List of writers from Nova Scotia

Last updated February 13, 2026

The Canadian province of Nova Scotia has a strong literary output, with writers across a wide variety of genres. This list includes notable writers who were born in Nova Scotia or spent a significant portion of their writing career living in Nova Scotia.

A

Don Aker (born 1955), novelist, short story writer
Thomas Beamish Akins (1809–1891), historian
Lisa Alward (born 1962), short story writer

B

John Ballem (1925–2010), novelist, poet
Catherine Banks (living), playwright
Frances Bannerman (1855-1944), poet
Gary Bannerman (1947–2011), journalist
Joyce Barkhouse (1913–2012), children's writer
Joan Baxter (living), journalist, non-fiction writer
James Murray Beck (1914–2011), historian
Winthrop Pickard Bell (1884–1965), historian, philosopher
Renée Belliveau (living), memoirist, novelist
Chris Benjamin (born 1975), journalist, novelist, non-fiction writer
Rob Benvie (living), novelist
Kris Bertin (living), short story writer
Carrie Best (1903–2001), journalist
Ingraham Ebenezer Bill (1805–1891), journalist
Will R. Bird (1891–1984), novelist, travel writer, historian
Bill Bissett (born 1939), poet
Minnie Blanche Bishop (1864–1917), poet
Edward Blackadder (1874–1922)
William Rufus Blake (1805–1863), playwright
Phyllis Blakeley (1922–1986), historian, biographer
H. Percy Blanchard (1862–1939), novelist
Walter Borden (born 1942), poet, playwright
Hélène Boudreau (born 1969), children's writer
George Boyd (1952–2020), playwright
Binnie Brennan (born 1961), novelist, short story writer
Thomas J. Brown (1867–1926), non-fiction writer
Charles Tory Bruce (1906–1971), journalist, poet, novelist
Harry Bruce (1934–2024), journalist, non-fiction writer
Carol Bruneau (born 1956), novelist, short story writer
Ali Bryan (living), novelist
Ernest Buckler (1908–1984), novelist, short story writer
Alec Butler (born 1959), playwright

C

George Frederick Cameron (1854–1885), poet, journalist
Silver Donald Cameron (1937–2020), journalist, playwright, non-fiction writer
Ronald Caplan (born 1945), historian, short story writer
Charlene Carr (living), novelist
Paul Chiasson (living), pseudohistory writer
George Fisher Chipman (1882–1935), journalist
Lesley Choyce (born 1951), novelist, poet, non-fiction writer
George Elliott Clarke (born 1960), poet, playwright
Joan Clark (1934–2023), novelist, children's writer
Mike Clattenburg (born 1967), screenwriter
Lynn Coady (born 1970), novelist, journalist
Devon Code (living), novelist
Germaine Comeau (born 1946), novelist, playwright
Phil Comeau (born 1956), screenwriter
Bill Conall (living), novelist, humorist
Christy Ann Conlin (living), novelist, short story writer
Dan Conlin (living), historian
Margaret Conrad (born 1946), historian
Lesley Crewe (born 1955), novelist
Richard Crouse (born 1963), film writer
Oisin Curran (living), novelist
Sheldon Currie (born 1934), novelist
Brian Cuthbertson (1936–2023), historian
George Barton Cutten (1874–1962), psychologist, philosopher, historian

D

Laurence Bradford Dakin (1904–1972), poet
Pauline Dakin (born 1965), journalist, non-fiction writer
Frank Cyril Shaw Davison (1893–1960), novelist
Nicola Davison (living), novelist
Joan Dawson (living), historian
Frank Parker Day (1881–1950), novelist
James De Mille (1833–1880), novelist
John DeMont (living), journalist, non-fiction writer
Clara Dennis (1881–1958), journalist, travel writer
J. Alphonse Deveau (1917–2004), historian
Emma Lucy Dickson (1854–1926), novelist
Don Domanski (1950–2020), poet
James Doull (1918–2001), philosopher

E

Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton (1849–1937), historian, poet
Evelyn Eaton (1902–1983), novelist, short-story writer, poet
Cathy Elliott (1957–2017), playwright
Shirley Elliott (1916–2004), historian
Marie Elwood (1932–2012), historian
Ainslie Embree (1921–2017), Indologist and historian

F

Charles Fenerty (1821–1892), poet
Charles Bruce Fergusson (1911–1978), historian
Roscoe Fillmore (1887–1968)
Judith Fingard (born 1943), historian
Sheree Fitch (born 1956), poet, children's writer
Elizabeth Frame (1820–1904), historian
Hal Fredericks (living)
E. G. Fulton (1867–1949), cookbook writer

G

Susan Gillis (living), poet
Lorri Neilsen Glenn (living), poet, ethnographer, essayist
Hilda Kay Grant (1910–1996), novelist, non-fiction writer
Shauntay Grant (living), poet, playwright
Barbara Grantmyre (1908–1977), non-fiction writer, short story writer
Jeff Green, playwright, screenwriter
Darren Greer (born 1968), novelist, essayist
Justin Gregg (living), science writer
James Gregor (living), novelist
Naomi E. S. Griffiths (born 1934), historian

H

Max Haines (1931–2017), true crime writer
Susan Haley (born 1949), novelist
Thomas Chandler Haliburton (1796–1865), novelist
William B. Hamilton (1929–2012), historian
Bretten Hannam (living), screenwriter
Lisa Harrington (born 1965), novelist, short story writer
Carrie Jenkins Harris (1860–1903), novelist
Daniel Cobb Harvey (1886–1966), historian
Jack Hawkins (born 1932), non-fiction writer
Mary Eliza Herbert (1829–1872), poet, novelist
Sarah Herbert (1824–1846), poet
Kay Hill (1917–2011), screenwriter, children's writer
Rick Howe (1954–2024), journalist, memoirist
David Huebert (living), novelist, poet, short story writer
Annie Campbell Huestis (1876–1960), poet
Tanya Huff (born 1957), novelist

I

George K. Ilsley (born 1958), novelist, short story writer

J

Thibault Jacquot-Paratte (born 1993), novelist, poet, short story writer
Amelia Clotilda Jennings (died 1895), poet, novelist
Dean Jobb (living), journalist, true crime writer
Rita Joe (1932–2007), poet
George Johnson (1837–1911), journalist, statistician
Troy Jollimore (born 1971), poet, philosopher
Alice Jones (1853–1933), novelist, travel writer
Amy Jones (living), novelist
El Jones (living), poet, journalist

K

Mary Jane Katzmann (1828–1890), poet, historian
Stephen Kimber (born 1949), journalist, non-fiction writer
Janet Kitz (1930–2019), historian

L

Joy Laking (born 1950), playwright, children's writer
John Lent (born 1948), poet, novelist
Kenneth Leslie (1892–1974), poet
Neil Libbey (living), historian
Wendy Lill (born 1950), playwright, screenwriter
Linda Little (born 1959), novelist
Lezlie Lowe (living), journalist, non-fiction writer

M

Bryden MacDonald (born 1960), playwright
Allister MacGillivray (born 1948), music historian
James Drummond MacGregor (1759–1830), poet
Daniel MacIvor (born 1962), playwright
Julianne MacLean (living), novelist
Hugh MacLennan (1907–1990), novelist, non-fiction writer
Alexander MacLeod (born 1972), short story writer
Alistair MacLeod (1936–2014), novelist, short story writer
Mary Jane Maffini (living), novelist
Allan Marble (born 1939), medical historian
Julia McCarthy (1964–2021), poet
Christopher McCreery (born 1975), historian
Helen McCully (1902–1977), cookbook writer
Peter Thomas McGuigan (1942–2017), historian
Leo McKay Jr. (born 1964), novelist, short story writer
Peter Evander McKerrow (1841–1906), historian
Jean McNeil (born 1968), novelist, travel writer
Marguerite McNeil (1935–2021), playwright
Steve McOrmond (living), poet
Michael Melski (1969–2025), playwright
Joshua Mensch (living), poet
Alain Mercieca (living), playwright, screenwriter
Sarah Mian (living), novelist, poet, short story writer
Robert Morgan (1938–2011), historian
Beamish Murdoch (1800–1876), historian
Christian Murray (living), screenwriter
Melanie Murray (living), novelist
Thomas John Murray (born 1938), medical historian
Maria Mutch (living), memoirist, short story writer

N

Moses H. Nickerson (1844–1943), journalist, poet
Chad Norman (born c. 1958), poet
Alden Nowlan (1933–1983), poet, novelist, playwright

O

Vernon Oickle (living), journalist, non-fiction writer, folklore writer
Pearleen Oliver (1917–2008), historian
James Macdonald Oxley (1855–1907), novelist

P

Elizabeth Pacey (living), non-fiction writer
Bridglal Pachai (1927–2019), historian
Susan Paddon (living), poet
John Palmer (1943–2020), playwright
Frank Harris Patterson (1891–1976), historian
Daniel N. Paul (1938–2023), journalist, non-fiction writer
Joan Payzant (1925–2013), novelist
Laura Penny (born 1975), non-fiction writer
Amanda Peters (living), novelist, short story writer
Constance Piers (1866–1939), journalist, poet
Harry Piers (1870–1940), historian
Karen Pinchin (living), journalist, science writer
Noah Pink (living), screenwriter
Jen Powley (1977–2023), memoirist, non-fiction writer

Q

Anna Quon (living), poet, novelist

R

Thomas Head Raddall (1903–1994), novelist, non-fiction writer
Stephan Regina-Thon (1946–2003), playwright, screenwriter
Rachel Reid (living), novelist
Evelyn M. Richardson (1902–1976), novelist, memoirist, non-fiction writer
Charles Ritchie (1906–1995), diarist
Marie-Colombe Robichaud (born 1943), playwright, historian
Margaret Robinson (born 1973), feminist scholar
Matt Robinson (born 1974), poet
Rick Rofihe (born 1950), short story writer
Grace Dean Rogers (1863–1958), historian
Calvin Ruck (1925–2004), non-fiction writer

S

Trish Salah (living), poet
Jacob Sampson (born 1988), playwright
Roger Sarty (born 1952), historian
Gary Saunders (born 1935), non-fiction writer
Margaret Marshall Saunders (1861–1947), novelist, children's writer
Alfred Silver (living), novelist, playwright
Craig Silverman (living), journalist
Marjorie Simmins (born 1959), journalist, essayist, non-fiction writer
Janet Sketchley (living), Christian fiction writer
Johanna Skibsrud (born 1980), novelist, poet
Ray Smith (1941–2019), novelist, short story writer
Thomas Barlow Smith (1839–1933)
Amy Spurway (living), novelist
Colin Starnes (living)

T

Jon Tattrie (living), journalist, non-fiction writer
Harry Thurston (born 1950), poet, journalist, non-fiction writer
Constance Tomkinson (1915–1995), memoirist
Grizelda Elizabeth Cottnam Tonge (1803–1825), poet
Jackie Torrens (living), playwright
Kaleigh Trace (born 1986), memoirist
Brian Tucker (living), novelist
Maxine Tynes (1949–2011), poet

V

Mary Vingoe (1955–2025), playwright

W

Matthew Walsh (living), poet
Karen Walton (living), screenwriter
Michelle Wamboldt (living), journalist, novelist
Noah Warren (living), poet
Aaron Williams (living), non-fiction writer
Budge Wilson (1927–2021), children's writer

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Nova Scotiaportal Outline Bibliography Category

List of writers from Nova Scotia

Contents

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

V

W

See also

External links