Who I am:

I was born in the Urals but crossed several borders while learning to walk, talk, read, and write. I have lived in five countries, most recently in Greece, where two of my five books were first published. Daughter of a Jewish father and a Russian Orthodox mother, I speak several foreign languages badly, swear perfectly in Polish, and write in English about beleaguered Greek villagers. I've been largely educated in Canada, the most generous of countries, where the lack of a high-school diploma proved to be no impediment to obtaining three university degrees. While still an undergraduate, I sold a short story to Bob Weaver at the CBC and have ever since been trying to write a bestseller so I could devote myself full time to my writing. I have worked as a secretary, administrator, editor, businesswoman, journalist, university lecturer, and writer, publishing dozens of poems and stories, while trying to survive as a single mother. Though fame and fortune remain elusive, my work has won several literary prizes, including the National Magazine Award and the CBC Literary Award. My short stories have been broadcast, anthologized, and published in both commercial and literary magazines, in Canada and abroad. I have also written book reviews and travel articles, which have appeared in numerous newspapers, including the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune. I currently divide my time between Greece and Canada, still looking for Home.

Connect with me online! My site, blog, or Twitter handle are:

http://irenakarafilly.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Irena-Karafilly/198857236829176
http://twitter.com/irenakarafilly

Books I've written, anthologies I've contributed to, and any scripts or plays I've authored:

The Stranger in the Plumed Hat
ISBN-10: 0670892947
ISBN-13: 978-0670892945

Ashes and Miracles: A Polish Journey
ISBN-10: 189412104X
ISBN-13: 978-1894121040

Night Cries
ISBN-10: 0887508022
ISBN-13: 978-088750802

Media outlets that I currently write for:

N/A

My writing is:

Fiction, Nonfiction

Outlets where I review books, TV, or film:

N/A

Services I offer to other writers:

N/A

I'm part of these writers' groups or salons:

The Writers' Union of Canada

I found out about She Writes from:

My daughter.