Carolyne Van Der Meer is a journalist, PR professional and former university lecturer. Her writing portfolio is extensive and includes articles published in more than 100 different magazines, journals and newspapers around the world. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in English Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing from the Humber School for Writers in Toronto.
She is the author of Motherlode: A Mosaic of Dutch Wartime Experience (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2014); Journeywoman (Inanna, 2017); Heart of Goodness: The Life of Marguerite Bourgeoys in 30 Poems | Du cœur à l’âme: La vie de Marguerite Bourgeoys en 30 poèmes (Guernica Editions, 2020); Sensorial (Inanna, 2022) and All This as I Stand By (Ekstasis Editions, 2024). Her award-winning chapbook, Birdology, was published by Cactus Press in 2025.
Carolyne taught in McGill University’s Public Relations and Communications Management program for more than a decade, and has also led workshops for the QWF, ELAN and the Thomas More Institute. She is interested in giving writing workshops to CEGEP students that would explore multi-genre expression, including journal writing, poetry and short story writing. She is also available for workshops on linking poetry to the exploration of historical figures and telling their stories, as shown in the award-winning Heart of Goodness.