JOAN THOMAS’s debut novel, Reading By Lightning (2008), won the Commonwealth Prize for Best First Book (Canada/Caribbean) and the Amazon.ca First Novel Award. Curiosity, her second novel, was also longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Joan has worked as a teacher, group-home worker, editor, and as the Writing and Publishing consultant at the Manitoba Arts Council. She was a books columnist and longtime contributing reviewer for the Globe and Mail, and in 1996 won a National Magazine Award (Silver) for Creative Non-Fiction. Joan's other works include The Opening Sky and Five Wives. Joan lives in Winnipeg. Visit her website at www.joanthomas.ca.