Mary-Lou Zeitoun

I’m an award winning author (“13,” “Jamilah at the End of the World”) editor and journalist who began writing as a theatre critic and then a music journalist before hitting fiction. I will also admit to writing for Elle Magazine Canada but only as a way to dismantle beauty tropes from the inside. And for the hats. I have a BFA in theatre and was a so so actor on a teen tv show once but became a good playwright. I have a Masters in Communications from Concordia where I learned to love Montreal and develop the skills of your average tween today when it comes to camera set-up, lighting and broadcasting. As a writing editor, teacher and arts administrator I address issues around disability arts, my Palestinian heritage and marginalized voices around the world. As a mentor with the Toronto Arts Council Refugee and Newcomer Mentorship program, and in my workshops, I seek to demystify the art of writing and embolden my students’ and mentees’ voices.