Shannon K Smith
historical fiction of the ottawa valley
Shannon K Smith is …
Shannon K Smith lives and writes between Ottawa and the village of Deacon, Ontario. A recently-retired superintendent of education, Smith holds a Master’s degree in English, with a focus on identity and belonging in Canadian Literature. She currently studies creative writing with the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies.
Her Writing Is …
Smith’s writing is influenced by her lifetime working with youth, an interest in family legends and intergenerational storytelling, and a relationship with the landscape of the Ottawa Valley, dating back to the displaced Irish who settled the Opeongo Mountains in yet-unceded Algonquin territory. Smith’s work-in-progress is a debut novel of historical fiction set in Ottawa and the townships of Renfrew County. It explores themes of memory, storytelling and inherited silences, healing and community.
Shannon believes …
Art is how humans both understand and express themselves. Art is an evolving, participatory experience that requires relationship. Artificial Intelligence may hold value as a tool of research, but is predatory to creative spirit. Shannon K Smith does not use AI to create her work, though she acknowledges that tools used for research purposes may rely on AI in identifying sources. All sources are vetted and cited.
Shannon K Smith 