Vanessa Winn’s debut novel, The Chief Factor’s Daughter, was longlisted for the ReLit Awards and runner up for Monday Magazine‘s “Favourite Fiction” award in 2010.  As a manuscript, it won a Heritage Group prize for new voices in Western Canadian history and culture.  The book has been studied in BC universities and colleges.  Vanessa’s non-fiction and poetry has appeared in several magazines and journals. In 2020, she released another historical novel, Trappings. A story of first love, second chances, and family secrets, it’s set in Victoria during the collapse of the Cariboo gold rush. This novel was a course textbook for a Public History graduate seminar at the University of Victoria, and features Point Ellice House, a National and Provincial Historic Site.

She has a Bachelor of Arts with a major in English from the University of Victoria, and edits and proofreads for other writers. Beyond her love of the written word and historical research, she finds inspiration in music and dance and teaches Argentine tango.  Born in England, Vanessa has lived in Victoria, BC, for much of her life.