J. Blake McBride
Writer, Researcher, & Facilitator
Language, Systems, & Transformation
Debut book, STRANGE GRIEF, in Spring 2027.
about
J. Blake McBride (she/her) is a queer, multi-award-winning writer, facilitator, and researcher based in British Columbia, Canada. Her work is rooted in transformation at the individual, institutional, and community levels.
Blake works across creative practice and public policy. She has contributed to the work of provincial, Indigenous, and municipal governments, with particular experience working in economic development alongside people and organizations in rural and remote British Columbia.
Her first book, STRANGE GRIEF, a memoir, is forthcoming from Brick Books in Spring 2027. Her creative work has appeared on CBC Radio and in Room Magazine, with additional publications forthcoming. She has performed internationally more than 100 times and has been an artist-in-residence and ensemble member with several creative collectives.
Blake teaches fiction and poetry by night and professional writing in corporate contexts by day. She champions plain language and volunteers as a literacy advocate, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Linguistics from the University of Victoria, and has lived experience with disability and poverty.
Across all her work, Blake believes that transformation is always possible and that language is real-life magic. She lives with her wife and two cats on Vancouver Island.