Anu Chouhan is a Punjabi-Canadian illustrator and former mobile game artist from Vancouver, BC. A trained animator and character designer, Anu often combines her love of her cultural heritage, anime and global fashion into her art. She enjoys creating art that celebrates diversity and empowerment.
Mahak Jain writes for young people and adults. Her picture book Maya (illustrated by Elly Mackay) was a Kirkus Best Book of the Year, a CBC Books Best Book of the Year and winner of the 2017 South Asia Book Award. Mahak lives in Toronto, ON.
Khodi Dill is a writer, author, spoken word artist, and educator who was born in Nassau, Bahamas and raised in Moose Jaw, Canada. At a young age he found himself writing spoken word poetry and has since traveled extensively to share his work at poetry slams and festivals across the country. He is a strong advocate for social justice and often delivers public lectures on the anti-oppressive power of spoken word poetry, which is also prevalent in his writing. Welcome to the Cypher is Dill’s first picture book. Khodi Dill currently lives on Treaty 6 territory in Saskatoon, Canada, with his family.
Shezza Ansloos is a Cree writer, educator, and speaker. Ansloos is nêhiyaw-iskwêw (Cree) and English and is a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation (Ochekwi-Sipi; Treaty 5). Growing up an adopted child of the ‘60s Scoop, Ansloos has a unique Indigenous perspective that is articulated in her creative work. She expresses her blended cultural identity through exploring genres. She communicates through storytelling, poetry, music, and visual art. Her influences are the beauty of land, the wonder of spirituality, and the necessity of healing. Ansloos has spent her life as an advocate for children working in the education system as a teacher, administrator, and counselor.
Rebecca Thomas is a Mi’kmaw woman registered with Lennox Island First Nation. She is the daughter of a residential school survivor and unrelenting advocate for her community. She is a published poet and was the Halifax Poet Laureate from 2016 to 2018. She lives in K’jipuktuk, Mi’kma’ki.
Jeffrey Ansloos is an educator and psychologist. Ansloos is Nêhiyaw (Cree) and English and is a member of Fisher River Cree Nation (Ochekwi-Sipi; Treaty 5). His family was deeply affected by the Indian Residential Schools System and 1960s Scoop, experiences that have pushed him to pursue an education in psychology and education. As a psychologist he works with Indigenous children, youth, and families and he often supports children with various issues such as PTSD, ADHD and FASD, working to support them in ways that integrate Indigenous culture. He is currently the Assistant Professor in Indigenous Education at the University of Toronto and lives in Toronto.