About Lauren
“I’ve always been a writer.”
Since reciting my first original story—The Girl with the Green Hands—at the age of four, I’ve been driven by the impulse to express myself and reflect on the world through words. My mom took dictation that day, but once I learned to write, I never stopped.
Now represented by Samantha Haywood of the prestigious Transatlantic Agency, I’m the author of six traditionally published books: two poetry collections, three novels, and a short story collection. I’m currently at work on a new poetry collection and novel while playing around with creative non-fiction.
My third novel, The Longest Night, will be released in September 2025.
Writing
My short story collection Places Like These was longlisted for the INDIES Book of the Year Awards, and my novel This Has Nothing To Do With You won both the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction and the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer at the Manitoba Book Awards.
My fiction and poetry have appeared widely—in Best Canadian Stories (edited by John Metcalf), Voicing Suicide, The Fiddlehead, Grain, Prairie Fire, The New Quarterly, and other major Canadian literary journals. I’ve been nominated for the Giller Prize and the McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize, and have received first prize in both the Prairie Fire and ROOM literary contests and jury regularly for grants and writing contests. My work has also been longlisted several times for the CBC Literary Awards.
In 2020, I received the Manitoba Arts Council’s Major Arts Award, which recognizes exceptional artistic achievement.
Teaching
Alongside my life as a writer, I’m a generous and empathetic teacher with an MFA in Creative Writing, a certificate in adult education, creativity coaching training through the Creativity Coaching Association, and certification in the Amherst Writers Method (AWA).
Since founding Wild Ground Writing Retreats, I’ve been curating transformative writing experiences in unique and inspiring locations—from a restored Victorian cottage estate on Ontario’s Lake Simcoe to a renovated 19th-century church in Carman, Manitoba. I also co-facilitate the popular Wild Writing in the Boreal retreat for women at Manitoba’s Falcon Trails Resort and regularly teach at McNally Robinson Booksellers, both online and in-person at the Winnipeg store. My online workshops have reached writers across Canada and around the world, including in Syria and California.
Whether teaching, mentoring, or coaching, I aim to help writers meet the creative process with courage, curiosity, and self-trust.
Speaking
I’m available for readings, interviews, podcasts, and speaking engagements to talk about my writing, the creative process, and the work I do through Wild Ground Writing Retreats leading creative adventures to support writers. Whether discussing the craft of fiction and poetry, the challenges and joys of the writing life, or the power of retreats to foster creative breakthroughs, I love connecting with audiences and fellow creatives.
If you’re looking for a thoughtful guest to talk about writing, creativity, or my books and process, I’d love to connect. I bring honesty, insight, and a deep passion for meaningful conversations about the writing life, my stories, and what it takes to stay creative even during difficult times.
