| Name: |
Laura Byrne Paquet |
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Professional title
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Freelance travel writer and editor |
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Address |
19 Glen Avenue
Ottawa
Ontario
CANADA
K1S 2Z6 |
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Telephone (day)
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(613) 565-7847 |
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Telephone (evening)
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Fax:
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Mobile
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E-mail
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laura [at] cornerstoneword [dot] com |
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Website 1
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www.LauraByrnePaquet.com/travel |
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Website 2
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www.FacingTheStreet.blogspot.com |
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Biography |
My first encounter with the written word was not an auspicious one: my birth announcement appeared in the Classifieds section of my hometown newspaper under the heading 'Livestock for Sale'. Despite that poor start, I decided to become a writer, earning a bachelor of journalism degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. After stints as a business reporter and a magazine editor, I became a full-time freelance writer and editor in 1992. |
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Main professional activities |
I've written for more than 80 publications in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Currently, I contribute to ELLE Canada, DreamScapes, InOntario and other publications, as well as websites such as www.MatadorNetwork.com. |
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Memberships |
Travel Media Association of Canada (past president)
Society of American Travel Writers
Editors' Association of Canada |
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Awards |
Travel Classics Conference Writing Award, 1996
Travel Media Association of Canada Destination Writing Award, 2007
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Most recent publications |
Wanderlust: A Social History of Travel (Goose Lane Editions, 2007), The Urge to Splurge: A Social History of Shopping (ECW Press, 2003) |
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Other important publications |
Six novels, two novellas and an Ottawa guidebook (2000-2004) |
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Areas of particular interest or expertise |
I blog and write extensively about ways to 'travel like a local'--everything from apartment rentals and home swaps to language immersion programs and couch surfing. See my website (www.LaVidaLocal.com) and my blog (www.FacingTheStreet.blogspot.com). I also have extensive experience in editing travel articles and guidebooks. My particular geographic areas of interest are eastern North America and the Caribbean, but I've written about everything from jumping off a mountain in British Columbia to being pummeled by a beefy masseuse in Turkey. My favourite subjects include soft adventure, culinary travel, learning vacations, vacation rentals and home swaps. |
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Other relevant information |
My photos have been published in numerous newspapers. I speak passable French, despite a lamentable tendency to end every sentence with a very anglo-Canadian "Eh?" |