Louise Carson

Born in Montreal and raised in Hudson, Quebec, Louise Carson studied music in Montreal and Toronto, played jazz piano and sang in the chorus of the Canadian Opera Company. Carson has published sixteen books: Rope, a blend of poetry and prose; Mermaid Road, a lyrical novella; A Clearing, a collection of poetry; Executor, a mystery set in China and Toronto; a trilogy, The Chronicles of Deasil Widdy, historical fiction set in 18th century Scotland: In Which,  Measured, and Third Circle); and her Maples Mysteries series: The Cat Among Us, The Cat Vanishes, The Cat Between, The Cat Possessed, and The Cat Looked Back. Her second collection of poetry – Dog Poems – was published in 2020, and her third—The Truck Driver Treated for Shock—in 2023. Her poems appear in literary magazines, chapbooks and anthologies from coast to coast, including The Best Canadian Poetry 2013, 2021, and 2024. She’s been short-listed in FreeFall Magazine’s annual contest three times, and one poem won a Manitoba Magazine Award. Her novel In Which was shortlisted for a Quebec Writers’ Federation award and a Re/Lit Award in 2019. She has presented her work in many public forums, including Hudson’s Storyfest 2015, as well as in Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, Saskatoon and New York City. She lives in St-Lazare, Québec, where she writes, runs, and gardens.