Kirsteen MacLeod is a writer and yoga teacher who often combines her two passions, tapping yoga’s power for creative inspiration in her own work, and teaching others how yoga sparks more relaxed, effortless and imaginative writing. 

Kirsteen is the author of the short story collection The Animal Game. Her fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction have appeared in prominent literary journals, including The New Quarterly and The Malahat Review; her articles have been featured in leading Canadian magazines; and her work has been a finalist for the CBC Literary Award in creative non-fiction, among other awards.  

Her newest book, In Praise of Retreat: Finding Sanctuary in the Modern World explores the history of the retreat across cultures and spiritual practices and reveals the benefits that disconnecting from the modern world can have on our harried existence. “Part memoir, part nature essay, part guidebook”, Shelf Awarenesssays, the book “is thoughtful, thoroughly researched and often refreshingly wry”. 

Kirsteen was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and lived in Toronto and Brazil. She now divides her time between Kingston, Ontario, and a riverside cabin in the woods near Bancroft. 

Kirsteen is supported by Author Patron Wintergreen Studios.

Website: https://www.kirsteenmacleod.ca/
Book: https://ecwpress.com/products/in-praise-of-retreat

Appearing in:
5. Adventuring Within: Reconnecting with Our Deepest Self
WS12. Taking Care: How to Balance Art with Self-Compassion

Past Festival Appearances:

2019: 49. Yoga and the Art of Relaxed Writing
2016: 49. Hometown Heroes: New Authors