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Susan Doherty

Educated at Concordia University and Ryerson, Susan Doherty has had a diverse and accomplished career. She has worked at Maclean’s Magazine and the International Herald Tribune and ran her own advertising production company for 20 years. Her debut novel, A Secret Music, was published in 2015 and won the Grace Irwin Prize. Research for this novel led her to the Douglas Hospital, where she spent ten extraordinary years volunteering with people suffering from extreme psychosis. The Ghost Garden is the culmination of her work in exploring mental illness.

Her latest book, Monday Rent Boy, is a fictionalized exploration of the aftereffects of child abuse. It examines how a child navigates the path to adulthood when adverse situations threaten to undermine security, trust, self-esteem, and happiness. Susan’s affiliations include the YMCA, Chez Doris, the Douglas Institute, the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Quebec Writers’ Federation, and Nazareth House, a shelter for the homeless and addicted. She also teaches creative writing and art therapy to men and women suffering from psychosis and mental health challenges.

About the Author

Photo: Jill Woodley

Books written by Susan Doherty