Resume

Film & TV

• Making Kayfabe (Back Road Productions/CBC Absolutely Canadian)
  • Premiering on CBC Gem, fall 2023

• The Lebanese Burger Mafia (Back Road Productions, 2023)
  • Wrote, directed, and coproduced feature film
  • Premiered at Hot Docs Festival 2023
  • Audience Choice Award winner at Northwest Fest

• The Last Baron (Back Road Productions/CBC Absolutely Canadian, 2021)
  • Wrote, directed, and coproduced 44-minute documentary
  • Premiered 9/17/21 on CBC Gem
  • Hailed as “one of the best Canadian food documentaries” by Air Canada’s enRoute magazine
  • Finalist, Alberta Film & Television Awards (Long-form Documentary: Overall Production, Directing, Writing, Music, Editing)

• Digging in the Dirt (Back Road Productions, 2019)
  • Co-director/coproducer with Dylan Rhys Howard
  • Premiered on CBC – Absolutely Canadian
  • Finalist, Alberta Film & Television Awards (Long-form Documentary, Nonfiction Sound, Nonfiction Musical Score)
  • Winner, Petroleum History Society Multimedia Award

• Lisa Howard (miniseries, pre-development), Scythia Films/Stellar Citizens
  • Research and story development
  • Shortlist, MIPTV’s Drama Series Pitch
  • Selected ACE Producers, Second Series Special

Books

• Praying to the West: How Muslims Shaped the Americas, Simon & Schuster Canada, fall 2021
  • Canadian Nonfiction Bestseller (Canada Retail Council)
  • A Globe and Mail “Globe 100” book of the year
  • Winner, 2022 Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Nonfiction book
  • A Gold Nautilus Book Prize Winner for Indigenous & Multicultural Stories
  • Finalist, 2022 Alberta Literary Book Awards (Memoir)

• Undisclosed memoir (ghostwriter), Simon & Schuster Canada, 2019
  • #1 on The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star Canadian bestsellers list
• Inside the Inferno: A Firefighter’s Story of the Brotherhood that Saved Fort McMurray (coauthored with Damian Asher), Simon & Schuster Canada, 2017
  • 10 weeks on The Globe and Mail‘s national and Canadian Bestsellers list

Journalism

Other Writing

• Advice columnist, At Large Newsletter (2020)
• Contributing author, Turath (Heritage): An Exhibition of Early Arab American Culture (2020)
• Contributing author (fiction), “Motherland” in 40 Below Vol. 2: Alberta’s Winter Anthology, Wufniks Press, 2015

Broadcast Media

Podcasts

• CANADALAND – Guest host and regular guest commentator (2015–2018)
• The Yards Podcast – Host (2014–2015)
• Alberta Magazines Podcast – Host and editor (2015–2018)

Television Commentary (selected highlights)

• Al Jazeera – Debate guest on The Stream (2017)
• Alberta Primetime – Pop Culture Panelist (2013-2018) and Political Panelist (2015-2016)
• Eddy’s Kingdom (2018) – expert interview for documentary series

Radio Interviews (selected highlights)

• WNYC – Middle Eastern film misrepresentation (commentator) on The Takeaway (2019)
• CANADALAND Commons – Professional wrestling commentator (2020)The Ryan Jespersen Show – Frequent Friday panel guest (2016–present)
• CBC Radio One – Edmonton civics commentator (2013–2017); theatre columnist (2011)

Magazine Editing

Editor, UAlberta Business (2016–2018)

Contract editor of the Alberta School of Business’s alumni biannual publication, a magazine targeting young professionals with service-driven and thought-provoking content. I work with university stakeholders to assign professional journalism stories that touch on issues of the school’s concern.

Editor, The Yards (Central Edmonton News Society, 2014–2016)

Founding editor of a quarterly and hyperlocal magazine about Edmonton’s downtown core. I work under a board of directors to envision, assign, edit, budget and write community-focused stories for a broad audience of 35,000 area residents.

Editor, 72 HRS. (ZoraTransmedia, 2014 – 2015)

Wrote entirety of augmented-reality editorial; edited advertorial; worked with publisher, videographer and designer to create an augmented reality story.

Associate editor, Avenue Edmonton (Odvod Publishing, 2008 – 2012)

Writing, substantive editing, proofreading; training interns; training staff on fact checking; create online promotional tools such as newsletters and event invitations; blogging, editing website and managing social media.

Educator and Speaker

Pandemic University School of Writing, Founder and Owner (Apr. 2020–present)

A pop-up virtual school for, by, and in support of writers adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. PanU hires acclaimed authors, journalists, and screenwriters to teach affordable classes on craft and industry, attended by more than 3,500 individuals from 60+ countries.

University of King’s College, Creative Nonfiction MFA Mentor (June 2021–present

Creative nonfiction mentor to MFA students in King’s prestigious nonfiction program.

Business Your Freelance Career (Jul. 2020–present)

Instructor, University of Alberta

Business Communications instructor (2013-2014)

Instructor, Edmonton Digital Arts College

Writer in Residence, Edmonton Public Library, 2013

Full-time 12-month residency, dedicating 15 hours a week to community programming and outreach, and professional mentorship.

Keynotes

• “Frank Lackteen: The Most Villainous of All Screen Villains” 2020 Lawrence Heritage State Park (Massachusetts)
• “The Weaponization of Free Speech,” 2018 Peter Lougheed Leadership College Communications Lecture
• “The Myth of the Self-Made Man,” 2018 Edmonton Immigrant Employment Council

Convention/Series Speaker

• Alberta Unbound: What it Means to Be Albertan Today (curated by Senator Paula Simons, 2020)
• Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma (2019)
• Council for Canadian Urbanism (2016)
• NASH76 – Canadian University Press (2014)

Literary Workshops (since 2012)

Clients have included: Iceland Writers Retreat, ProWritingAid, AMPA, LitFest, the Writers Guild of Alberta, University of Alberta, Travel Media Association of Canada, Edmonton Public Library, Canadian Authors Association, Canadian University Press, Canadian Media Guild, Borderlines Writers Group, YouthWrite!, JustWrite!, and Third Verb.

• “Making Truth Better than Fiction”
• “Deconstructing the Pitch: How to Pitch Anything, Anywhere”
• “And Scene! Creating Rich Imagery, Action and Dialogue”
• “Digital Tools for Writers”
• “Writing for the Senses”
• “Pitch Perfect” (magazine pitching)
• “Secrets of Narrative Nonfiction”
• “Researching Nonfiction”
• “Writing Fearless Profiles”

Awards & Honours

• 2023 Audience Choice Award, Northwest International Film Festival (for The Lebanese Burger Mafia)
• 2023 Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medial
• 2022 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award
• Winner, 2022 Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Nonfiction
• Gold Nautilus Book Prize (Indigenous & Multicultural)
• Finalist, 2022 Alberta Literary Book Awards for Memoir
• A Globe and Mail “Globe 100” book of the year
• Merit Award, Feature Photography – News/ Documentary/Essay, The Society of Publication Designers, 2022
• Finalist, Alberta Film & Television Awards, Best Documentary Over 30 Minutes; Best Director (Unscripted); Best Writer (Unscripted)
• Best Multimedia Project, Petroleum History Society of Canada, 2019
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts – Literary Project Grant, 2019
• Edmonton Arts Council – Individual Project Grant, 2019
• Edmonton Heritage Council – Travel Grant, 2018
• Avenue magazine’s Top 40 Under 40, 2014
• Northlands Emerging Artist Award winner, City of Edmonton, 2013

National Magazine Awards
14 nominations; 3 wins for:

• “It’s the End of the World as We Know it” in Title (Gold, Feature Writing, 2019)
• “Homeland for the Holidays” in Eighteen Bridges (Gold, Personal, 2018)
• “The Kingdom of Haymour” in Eighteen Bridges (Gold, Profiles, 2014)

Canadian Magazine Awards

• The Fight of His Life” in Avenue Calgary (Best Story – Celebrities and Entertainment, 2017)

Western Canadian Magazine Awards
4 nominations since 2012; 1 win for

• “The Kingdom of Haymour” in Eighteen Bridges (Gold, Profiles, 2014)

Professional Writer’s Association of Canada

• “The Kingdom of Haymour” in Eighteen Bridges (Gold, Features, 2014)
• “Under the Veil” in Eighteen Bridges (Silver, Features, 2012)

Writers Guild of Alberta
3 nominations for:

• “Billionaires, Bombers and Bellydancers” in The Ringer (James H. Gray Award for Short Nonfiction finalist, 2020)
• “Welcoming Omar Khadr” in University Affairs (James H. Gray Award for Short Nonfiction finalist, 2017)
• “The Lives of Others” in Alberta Venture (James H. Gray Award for Short Nonfiction finalist, 2013)

Mindset Award for Workplace Mental Health Reporting
“Oil, Heartbreak, and Manhood” in BuzzFeed News (2018 recipient)

Alberta Magazine Publishers Association
16 wins for:

• “January 8, 2020” in Edify (Gold, Long Feature, Alberta Magazine Awards 2020)
• “Open Arms” in Eighteen Bridges (Gold, Best Alberta Story, 2018)
• “Seen/Unseen” in New Trail (Silver, Best Profile, 2018)
• “The Fight of His Life” in Avenue Calgary (Gold, Best Alberta Story, 2017)
• “True North Strong” in Western Living (Gold, Best Long Feature, 2017)
• “To Delight the Eye” in Alberta Views (Silver, Best Short Feature, 2017)
• “Street Treat” in Swerve (Gold, Best Lifestyle – Service, 2016)
• “Where are All the Women Chefs?” in Avenue (Silver, Short Feature, 2016)
• “The Gospel of Terry Paranych” in Alberta Venture (Gold, Profile, 2016)
• “Children of a Lesser Santa” in Swerve (Gold, Best Essay, 2015)
• “A Relationship Goes Viral” in Swerve (Silver, Best Feature, 2015)
• “Ray Muzyka’s Next Chapter” in New Trail (Silver, Best Profile, 2015)
• “Will the Real Burger Baron Please Stand Up?” in Swerve (Silver, Best Story, 2014)
• “Why the Kids Don’t Drive” in Swerve (Gold, Best Essay, 2014)
• “Meet Daryl Katz” in Alberta Venture (Gold, Best Profile, 2014)
• “Under the Veil” in Eighteen Bridges (Gold, Best Alberta Story, 2012)

International Regional Magazine Association

• “That Which Does Not Burn” in Cottage Life (Gold, Profiles, 2019)

Society of American Business Editors and Writers (Canada)

• “The Man Behind the Camera” in Alberta Venture (Winner, Profiles, 2016)

Sex-Positive Journalism Awards

• “Let’s Talk About Sects” in Vue Weekly (Features finalist, 2008)

Stories Selected for Anthologies

• “Homeland for the Holidays” in The Best Canadian Essays 2018
• “Dark Science” in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2017
• “The Fight of His Life” in Best Canadian Sports Writing (2017)

Boards

PEN Canada (2017–2022)

• The national branch of the leading international organization advocating for persecuted writers and free expression.

LitFest – Canada’s Original Nonfiction Festival (2013–2022)

• Served in positions of secretary (2014-2018) and Vice-president (2020)

Eighteen Bridges Society (2014–2016)

• Acclaimed literary magazine founded by Curtis Gillespie and Lynn Coady.

Hip-Hop in the Park Music Festival (2007–2009)

• Founding board member; secretary and communications director.