Welcoming new Literary Patrons, Gloria Steinem & Louise Penny!

Both Gloria Steinem and Louise Penny joined us earlier this fall and we are so incredibly honoured to have them join our illustrious literary patrons to support women writers.

More about Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem is a writer, lecturer, political activist, and feminist organizer. She travels in this and other countries as an organizer and lecturer and is a frequent media spokeswoman on issues of equality. She is particularly interested in the shared origins of sex and race caste systems, gender roles and child abuse as roots of violence, non-violent conflict resolution, the cultures of indigenous peoples, and organizing across boundaries for peace and justice. She lives in New York City.

Steinem has worked tirelessly to support and uplift women for many years, and her advocacy work has no doubt had its resonance on the world as we know it today. Steinem was a columnist for New York magazine, and a co-founder of Ms. magazine. In 1971, she co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus which provides training and support for women who seek elected and appointed offices in government. Also in 1971, she co-founded the Women's Action Alliance which, until 1997, provided support to a network of feminist activists and worked to advance feminist causes and legislation. In the 1990s, Steinem helped establish Take Our Daughters to Work Day, an occasion for young girls to learn about future career opportunities. In 2005, Steinem, Jane Fonda, and Robin Morgan co-founded the Women's Media Center, an organization that "works to make women visible and powerful in the media".

More about Louise Penny

Based outside a small village south of Montreal, quite close to the American border, Louise Penny is the best-selling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache book series. Her work has won numerous awards, including 8 Agatha Awards. She is also the winner of the British Dagger Award, the Canadian Arthur Ellis Award, and the Anthony, Barry, and Dalys Awards for Best First Novel in the US. Her novels have been translated in 29 languages.

In 2013, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada "for her contributions to Canadian culture as an author shining a spotlight on the Eastern Townships of Quebec". In 2017 she was made a Member of the Order of Quebec.