year-long arts/science residency at the Joggins Fossil Institute, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the mighty Bay of Fundy in 2017/18.

“Lyrical, bewildering, heartening, and unsettling, this work sees an individual voice reckoning with the overwhelming complexity of our present moment.”       ~ Nick Storring, Musician and music journalist

"...timeless and timely, ancestral and modern, serious and whimsical. Be prepared for a journey of the moral imagination, an invitation into a council of all beings, and a unique experience that will leave you inspired, moved, and daring to hope."                                       ~Della Duncan, Ecological Economist

"In Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland’s lyrical treatment myth, Indigenous lore, geological science, song, storytelling, current events, and even pop culture intermingle in an impassioned search for understanding and for hope"                        ~Glen Sorestad, First Poet Laureate of Saskatchewan

"As a cultural geographer...I have witnessed the pivotal role the arts play in providing a holistic framework through which we can process our collective fears of the future...Elizabeth takes us to the cliff ’s edge of these fears, and using pathos, humour and her unique wit, provides us with a personal model for resilient action."                                                                                        ~Dr. Michael Fox

 

My novella, "JAZZ: Nature's Improvisation" is a coming-of-age story of a young transgendered East Indian male, won the 2014 Ken Klonksy Novella Prize and was published by Quattro books. It was shortlisted for the 2015 ReLit Award.

“Filled with facts, substance and artful description, Jazz opens up a heartbreaking world of a young transgender teen bravely coming out to his family, only to be kicked out of the house and into a dangerous world full of unknowns.”                                                                                                  Katherine Hudson / Telegraph Journal

 

With my 2020 cross-country book tour cancelled due to the pandemic, I have focused my time over the last few years running a series of intergenerational virtual workshops around the themes of eco-despair and encouraging our reciprocity with the living world. These programs have been offered through Ships Company Theater (Parrsboro, N.S.); The Rose Theater (Brampton, ON); Peace One Day Guelph; and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Visit this link to get a taste of the work, a virtual reading and interview hosted by Ian Keteku:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t_1MMoUdII

 

 

One of my great joys comes from facilitating creative process and tying it in to social justice/environmental issues. In 2016, I presented creative writing workshops at the Knowlton Literary Festival (Knowlton, QC) and at the San Miguel Writers Conference (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico). In 2017, I facilitated the Earth Warriors Theatre Project, working collaboratively with a group of middle school students to write and mount a play called "Don't sit this one out" (title based on a quote by Carl Sagan).

ADDRESS
City: Hamilton, Province/Territory: Ontario
EMAIL
AWARDS
Awards
Name
Ken Klonsky Novella Prize
Publication
JAZZ: Nature's Improvisation / Quattro Books
Year
2014
Name
ReLit Award / Shortlist
Publication
JAZZ: Nature's Improvisation / Quattro Books
Year
2015
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS
Presentation details
Audience Size
Audience size
Any size
Presentation Genre
Poetry / Fiction / Plays
Presentation Length
Decided in consultation with organizer
Presentation Description
Presentation description

All presentations are interactive. Sample titles include: Writing for Change (Adult); Pangea's Dream Remembered (Intergenerational); Write On! (children and youth).

Themes explored include: Dealing with Eco-anxiety; Becoming an Earth Ally; Using writing practice as a way in to Regenerative Practices.

Please drop me a line to discuss how I can design a presentation to meet your organization's goals.

Presentation Fee(s)
Negotiable
Workshop details
Audience Size
1 - 20
Intended Audience
Can be adapted for all age groups
Workshop Length
TBD
Workshop Description
Workshop description

Please drop me a line to discuss how I can design a workshop to meet your organization's goals.

Workshop Fee(s)
Negotiable
School presentation details
Audience Size
One class
Intended Audience
Grade 3 and up
Presentation Length
45 - 80 minutes
Presentation Description
Presentation description

Having worked as an arts educator for over 30 years, my presentations are planned to meet the needs of the classroom teacher.

Presentation Fee(s)
Negotiaable
EQUITY INITIATIVE
As part of the Union’s Equity Implementation Plan, we are committed to increasing awareness of authors who are Black, Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQI2S, or living with a disability. This author identifies as:
Members who identify as:
LGBTQI2S
Living with a disability
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