OLIVIA VAN GUINN (they/them) is a Vietnamese Canadian writer and poet. They have a BA in English from the University of Calgary, where they received the Kathleen and Russell Lane Award for their first manuscript. They are also a recipient of the Short Story Prize from Quagmire Magazine. Olivia is currently community manager for The Stygian Society, a Canadian small press.
Olivia’s writing is usually story-driven and dark, inspired by philosophy, gothic elements, and dissociative moments. Their writing is informed by their experience as a queer person of color living with chronic illness. Olivia’s creative writing has been published in journals like Existere, the /temz/ review, Plenitude, The Prairie Journal, and more.
Olivia is also a musician and ceramicist. They can often be found haunting bookstores or contemplating along the Bow River. Their novel entitled April Snow is forthcoming from At Bay Press.
Photo: @phot.oppleton
