Author Monique Polak named CBC/QWF Montreal writer-in-residence

CBC Montreal is proud to announce author Monique Polak as the first-ever CBC/QWF Writer-in-Residence. CBC Montreal arts reporter Jeanette Kelly unveiled the news tonight at the annual Quebec Writers' Federation (QWF) gala.

This continues the long-standing relationship between CBC Montreal and the QWF.

Award-winning writer and journalist

Monique Polak is a Montreal writer and journalist. She is always on the lookout for stories, and gets many of her ideas from the stories people tell.

Polak has published 17young adult novels and won the 2009 and 2014 Quebec Writers' Federation Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature for her novels What World Is Left and Hate Mail, respectively.

In 2007, her novel All In was nominated for the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel for Juveniles.

On top of her work as a freelance journalist, Polak also teaches English and Humanities at Marianopolis College, where she has taught since 1985.

Polak is also working on another novel where she hopes to tackle the difficult theme of conjugal violence.

A new approach supporting writers

"This is an exciting, new initiative for CBC and the Quebec Writer's Federation," says CBC Montreal managing director Shelagh Kinch.

"Monique Polak is such a well-known Montreal writer and we are thrilled to welcome her as our first Writer-in-Residence. We look forward to reading and sharing her stories and unique perspectives on our city."

As part of the writer-in-residence project, Polak will write a series of five non-fiction blog posts on themes that touch Montreal. They will be published on the CBC Montreal website from January to April 2016.