A little bit about us…
Our team
Our 2025/2026 board, facilitators, and coordinators
We are a friendly, talented, and good-looking bunch of writerly nerds.
Angela Rebrec
President
Angela is dedicated to fostering a vibrant and inclusive community for writers of all abilities. In 2021, she founded the Delta Literary Arts Society to turn this vision into reality. She is a multi-genre artist whose writing has appeared in antholgies and journals such as EVENT, Vallum, and The Antigonish Review. Angela’s poetry films have garnered recognition at international festivals and is the recipient of Pulp Literature’s 2024 Magpie Award for Poetry. She facilitates writing and expressive arts workshops for all ages and has proudly produced a variety of works in collaboration with composers and visual artists. Angela believes everyone becomes their best self working in partnership with others.
Anna Eastland
Vice President
Canadian poet and mother of ten, Anna climbs though the brambles of motherhood to write bittersweet poetry with her blackberry-stained fingers. She is the author of unexpected blossoming: a journey of grief and hope (Blurb), and has contributed to various anthologies including Love Rebel: Reclaiming Motherhood and Never-ending Love: Sharing Stories, Prayers and Comfort for Miscarriage and Infant Loss. Anna was chosen as a librettist for The Lament’s Project by soprano Ai Horton, who transformed Anna’s babyloss poem “Carry Me” into a song accompanied by harp. Find her at @justeastofcrazy and https://eastofcrazyland.com/
Cynthia Cleator
Treasurer
Cynthia is a children’s author and illustrator, as well as an artist, who creates across multiple mediums. With years of experience working directly with children, she has also owned a children-focused creative store front franchise in White Rock. Cynthia understands how powerful storytelling and art can be in shaping imagination and self-expression. Alongside her literary and artistic work, she has built a groundbreaking career in the film industry as one of the few women to work as a lighting technician and a member of I.A.T.S.E. 891 in Vancouver, Canada, as well as in the Gold Coast Australian film industry. She has written and produced numerous short films and holds a BA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Visual Arts and Business Diplomas.
Liz Crocker
Secretary
Liz graduated from SFU’s Writer’s Studio in 2023. In 2024 she started the annual Mining for Gold Writing Retreat in Gold Bridge, with two other writers from the program. In 2025, Liz had a residency at the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia’s Jampolis Cottage. On Vancouver Island, Liz wrote and performed short plays for Theatre SKAM and Intrepid Theatre’s YouShow. As an educator and writer for parks, historic sites and museums, Liz’s writing appears on many interpretive signs, in educator manuals and educational websites. Liz is thrilled to be part of the vibrant literary community in Delta. More about Liz at https://www.lizcrocker.ca/
Rosemary Rigsby
Member At Large
Rosemary has written five books: two non-fiction (a biography and a travel memoir), and three fiction, plus several short pieces published in anthologies. During her childhood and teen years she lived in logging camps and small towns. After high school, she moved to the big city for university and few years later, moved to a bigger city where she worked, raised her family, and discovered the outlet of writing. Upon “retirement,” she re-enrolled full-time in university to further explore her writing visions which led to her 2014 publication of “Prairie Seas, Mountain Harvest,” a biography/memoir of my her and only elementary school teacher. She writes from various places in her house (couch, desk, kitchen table). You can read more about Rosemary at https://rosemaryrigsby.wordpress.com
Debra Purdy Kong
Member At Large
Debra has published short stories in a variety of genres as well as personal essays and articles for publications such as Chicken Soup for the Bride’s Soul, B.C. Parent Magazine, and The Vancouver Sun. Her volunteer experiences, criminology diploma, and various jobs inspired her to write mystery novels set in the Lower Mainland. Debra’s employment as a campus security patrol and communications officer provided the background for her Casey Holland mystery series. She’s currently working on an urban fantasy trilogy and paranormal mystery series. Debra has been a facilitator for Port Moody’s creative writing workshops for twelve years and enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She’s also a member of Tri-City Wordsmiths and is a former board member of Crime Writers of Canada. More about Debra can be found at www.debrapurdykong.com.
Kim Lawton
Member At Large / Write On Stage
Kimberly is a multidisciplinary Canadian writer whose work includes screenplays, stage plays, short fiction, and poetry. Her writing has received recognition from organizations such as the International Screenwriters Association, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Peliplat, and the BC Federation of Writers, and has been presented in festivals, readings, and sold-out stage productions. She is known for emotionally grounded, character-driven storytelling with a strong ear for dialogue, working across genres including horror, comedy, drama, and family-oriented material. Kimberly has a passion for community theatre and continues to develop original work for stage and screen. She is currently in development on several feature screenplays and her debut fantasy novel, Vines.
Geneviève Wynand
Member At Large / Pages & Passages
Geneviève is a B.C.-based author, editor, writing coach, and presenter with work in print and online. Her words appear with PRISM international, Grain, Tricycle, and Introvert, Dear, among others. She has been known to emerge from her writer’s cave when tempted with coffee, yoga, or a too-quiet drum kit. In her past life with Pulp Literature Press, she wore many hats, including acquisitions editor, line editor, and blogger (semi-)extraordinaire. In the literary playground that she now calls home, Geneviève supports writers through workshops and private coaching sessions. Currently co-writing a braided memoir/motivational book with her drum teacher Ryan Van Poederooyen, she is delighted to have a partner in writerly crime. Together they are exploring the two very different paths that ultimately lead them to the same passion — drums! Visit her at https://genevievewynand.com/ or on Instagram @genevievewynand.
Laura Burns
Member At Large
Laura discovered her love for acting at age 11 and honed her craft studying theatre at Douglas College. Driven by a passion for storytelling, she spent eight years traveling the world, enriching her perspective and artistry. Based in the Lower Mainland of BC, Laura is an active contributor to Vancouver’s Independent Film scene and community theatre. In 2023, she was accepted into the Arts Club Actors Intensive program. Her dedication to portraying deeply flawed and complex characters remains at the heart of her work as an actor. Laura is instrumental in organizing DLAS’s COMPOSED Short Film Festival. You can find out more about Laura at www.lauraburnsactor.com/
Kyle Hawke
Member At Large
Kyle is a writer and editor, who has been performing spoken word for over 30 years. Active with various literary non-profit groups, he founded the Bohemian Caress and Voice on Canvas interdisciplinary performance series. Kyle’s poetry is juxtaposed with the art of Wade Edwards in their book, whispers of humanity. He lives in Vancouver, BC.
Jordan Stratford
Member At Large
Jordan has been pronounced clinically dead, and was briefly (mistakenly) wanted by INTERPOL for international industrial espionage. He has won numerous sword fights, jaywalked the streets of Paris, San Francisco, and São Paulo, and was once shot by a stray rubber bullet in a London riot. He lives in the crumbling colonial capital of a windswept Pacific island populated predominantly by octogenarians and carnivorous gulls.
He’s the author of the Middle-Grade Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series from Knopf / Random Penguin and other novels. Jordan additionally works as a ghost writer and has been featured on c/net, io9, boing boing, WIRED, and Reading Rainbow.
You can find out more about his work at https://www.jordanstratfordbooks.com/
Zohra Shahabuddin
Member At Large
Zohra is a creative dynamo with a passion for storytelling, marketing, and all things literary. A newcomer to Canada, she recently completed her Master of Publishing from Simon Fraser University, where she honed her skills in crafting compelling narratives and building strategic connections. Dedicated to amplifying diverse voices, Zohra brings fresh perspectives to the DLAS community. When she’s not busy championing the literary arts, Zohra is likely off on a new adventure, exploring the world and soaking up inspiration from her travels. Whether she’s climbing mountains, sipping chai by the beach, or diving into a thrilling new book, Zohra’s zest for life is as boundless as her imagination.
Genie Key
Member At Large
Genie is a novelist and children’s book author who writes under several different pen names. She is currently taking time away from the society while her infant learns to sleep more than 1-2 hours at a stretch. In her non-existant spare time, Genie enjoys curling up with her kitty and reading or listening to various fantasy books—her cat would prefer she have way more time for cuddles.
Sarah Subotnick
Member At Large
A graduate of Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s creative writing program, Sarah has a passsion for flash fiction and world building. She also has an unwavering love of sharks and an adversion to having her photo taken. You can sometimes find Sarah working the front desk at DLAS events and/or reminding its tireless president to hydrate.
Stevi Martyniuk
Graphic Artist / Poster Design
Stevi is a secondary English and Visual Studio Arts teacher in Delta, BC, on the traditional territory of the Tsawwassen and Musqueam First Nations. Her writing work spans from Academic Publications in international journals and anthologies on Art Education and Video Game culture to Fiction and Fantasy novels. Stevi has a passion for photography, graphic design, and digital media and enjoys making things look pretty as a side hustle. When not lost in her own head, writing stories that border on the fanatic and weird, or teaching, Stevi enjoys reading, attempting to throw on the pottery wheel, and travelling the world.
Tara Avery
Writers’ Workshop Facilitator
Tara is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, ghostwriter, and coach. She holds a BFA in Theatre, Film, and Creative Writing from UBC. Tara is passionate about storytelling in all its forms, and she’s grateful to have built a career not just writing but helping others tell their stories. She is a Professional Member of the CIEP, the Chair of Editors BC, and the Treasurer of Editors Canada. She is also the interim President of the FBCW’s board of directors. You can find her at http://www.taraavery.com/