Nicola Jones is an award-winning science journalist with a background in chemistry and oceanography who lives in the wilds of Pemberton, British Columbia. She writes about all science from anthropology to quantum physics, with environmental issues at the heart of it all. While she normally writes features for grown-ups, she has also published for children in the magazine Current Science. In 2019, she gave a TED Talk about noise pollution in the ocean.
Kate Jenks Landry
Kate Jenks Landry is an author of books for young people and an educator. Her debut picture book, Beatrice and Barb, published with Kids Can Press. She is a graduate of the creative writing program at the University of Toronto. Kate lives with her family in Kitchener, Ontario.
Thọ Phạm
Thọ Phạm left Vietnam alone at the age of 12, joining tens of thousands of refugees on boats and ships. After a two-month-long journey at sea and landing at a refugee camp in Palawan, Philippines, he was eventually adopted by a Canadian elementary school teacher. Thọ lives in Ottawa with his family.
Sandra McTavish
Sandra McTavish is a former high school English teacher and now works in educational publishing. She and her partner, Doug, divide their time between Toronto and his family farm in Ontario, where they have a few “pet” cows and barn cats.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir first picked up a basketball at the age of three, and she’s been playing ever since. Living in a practicing-Muslim household, as she grew older, Bilqis followed her religious beliefs. She began wearing a hijab, a traditional head covering for Muslim women, and practiced modesty on the court by covering all skin except her hands.#Bilqis had a very successful high school career, scoring over 3000 points and breaking both men’s and women’s scoring records in Massachusetts – a record that was formerly held by Olympic Gold Medalist and 1999 WNBA All-Star, Rebecca Lobo. Bilqis played college basketball at the University of Memphis for four years, from 2009 to 2013, and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in exercise science.* *Her goal was to continue playing professionally in Europe, but the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rule prohibiting headgear larger than five inches ended that dream. Unwilling to play without her hijab, Bilqis chose faith over basketball and became an advocate. Working alongside other Muslim players, Bilqis raised her voice for the next generation and effectively forced FIBA to lift the ban. Bilqis now works to pave the way for other Muslim women in sports. Her efforts include “Muslim Girls Hoop Too” – an online campaign to raise awareness for Muslim women in sports, with an emphasis on female basketball players. #Bilqis lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with her family. Lion on the Inside is her story.