Alexandra Shimo is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

writer.

Early life and education

Born in Toronto, Canada, Shimo grew up in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. She graduated

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

with an BA in Philosophy, politics and economics followed by a Masters from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in journalism.

Writing career

In 2016, Shimo published ''Invisible North: The Search for Answers on a Troubled Reserve''. Based on first person reportage of the four months Shimo lived in Kashechewan First Nation reserve in northern Ontario, the book describes how inhuman conditions had decimated the local community and the legal, economic and political circumstances that trap many northern indigenous communities in poverty. The book was longlisted for the

RBC Taylor Prize The RBC Taylor Prize (2000–2020), formerly known as the Charles Taylor Prize, was a Canadian literary award, presented by the Charles Taylor Foundation to the best Canadian work of literary non-fiction. It was named for Charles P. B. Taylo ...

, and a finalist for the BC Award for Canadian Non-Fiction. It was one of the Globe and Mail's best books of the year. Shimo was a shortlisted nominee for the

Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction The Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction is a Canadian literary award that annually recognizes one Canadian writer for a non-fiction book written in English. Since 1987 it is one of fourteen Governor General's Awards for Litera ...

at the 2014 Governor General's Awards as cowriter of

Edmund Metatawabin Edmund Metatawabin is a First Nations chief and writer, whose 2014 memoir ''Up Ghost River: A Chief’s Journey Through the Turbulent Waters of Native History'' was a shortlisted nominee for the Governor General's Award for English-language non-f ...

's memoir ''Up Ghost River: A Chief's Journey Through the Turbulent Waters of Native History''."Governor-General Literary Awards finalists unveiled"
''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'', October 7, 2014. The book describes Metatawabin's life during and after St. Anne's, a residential school in Fort Albany, northern Ontario. The book became a national bestseller and was named one of the best books of 2014 by the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...

, ''

The Hill Times ''The Hill Times'' is a Canadian twice-weekly newspaper and daily news website, published in Ottawa, Ontario, which covers the Parliament of Canada, the federal government, and other federal political news. Founded in 1989 by Ross Dickson and Jim ...

'' and ''

Quill and Quire ''Quill & Quire'' is a Canadian magazine about the book and publishing industry. The magazine was launched in 1935 and has an average circulation of 5,000 copies per issue, with a publisher-claimed readership of 25,000. ''Quill & Quire'' reviews ...

''. In February 2015, it was named one of the winners of the CBC's Bookie Awards. A former editor at ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...

'', Shimo is a freelance journalist who has contributed to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

'', the

, ''

'', the ''

National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of the American-owned Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only.

'', ''

'' and ''

Toronto Life ''Toronto Life'' is a monthly magazine about entertainment, politics and life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ''Toronto Life'' also publishes a number of annual special interest guides about the city, including ''Real Estate'', ''Stylebook'', ''Eati ...

'', she is also the author of ''The Environment Equation: 100 Factors That Can Add to or Subtract From Your Total Carbon Footprint''.

Teaching

She teaches creative nonfiction part-time at University of Toronto Continuing Studies.

Awards

* Finalist 2017 – BC Achievement Award for Non Fiction * Winner 2016 - Speaker's Book Award * Winner 2015 –

CBC Books CBC Arts () is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that creates and curates written articles, short documentaries, non-fiction series and interactive projects that represent the excellence of Canada's diverse artistic communitie ...

Bookie Award for Non-Fiction * Winner 2015 –

Ontario Historical Society The Ontario Historical Society is a non-profit organization centred on the preservation of Ontario's history. It is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors, and its members include individuals as well as historical institutions from across t ...

's Donald Grant Creighton Award * Finalist 2014 – Governor General's Literary Award for Non-Fiction * Finalist 2015–2016 –

Trillium Book Award The Trillium Book Award ( or ''Prix Trillium'') is an annual literary award presented to writers in Ontario, Canada. It is administered by Ontario Creates, a Crown agency (Ontario), Crown agency of the Government of Ontario, which is overseen by ...

* Finalist 2015–2016 – First Nation Communities Read

Works

*''The Environment Equation: 100 Factors That Can Add to or Subtract From Your Total Carbon Footprint'' (2008) *''Up Ghost River: A Chief's Journey Through the Turbulent Waters of Native History'' (2014) *''Invisible North: The Search for Answers on a Troubled Reserve'' (2016)

References

External links

Alexandra Shimo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shimo, Alexandra Canadian newspaper reporters and correspondents Canadian magazine writers Writers from Toronto Living people Canadian LGBTQ journalists Canadian lesbian writers 21st-century Canadian non-fiction writers 21st-century Canadian women writers Maclean's writers and editors Canadian women non-fiction writers Canadian women columnists Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people