Staff

Lori Schubert is the executive director of the Quebec Writers’ Federation, where she has worked since 2003. From 1998 to 2017 she was also a member and general manager of VivaVoce, a professional chamber choir. Prior to her work in arts management, Lori was a singer and corporate communications trainer in the New York metropolitan area. She has taught written and oral communication at Columbia, McGill and Concordia Universities. She was instrumental in the founding of Quebec’s English-language Arts Network (ELAN)  and has served two terms on its board of directors. Through QWF, Lori co-founded the National Juries and Awards Working Group in 2021. She has also served in an advisory capacity for YES Montreal, the Blue Metropolis Foundation and the Atwater Writers’ Exhibit, and is currently chairing the Education and Skills Development Table for the Working Group on Arts, Culture, Heritage organized by the Montreal office of the Department of Canadian Heritage in partnership with ELAN and the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN).

John Wickham is a communications professional with a background in digital media, content strategy, and education. Before joining the team, he worked as a college history and English lecturer, then as an editor in marketing. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in history from McGill University.

Riley Palanca is an arts organizer, theatre creator, and spoken word artist based in Montreal. A lover of books since childhood, Riley has been involved with several artists' collectives across Canada. As an emerging writer, they have contributed to several publications, performed in open mics, and self-published a novel. Riley is passionate about helping young and marginalized writers in Quebec develop their voices.

 

Sarah Haggard has been program manager of Writers in the Community (WIC) since its inception in 2007. She began her career in book publishing and production, first in the UK and Italy, then in Montreal. In recent years she has focused her energies on managing programs, projects, and events for cultural and community organizations. Sarah has seen the WIC program grow from a handful of workshops per year in just two venues to a busy schedule of projects, employing up to 15 writers annually in over a dozen community organizations. She believes passionately in the value of giving young people a chance to explore their emotions and ideas through writing, and feels privileged to work with the talented writers whose creativity and commitment are at the heart of the program’s success.