Sarah de Leeuw is a

Canadian writer This is a list of Canadian literary figures, such as poets, novelists, children's writers, essayists, and scholars. __NOTOC__ A B C Jenny Denis 1983 high Fantasy YA Dragons of Nesbit E F G H I J K L M N ...

, researcher, and professor born in 1973. She has authored several publications, including "Unmarked: Landscapes Along Highway 16," "Frontlines: Portraits of Caregivers in Northern

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

," "Geographies of a Lover," "Skeena," and "Where it Hurts." De Leeuw grew up in British Columbia and has a diverse background. She worked as a tug boat driver, logging camp cook, and journalist. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing from the

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay, British Columbia, Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1903 as Victoria College, British Columbia, Victoria Col ...

and a PhD in cultural/historical geography from Queen's University. As a Canada Research Chair in Humanities and Health Inequities at the

University of Northern British Columbia The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is a university serving the northern region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The main campus is located in Prince George, with additional campuses located in Prince Rupert, Terrace, ...

, her research focuses on colonialism in British Columbia, determinants of Indigenous health, and the impact of medical programs in northern and rural areas. Her work has been recognized with awards, including the CBC Literary Award for creative non-fiction and the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In 2017, she was inducted into the

Royal Society of Canada The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; , SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities, and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bilingual council of distinguishe ...

Early life and education

A native of

, she grew up in

Duncan Duncan may refer to: People * Duncan (given name), various people * Duncan (surname), various people * Clan Duncan * Justice Duncan (disambiguation) Places * Duncan Creek (disambiguation) * Duncan River (disambiguation) * Duncan Lake (di ...

, on the

Queen Charlotte Islands Haida Gwaii (; / , literally "Islands of the Haida people"), previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago located between off the northern Pacific coast in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The islands are separ ...

(now

Haida Gwaii Haida Gwaii (; / , literally "Islands of the Haida people"), previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago located between off the British Columbia Coast, northern Pacific coast in the Canadian province of British Columbia ...

) and

Terrace Terrace may refer to: Landforms and construction * Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river * Terrace, a street suffix * Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk a ...

. She worked as a

tug boat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, such ...

driver, logging camp cook, and journalist. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in creative writing from the

where she worked on the student newspaper, ''

The Martlet The ''Martlet'' is a student newspaper published online every two weeks at the University of Victoria (UVic) in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The first edition of the Martlet was printed on December 3, 1948. For much of its history, it ...

'' and a PhD in cultural/historical geography from Queen's University.

Career and research

de Leeuw,
Canada Research Chair (Humanities and Health Inequities)
is a Professor with the Northern Medical Program and the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health at the

(UNBC). Her current research includes: * Colonialism in British Columbia * Determinants of Indigenous health * Impact of medical programs in northern and rural geographies including doctor-patient relationships with Indigenous peoples * Medical and health humanities. Her books ''Unmarked: Landscapes Along Highway 16'' (2004) and ''Frontlines: Portraits of Caregivers in Northern British Columbia'' (2011) reflect her interest in geography and small communities in British Columbia. ''Unmarked'' is a series of short essays, each linked to a specific place, evoking the local geography and community, and often linked to memories from de Leeuw's childhood. ''Frontlines'' is a series of biographical essays about people working in health care and their connections with community. ''Geographies of a Lover'' (2012), described by poet

Nancy Holmes Nancy Holmes (born February 9, 1959) is a Canadians, Canadian poet and educator. Biography Holmes was born in Edmonton and went to high school in Toronto. She then attended the University of Calgary where she received her Master's degree, MA in E ...

as "a true eco-erotic text that fuses the lonely carnality of body with the vulnerable vastness of continental landscapes" also represents de Leeuw's interest in human relationships with physical geography. In 2009, de Leeuw won the CBC Literary Award for creative non-fiction with "Columbus Burning", and placed second the following year with "Quick-quick. Slow. Slow." In 2013 ''Geographies of a Lover'' won the

Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize The Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, established in 1986, is awarded annually to the best collection of poetry by a resident of British Columbia, Canada. One of the BC and Yukon Book Prizes, the award was originally known as the B.C. Prize for Poet ...

, the annual BC Book Book Prize for the best book of poetry by a British Columbian author. In fall 2015, Caitlin Press published ''Skeena'', a single poetic narrative spanning more than ninety pages that is an elegy to and celebration of British Columbia's second-longest river, one at the centre of contemporary conversations about resource extraction and northern geographies. In spring 2017, NeWest Press published ''Where it Hurts'', a collection of creative non-fiction pieces primarily focused on the difficulties of living in small communities in the B.C. interior. ''Where it Hurts'' was selected as a finalist for the prestigious Governor General's Literary Award for non-fiction In fall 2017, de Leeuw was one of 70 scholars appointed to the

and inducted in the Society'
Celebration of Excellence

References

External links

Dr. Sarah de Leeuw
- UNBC Profile
Interview with Creative Non-Fiction Writing Contest Judge, Sarah de Leeuw!
- Room Magazine {{DEFAULTSORT:De Leeuw, Sarah 1973 births Living people Canadian travel writers Canadian women poets Canadian people of Dutch descent People from Duncan, British Columbia University of Victoria alumni Queen's University at Kingston alumni Poets from British Columbia Women travel writers 21st-century Canadian poets 21st-century Canadian women writers Canadian women non-fiction writers