David Fraser lives in Nanoose Bay, on Vancouver Island. He is the founder and editor of Ascent Aspirations Magazine, http:// www.ascentaspirations.ca, since 1997. His poetry and short fiction have appeared in over 40 journals including Three Candles, Regina Weese, Ardent, Quills and Ygdrasil. He has published a collection of his poetry, Going to the Well (2004), a collection of short fiction, The Dark Side of the Billboard (2006 )and edited and published the print issues of Ascent Aspirations Magazine Anthology One (2005) , Anthology Two - Windfire (2006), and Anthology Three, AguaTerra (2007) http://www.ascentaspirations .ca/aapublishing.htm A second collection of poetry, Running Down the Wind will appear in 2007. David is currently the Federation of BC Writers Regional Director for The Islands Region. His latest passion is developing Nanaimo's newest spoken word series, WordStorm.

Harvey Jenkins was born and raised on the prairies but moved to Vancouver Island in 1989. He has had poetry published in the 'Western Producer' and in 'Manitoba Myriad: An Anthology of Poetry and Prose' and the April 2008 edition of 'Ascent Aspiration Magazine'. Harvey has also had some recognition for haiku with an honourable mention in the 2007 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival and two haiku published in the December 2007 Gabriola Island edition of 'The Imperfectionists Monthly'. Harvey currently works at Vancouver Island University and will be retiring soon and is planning to do more traveling and to continue to write poetry and haiku.

Judith Millar Judith Millar is a writer of short stories, personal essays, poems, song lyrics and magazine articles. With over 100 published pieces, she has won awards for her creative writing in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Judy says she still gets her biggest kick from writing humour, and she especially enjoys giving readings of her humorous works. An artist and former corporate communications manager, she moved to Nanaimo, BC from Kitchener, Ontario in 2007 ­ and was delighted to discover WordStorm!

Mary Ann Moore is a poet and a writer of fiction, personal essays and book reviews. She is currently working on a non-fiction book called Writing Home. Mary Ann has taught creative writing classes; creativity and poem making workshops; and lead workshops for the mental health community, adult literacy programmes, a First Nations reserve and conferences and retreats. Mary Ann's poem "Unpacking" won third place in the Federation of B.C. Writers poetry contest in the fall and she has recently returned from a master poets retreat with acclaimed Vancouver Island poet, Patrick Lane. Mary Ann has hosted at WordStorm and is ready to do so again as is needed.

Cindy Shantz has been published in several newspapers including The Globe and Mail, The Vancouver Sun, and The Times Colonist. Her stories have won awards at The Santa Barbara Writer's Conference. In Switzerland her works have appeared in newspapers and magazines and in an anthology of short stories, essays and poetry.

Pat Smekal has always loved words. She would write more of them if she didn't spend so much time with other loves, including Yoga, hiking, travel, kayaking and grandchildren. Nonetheless, during the past five years she has won a number of prizes across Canada for her poetry, and has had work published in Island Writer, Reportage, Love the Main Course, Ascent Aspirations Anthologies (1 & 2), and A World of Words 2006. Pat and her husband George live next to the sea, on Vancouver Island.

Fran Thiessen has emceed WordStorm since its inception. No stranger to speaking in public, she has been a Toastmaster for over 20 years and has achieved the highest designation of Distinguished Toastmaster. She has given a workshop on Storytelling at the BC Toastmasters Conference. Fran also has a love of theatre and has been in two local productions in Port Alberni. Storytelling within Toastmasters as well as Creative Magic and WordStorm has whetted her appetite to do some writing. Her stories are inspired by everyday occurrences - perhaps with a touch of whimsy?

Retired from WordStorm Crew
Melanie (cut to the chase) Boulding finds peace in her role as WordStorm's "Meeter and Greeter" after tangling with the downtown disenfranchised population. A former Yukon Bush-rat, she appreciates her friend/neighbour, Cindy, dragging her into the fun/thespian/literary/cultural sphere of Nanaimo. Melanie is taking a rest from participating but is ready to fill in at anytime.