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Katie Bickell

Katie Bickell

Author, Ghostwriter, Instructor, Manuscript Consultant

Awards

Awards

2021 Regional Indie Author Award for Alberta, Indie Project Award (Novel: Always Brave, Sometimes Kind)

2020 Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction, Alberta Literary Awards (Novel: Always Brave, Sometimes Kind)

2017 Emerging Writer Award, Writers Guild of Alberta (Short Story: “Angels in the Snow”)

2015 Howard O’Hagan Award, Alberta Literary Award (Short Story: “But for the Streetlamps and the Moon and All the Stars”)

2014 Alberta Views Fiction Contest, Alberta Views Magazine (Short Story: “Northside Delacroix”)

2011 Voices of Motherhood Essay Contest, Erica Ehm’s YMC (Essay: “The Joy of Being Kicked)

Shortlists

2020 ReLit Award for Novel (Novel: Always Brave, Sometimes Kind)

Arts Grants

2022 Creation Grant, Canadian Council for the Arts (Novel: Alskling)

2022 Individual Arts Grant, Alberta Foundation for the Arts (Novel: Alskling)

2019 Individual Arts Grant, Alberta Foundation for the Arts (Memoir: Kicked)

2017 Individual Arts Grant, Alberta Foundation for the Arts (Novel: Always Brave, Sometimes Kind)

katiebickell

Visit me on instagram!

Right where I need to be #sundaymornings Right where I need to be #sundaymornings
Thrilled to be up for an @albertamagazines award t Thrilled to be up for an @albertamagazines award this month for a Featured Writing Short. This article first appeared in @writersguildab’ magazine, Westword. It discusses my experiences as a ghostwriter, but also touches on my work as a manuscript consultant at @the_memoir_house
Summer 2026 Photo Dump Summer 2026 Photo Dump
First day of school photos look a little different First day of school photos look a little different this year. Only one kid at the door and the other at the bus terminal. 🏡 🚎 🎒
We’ve sent the kids to York to visit @kimmiemul, @ We’ve sent the kids to York to visit @kimmiemul, @khenny10, and Baby Hugo, and took their connecting flight as an opportunity to turn helicopter parenting into a two night vacation. 

Toronto is perhaps the most beautiful and welcoming city I’ve ever visited. The people are fabulous and it seemed like we made friends wherever we went. The public transportation was straightforward and reliable, and the food and architecture is phenomenal. I’ve never felt so safe in such a large city. We logged 43kms of walking in less than 3 days!

Activities:
- landed in Pearson International, accidentally got on the wrong shuttle, but driver was kind enough to deliver us to correct hotel. Checked in then headed back to Pearson to get on the UP Train.
- headed downtown for a comedy show at Second City Theatre (highly recommend!)
- CN Tower with tickets to “the top” (my knees buckled on the glass floor! Glad we did it but pretty crowded - buy tickets in advance and go early)
- strolled the Music Garden (check out the Terry Fox sculpture- really cool use of negative space!) and water front (beautiful) 
- visited St. Lawrence market for Buster’s Sea Cove lobster rolls (glad we did it, but too busy for us)
- headed to Old Town to see St. James Cathedral, melt in St. James Park (v hot day), and toured Osgoode Hall and the famous Great Library (incredible history and architecture)
- walked back around through to Fox on John’s for early supper
- headed to the Jay’s game. They won!!! The streets were a crash of blue and the energy was incredible throughout game and after. Union Station was shoulder-to-shoulder full when we left. Would go to a game like that once a month if I could, and I don’t even really like sports 🤷🏻‍♀️
- Woke early and headed to the airport to stow our carry-ons. Caught a bus from Pearson to Niagara. Hiked the Niagara Glen Trail (amazing!) and briefly stopped by the falls for photos before taking a bus back to the airport.

Two day trip of a lifetime! Toronto hadn’t even been on my list of must-visit places, but the city was incredible. Felt so proud to be Canadian on this trip.

#ohcanada🇨🇦 #iamcanadian🇨🇦
Chloe pulled in eight fish to Freddy’s six in only Chloe pulled in eight fish to Freddy’s six in only a couple hours. This is her boat now 🎣
Grad 2026 photo dump Grad 2026 photo dump
CailyBaby All Grown Up #Grad2026 CailyBaby All Grown Up #Grad2026
Happy birthday to my beautiful, camera shy daughte Happy birthday to my beautiful, camera shy daughter. Chloe, you are loved beyond measure. I love every minute of every late night walk, impromptu dinner date, long drive, and trash-tv sleepover. You are a light in my life and I’m so grateful I get to be your mom.
My CailyBaby is auditing a uni classes with her co My CailyBaby is auditing a uni classes with her cousin @liv.nich today 🩷 Proud mom and aunty now and always! 😊 have fun girls!! @caily.bickell #2026graduate🎓 #howtimeflies
🫟 getting back into racing with a fun little 5K wi 🫟 getting back into racing with a fun little 5K with @lisasana 💛💚💜💙🩷
@monstercolour5k #montercolour5k
See you tonight! Please join @jaymartinwrites , @l See you tonight! Please join @jaymartinwrites , @lisa_shenher and I at @audreysbooks tonight at 7pm for a panel discussion on writing the personal and the political when setting one’s story in places affected by boom and bust industries as we celebrate the Edmonton launch of the western Australian novel, “Boom Town Snap”
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