Since 1997, Julie E. Czerneda has turned her love and knowledge of biology into science fiction novels and short stories that have received international acclaim, multiple awards, and best-selling status. A popular speaker on scientific literacy and SF, as well as presenter of writers workshops, in 2009 Julie was Guest of Honour for the national conventions of New Zealand and Australia, as well as Master of Ceremonies for Anticipation, the Montreal Worldcon. She has thirteen SF novels in print from DAW Books, has edited fifteen anthologies in SF and fantasy, and out next will be her first fantasy novel, A Turn of Light, to be published in 2011. A former publisher and professional editor, Julie has been a judge and jury chair for the Philip K. Dick Award as well as other writing contests at all skill levels, including the Missisauga Festival of Arts (literary). She served for a year with the Leacock Medal Committee. Whenever possible, she and her photographer husband grab their canoe and disappear into the glorious wilderness surrounding their central Ontario home.
Update: February 23, 2011 With great regret, Julie Czerneda has withdrawn from this year's Sunburst Awards Jury, citing work obligations. In particular, she must finish her current novel this spring, as well as fulfill her role as co-editor on the current Tesseracts anthology. Julie leaves with nothing but praise for the Sunburst committee and her fellow jurors who face, in her words, an awesome stack of Canadian fantastic goodness
Award-winning, national bestselling author Kate Freiman is the only remaining charter member of Toronto Romance Writers, having been at the first meeting. Kate served five terms as TRW president and/or co-president. Back in the day, Kate founded and was the early coordinator of the Golden Opportunity Contest, and established the delicious tradition of awarding chocolates for good and not-so-good news during accolades. As a two-time Golden Heart finalist, Kate’s winning GH entry, No Limit To Love, was her first sale, to Meteor Romances. Kate’s SSE The Bachelor and the Baby Wish made the USA-Today bestseller list. Kate’s stories range from romantic comedies to heart-tugging romances to romantic fantasies. Joy To The World, Kate’s novella in the Jove Christmas Anthology Star of Wonder was a finalist for the RITA award in the first year of the Best Novella category. In her private life, Kate tends her botanical garden, fixes things that break and finds things that get lost, reads voraciously, enjoys teaching and discussing writing and story-telling.
Mark Leslie began his writing journey on a clunky Underwood typewriter when he was twelve years old and has published numerous speculative/dark fiction stories in various magazines and anthologies over the past couple of decades. A collection of mostly previously published fiction and poetry, One Hand Screaming, was released in 2004. Mark also edited the science fiction anthology North of Infinity II (2006) and the horror anthology Campus Chills (2009). When he is not writing, Mark tacks "Lefebvre" back onto his name (claiming he drops it when writing fiction out of courtesy for folks who might trip over all the extra unpronounced letters in his name) and works as a bookseller. He is the book operations manager at Titles Bookstore McMaster University, sits on the board of directors for BookNet Canada and is president of Canadian Booksellers Association. His main vices (apart from writing), include coffee and an uncontrollable addiction to books.
CHRISTOPHER RODEN is a World Fantasy and International Horror Guild Award winning editor and publisher, one half of Ash-Tree Press, for which he oversees design and production. He has co-edited five anthologies of original fiction for Ash-Tree Press, and introduced a number of the press’s reprints of classic collections. A lifelong Sherlockian, Christopher founded The Arthur Conan Doyle Society in 1989 and has edited the Society’s Journal since its first issue. He is an investitured member of The Baker Street Irregulars of New York and a Master Bootmaker of The Bootmakers of Toronto. In addition to editing work, Christopher contributed introductions to two volumes in The Oxford Sherlock Holmes series, and has written numerous articles for magazines, journals, and encyclopaedias.
Alison Sinclair is the author of science fiction novels Legacies, Blueheart, and Cavalcade, and fantasy trilogy Darkborn, Lightborn, and Shadowborn (forthcoming). Cavalcade was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke award in 1999. She lives in Montreal, where she recently completed a degree in epidemiology at McGill University. Previously she has worked in basic research, medicine, pharmaceutical research and as a medical and regulatory writer.
