List of writers from Alberta

Last updated February 22, 2026

The Canadian province of Alberta has produced writers across a wide variety of genres. This list includes notable writers who were born in Alberta or spent a significant portion of their writing career living in Alberta.

A

Mark Abley (born 1955), poet, journalist, non-fiction writer
Caroline Adderson (born 1963), novelist, short story writer
Herbert Bealey Adshead (1862–1932)
Rona Altrows (born 1948), short story writer, children's writer
Doris Anderson (1921–2007), journalist
Robert T. Anderson (1880–1960), poet
Wayne Arthurson (living), novelist
Gloria Chomiak Atamanenko (1932–2017)
Damien Atkins (living), playwright
Makram Ayache (living), playwright

B

Todd Babiak (living), novelist
Chris Bailey (born 1989)
John Barton (born 1957), poet
David Bashow (born 1946)
Karen Bass (born 1962), novelist
Tara Beagan (born 1975), playwright
Maureen U. Beecher (1935–2025), historian
Billy-Ray Belcourt (living), poet, essayist
Kirti Bhadresa (living), short story writer
Bertrand Bickersteth (living), poet
Earle Birney (1904–1995), poet, novelist
Eric Bishop (1926–2000), sports journalist
Kate Braid (born 1947), poet
Brian Brennan (1943–2021)
Eva Brewster (1922–2004)
Andrew Brook (born 1943), philosopher
Sigmund Brouwer (born 1959), novelist, children's writer
Robin Brownlee (1958–2024), sports journalist
Ronnie Burkett (living), playwright
Murdoch Burnett (1953–2015), poet
Sharon Butala (born 1940), novelist
Jim Butterfield (1936–2007), technical writer

C

John Caird (born 1948), playwright
David E. Campbell, political scientist
Sue Campbell (1956–2011), philosopher
David Carpenter (born 1941), poet, novelist, short story writer
Elaine M. Catley (1889–1984), poet
Douglas Century (living), journalist, non-fiction writer
Weyman Chan (born 1963), poet
Corinna Chong (living), novelist
S. D. Clark (1910–2003), sociologist
Ken Coates (born 1956), historian
Morton N. Cohen (1921–2017)
Cam Cole (born 1953), sports journalist
Desmond Cole (born 1982), journalist
Mikael Colville-Andersen (living), screenwriter
Joey Comeau (born 1980), novelist
Bob Comfort (1940–2010), screenwriter
Karen Connelly (born 1969), poet
Charles F. P. Conybeare (1860–1927), poet
Belinda Cornish (living), playwright
Christa Couture (living), memoirist
Carys Cragg (living), non-fiction writer
Susanne Craig (born 1968), journalist
Caleigh Crow (living), playwright
Nancy Jo Cullen (living), poet, novelist
Francine Cunningham (born 1984), poet, novelist, short story writer

D

Brenda Davis (living), cookbook writer
Erin Davis (living), journalist, memoirist
A. M. Dellamonica (born 1968), novelist, short story writer
Geoff Dembicki (living), journalist, non-fiction writer
Lotta Dempsey (1905–1988), journalist
JD Derbyshire (died 2025), playwright, novelist
Myrna Dey (living), novelist
Marcello Di Cintio (living), non-fiction writer
Gordon R. Dickson (1923–2001), science fiction writer
Allan Donaldson (1929–2022), novelist, short story writer
Candas Jane Dorsey (born 1952), poet, novelist
Bruce Dowbiggin (living), sports journalist
Stan Dragland (1942–2022), novelist
Eric Duhatschek (born 1956), sports journalist
Judith Duncan (living), novelist
Jeffrey Dvorkin (born 1946), journalist
Rand Dyck (born 1943), political scientist

E

Bob Edwards (1860–1922), journalist, humorist
Wilfrid Eggleston (1901–1986), journalist
Ophira Eisenberg (born 1972), memoirist
Mercedes Eng (living), poet
John A. English (born 1940), non-fiction writer
Miranda Esmonde-White (born 1949), non-fiction writer

F

James Fell (born 1968), historian
Jen Ferguson (living), novelist
Will Ferguson (born 1964), travel writer, novelist
Adam Fletcher (living), non-fiction writer
Cheryl Foggo (born 1956), memoirist, novelist
Sam Forster (born 1996), journalist, poet
Michael J. Fox (born 1961), memoirist
J. Michael Francis (born 1968), historian
Marvin Francis (1955–2005), poet
Chrystia Freeland (born 1968), journalist, non-fiction writer
Gayleen Froese (born 1972), novelist
Susannah Fullerton (born 1960), historian

G

David Gaider (living), novelist
Barb Galler-Smith (living), novelist
Zsuzsi Gartner (born 1960), journalist, non-fiction writer
Shree Ghatage (born 1957), novelist
John Patrick Gillese (1920–1999), novelist, short story writer
Curtis Gillespie (living), novelist, short story writer
Clyde Gilmour (1912–1997), journalist
Erving Goffman (1922–1982), sociologist
Bruce L. Gordon (born 1963), philosopher
Nora Gould (living), poet
Terry Goulet (living), historian
Katherine Govier (born 1948), novelist, essayist
Nick Green (living), playwright
Leslie Greentree (living), poet, short story writer
Jacqueline Guest (born 1952), novelist

H

Abby Hagyard (living), playwright
Helen Hajnoczky (born 1985), poet
Louise Bernice Halfe (born 1953), poet
Stephen Harper (born 1959), non-fiction writer
Claire Harris (1937–2018), poet
Diana Hart (born 1963)
Jill Hartman (born 1974), poet
Sparkle Hayter (born 1958), journalist, novelist
Tyler Hellard (living), novelist
Lee Henderson (living), novelist, short story writer
Benjamin Hertwig (living), poet
Barb Higgins (born 1962), journalist
Robert Hogg (1942–2022), poet
Tarah Hogue (living), non-fiction writer
Nancy Holmes (born 1959), poet
Rand Holmes (1942–2002), novelist, comics writer
Emma Hooper (living), novelist
Jan Hudson (1954–1990), novelist
Katherine Hughes (1876–1925), journalist, non-fiction writer
David L. Humphreys (born 1939), journalist, biographer
Beverly Hungry Wolf (born 1950), non-fiction writer, novelist
Andrew Hunt (born 1968), historian
Bruce Hunter (born 1952), poet, novelist, non-fiction writer
Tina Hunter (born 1985), novelist
Mel Hurtig (1932–2016), non-fiction writer
Glen Huser (born 1943), novelist
Nancy Huston (born 1953), novelist, essayist
Hazel Hutchins (living), children's writer

I

Neamat Imam (born 1971), novelist
Dorothy Inglis (1926–2013)
Sally Ito (born 1964), poet

J

Heidi L. M. Jacobs (living), novelist
Marie Jakober (1941–2017), novelist
Mark Anthony Jarman (born 1955), novelist, short story writer
Wanda John-Kehewin (living), poet, novelist
Jessica Johns (living), novelist
Susan Juby (born 1969), novelist, humorist

K

Margo Kane (born 1951), playwright
Drew Karpyshyn (born 1971), novelist, scriptwriter
Zoulfa Katouh (born 1994), novelist
Emily M. Keeler (born 1987), non-fiction writer
Kaie Kellough (born 1975), poet, novelist
Richard Kelly Kemick (born 1989), journalist, poet
Holly Kennedy (living), novelist
Conor Kerr (living), novelist
Sandra Kirby (born 1949), sociologist
Roy Kiyooka (1926–1994), poet
Samuel Edward Konkin III (1947–2004)
Andrew Kooman (living), novelist, playwright
Myrna Kostash (born 1944), journalist, non-fiction writer
Scaachi Koul (born 1991), journalist, essayist
John Krizanc (born 1956), playwright
Robert Kroetsch (1927–2011), novelist, poet, non-fiction writer

L

Richard Labonté (1949–2022)
Jonathan Lachlan-Stewart (living), playwright
Betty Lambert (1933–1983)
Martine Leavitt (born 1953), novelist
Fonda Lee (born 1979), novelist
John Lent (born 1948), poet, novelist
Ezra Levant (born 1972), journalist, non-fiction writer
Shar Levine (born 1953), children's writer
Naomi K. Lewis (born 1976), novelist, non-fiction writer
Steve Lillebuen (living), journalist, non-fiction writer
Amanda Lindhout (born 1981), journalist, memoirist
Ashley Little (born 1983), novelist
Lynette Loeppky (living), memoirist
Pearl Luke (born 1958), novelist

M

Janice MacDonald (living), novelist, non-fiction writer
Matthew MacKenzie (living), playwright
Alice Major (living), poet, novelist, essayist
Stephen Marche (born 1976), novelist, essayist
Austin Mardon (born 1962), non-fiction writer, children's writer
Sid Marty (born 1944), non-fiction writer, poet
Suzette Mayr (born 1967), novelist
Doris McCarthy (1910–2010), autobiographer
Nellie McClung (1873–1951), novelist, non-fiction writer, short story writer
Berend McKenzie (living), playwright
Barry McKinnon (1944–2023), poet
Darrel J. McLeod (1957–2024), memoirist
Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980), philosopher
Carly Milne (living), journalist, non-fiction writer
W. O. Mitchell (1914–1998), novelist, playwright
Frank Moher (born 1955), playwright
Robert J. H. Morrison (born 1961), non-fiction writer
Colin Morton (born 1948), poet
Desmond Morton (1937–2019), historian
Marie Moser (born 1948), novelist, short story writer
Omar Mouallem (born 1985), journalist
Erín Moure (born 1955), poet
Morgan Murray (living), novelist
John Murrell (1945–2019), playwright

N

Shenaaz Nanji (born 1954), novelist, children's writer
Sean Naylor (living), journalist
Thorsten Nesch (born 1968), novelist
Michael J. Neufeld (born 1951), historian
Marjorie Nichols (born 1943), journalist, non-fiction writer
Rosemary Nixon (living), novelist
Suzanne North (born 1945), novelist

O

Howard O'Hagan (1902–1982), novelist
Darren O'Donnell (born 1965), novelist, essayist, playwright
Sheilagh Ogilvie (born 1958), historian
Janette Oke (born 1935), novelist
Peter Oliva (born 1964), novelist
Wendy Orr (born 1958), novelist, children's writer
Victor Ostrovsky (born 1949), non-fiction writer
Mieko Ouchi (born 1969), playwright
Susan Ouriou (born 1955), novelist, short story writer

P

Morris Panych (born 1952), playwright
Aaron Paquette (born 1974), novelist
Jean Paré (1927–2022), cookbook writer
Fiona Patton (born 1962), novelist
Lawrence Pazder (1936–2004), biographer
Joseph Pearson (born 1975), journalist, essayist
Kit Pearson (born 1947), novelist
Robert Young Pelton (born 1955), journalist, non-fiction writer
Jordan Peterson (born 1962), non-fiction writer
Alycia Pirmohamed (living), poet
Frances Fox Piven (born 1932), sociologist
Lanny Poffo (1954–2023), poet
Helen Potrebenko (1940–2022)
Marguerite-A. Primeau (1914–2011)

Q

Darlene Quaife (born 1948), novelist

R

A. H. Raskin (1911–1993), journalist
Kelly Rebar (born 1956), playwright, screenwriter
Roberta Rees (born 1954), novelist, poet
D. C. Reid (born 1952), poet, novelist, short story writer
Emily Riddle (living), poet
Gwen Pharis Ringwood (1910–1984), playwright
Kelly Robson (born 1967), novelist
Chava Rosenfarb (1923–2011), poet, novelist
Andy Russell (1915–2005), nature writer
Charlie Russell (1941–2018), nature writer
Garry Ryan (living), novelist

S

Mark Sakamoto (born 1977), memoirist
Candace Savage (born 1949), non-fiction writer
Gloria Sawai (1932–2011), novelist
Barbara Sibbald (living), novelist, journalist
Beverley Rosen Simons (born 1938), playwright
Paula Simons (born 1964), journalist
Jaspreet Singh (born 1969), novelist, poet
Linda Smith (1949–2007), novelist
Gail Sidonie Sobat (born 1961), novelist, poet
George Stanley (1907–2002), historian
Fred Stenson (born 1951), novelist, non-fiction writer
Cassie Stocks (born 1966), novelist
Natalie Sue (living), novelist
Richard Summerbell (born 1956), non-fiction writer
Merna Summers (born 1933), short story writer
Diane Swanson (1944–2021), children's writer

T

Darcy Tamayose (living), novelist, short story writer
Cora Taylor (born 1936), novelist, short story writer
Craig Taylor (born 1976), playwright, non-fiction writer
Gladys Taylor (1917–2015), novelist
Timothy Taylor (born 1963), novelist, short story writer, journalist
Farren Timoteo (living), playwright
Theresa Tova (born 1955), playwright

V

Julie Van Rosendaal (living), food writer
Royce Vavrek (living), playwright

W

Colleen Wagner (living), playwright
Robert R. Wark (1924–2007), historian
Cyril G. Wates (1883–1946), non-fiction writer, short story writer
Matthew James Weigel (living), poet
Michael Wex (born 1954), novelist, playwright
Denis Whitaker (1915–2001), non-fiction writer
Jon Whyte (1941–1992), poet, non-fiction writer
Jeffery Williams (1920–2011), historian
Deborah Willis (born 1982), novelist, short story writer
Rita Wong (born 1968), poet

Y

Winnie Yeung (living), memoirist
Alissa York (born 1970), novelist

Z

Bruce Zawalsky (born 1964), non-fiction writer
Jan Zwicky (born 1955), philosopher, poet, essayist

External links

Writers' Guild of Alberta

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Category Canadaportal

List of writers from Alberta

Contents

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

V

W

Y

Z

See also

External links