A Magazine for Alumni and Friends
Emily Urquhart, a Kitchener-based author of creative non-fiction and narrative journalism, was named Laurier's Edna Staebler Writer-in-Residence for winter 2018.
Urquhart's work tackles issues including disability, gender, parenting, creativity, aging and ecology. Her first book, Beyond the Pale: Folklore, Family, and the History of our Hidden Genes, published by HarperCollins in 2015, was a finalist for the British Columbia National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, the Kobo First Book Award and the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. Urquhart has also written about topics including food and travel for magazines, newspapers and radio.
Urquhart, who holds a PhD in folklore from Memorial University in Newfoundland, was at Laurier from January to March as part of her residency, participating in events and holding office hours at the Waterloo and Brantford campuses.
The Edna Staebler Laurier Writer-in-Residence position was established in 2012 by a bequest from the late Edna Staebler, a prolific writer of creative non-fiction and author of the popular Schmecks series of books that celebrate the culture of Waterloo Region.