Kay Stewart

Early retirement from teaching has allowed Kay Stewart to spend more time doing what she has always wanted to do – write. A Deadly Little List, the mystery novel she and husband Chris Bullock began in 1994, was finally published by NeWest Press in 2006. The double plot line follows RCMP Constable Danutia Dranchuk and drama critic Arthur Fairweather as they investigate suspicious deaths on Salt Spring Island. Kay is at work on a sequel entitled Sitting Lady Sutra, set on Vancouver Island.

Writing novels is a new undertaking for Kay, who has also published short stories and personal essays. She is co-editor, along with Caterina Edwards, of two volumes of personal essays by contemporary Canadian women, Eating Apples (NeWest Press, 1994) and Wrestling with the Angel  (Red Deer Press, 2000). Her newest venture, inspired by her granddaughters, is writing for children.

Kay’s belief that writing can be taught was put into practice both in the classroom and in two textbooks on writing. Essay Writing for Canadian Students, co-authored with Marian Freeman Allen, was the first writing textbook developed in Canada for use in Canadian colleges and universities. The book, with co-authors Roger Davis and Chris Bullock, is now in its sixth edition. Kay and Marian are also the authors of  Forms of Writing, another widely used text.

A native of Texas, Kay completed her M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Oregon. She taught for many years at the University of Alberta before moving to Vancouver Island in 2000. When she isn’t at the computer, Kay is often working in the garden at the rural property near Nanaimo that she shares with her husband and assorted wildlife. She also enjoys reading, hiking, photography, and Scrabble. She has two children and three grandchildren.

E-mail:
kay_stewart@shaw.ca