Courtney Ward-Zbeetnoff

Advisory Board Member

Courtney Ward-Zbeetnoff (she/her) is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of Victoria. She has a special interest in writing creative nonfiction on themes of mental health. Courtney holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing from Western University. At Western, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the Arts and Humanities undergraduate publications Semicolon and Symposium as well as the university's Student Writer-in-Residence.

Her experience with mental illness has guided her advocacy for mental wellness; she feels it is her purpose in life to raise awareness and break down the culture of silence. Through sharing her own story, she encourages the acceptance of vulnerability: that speaking out is not weak, but incredibly brave. Courtney’s poetry and prose have been published in local and international literary magazines. She is continually inspired by the stories that those around her have the courage to share.