NIC LABRIOLA was born into a family of artists, musicians, actors and writers. He had no choice but to dedicate his life to the arts. His first love was the theatre, and he spent much of his adolescence wearing costumes on stage. One day, while wandering through his parent’s collection of 1960’s record albums, he discovered the power of music. He found a guitar, taught himself some chords, and began to write songs to sing. Late one night after returning home from a rehearsal, he put on an album. Rhythm-inspired, Nic grabbed a large sheet of white paper and began to draw faces.

This lead to an investigation of painting and printmaking—mostly of faces. The faces he made began to stare at him—so much so that he felt that it was important to name them. Once he had named his characters, he began to ask questions about who they were, what made them ecstatic, and what made them suffer. Nic began to write stories about his characters. Sometimes the characters could speak. Sometimes the stories would create pictures for the reader. Sometimes the words alone sang out. It was then that Nic decided that he would be able to practice all of his beloved arts through storytelling. He has never attempted dancing, although he hopes to one day.

His first collection of poetry, Naming the Mannequins, was published in 2009 by Insomniac Press. He is currently working on a collection of novellas and short stories entitled, Francis and the Animals, set to be published in the Spring of 2013 by Leaping Lion Books.

In addition to being a writer, Nic is also an Ontario Certified Teacher. He holds an Honours B.A. in English from the University of Toronto, and a B. Ed. from Trent University in English and Dramatic Arts. He has taught writing both in the classroom and online.

He currently teaches part-time at Seneca College in Toronto. He has had the good fortune to work with writers, teachers and students as the Relationship Development Officer at WiER, and is excited to be serving as the writer in electronic residence for the fall term of 2011.