Pamela Swanigan

• Award-winning magazine writer

• Award-winning academic writer

• Experienced, talented editor

• Highly effective academic-writing coach

• English professor

• PhD in English

 

Key writing experience

On-staff and freelance writer, Vancouver magazine, Toronto Star, Saturday Night, Allergic Living, Vancouver Sun, eye WEEKLY, Georgia Straight, Western Living, Chicago Tribune, and many more, 1985 – present.

Award-winning writer of features, columns, reviews, opinion pieces, medical articles, humour pieces, profiles, service pieces, sports articles. 

• Readable, witty stylist with catchy leads and trenchant turns of phrase

• Adept and accomplished in all types of writing: editorial, feature, front-end, columns, service, reports, academic, humour, technical, web

• Two National Magazine Awards (shared); two-time finalist at the Western Magazine Awards

Recent writing work:

• Abstract: Columbia Urban Peace Labs (United Nations report, 2018)

• “Your Guide to Asthma in Winter”, Allergic Living (medical, 2016)

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Awards (selected)

• Silver Medal and Honorable Mention, National Magazine Awards, for “15 Ways of Looking at Vince Carter” (co-authored), in Saturday Night, 2001.

• Profile-category finalist, Western Magazine Awards, for “The Meanin’ of Keenan”, in Vancouver magazine, 2000.

• Gold Award finalist, Western Magazine Awards, for “Bear Truths”, Vancouver magazine, 1996.

• Winner, third place, ARC International Poetry Contest, for “How to Win at Rummy”, 2001.

• Winner, Graduate Essay Award, PhD level, Children’s Literature Association, 2011.

 

Key editing experience

Associate Editor, Vancouver magazine, 1996, 2000.

Copy and production editor, eye WEEKLY magazine, 1991-’93.

Assistant Editor and copy editor, the Georgia Straight, 1989-’90, 1996.

• Carried out substantive and copy-editing on all articles

• Wrote front-end pieces and service features at Vancouver magazine, weekly “What’s On” column at the Georgia Straight

• Wrote display copy for all sections, including the cover

• In charge of writing and producing special sections (e.g. Academy Awards, Arts Walk) at the Georgia Straight

• Knowledgeable about all phases of publication production, from assigning and issue-planning to display copy–writing and page sign-off

• Outstanding knowledge of grammar, punctuation, spelling, style

Recent editing work:

• Edibles Journal, Baked Baker’s Box (marketing pamphlet, 2018)

• The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at 20 (book, 2018)

• Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Assessment, Okanagan Nation Alliance (scientific report, 2018)

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Other experience

Academic coach (Royal Roads University School of Business 2012 – present)

• Specializing in guiding MBA students through capstone papers.

University English professor (Acadia University, University of Connecticut, Kwantlen Polytechnic), 2001-2017.

• Designed and taught English Composition and Literature courses.

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