Dr. Laurie Stanley-Blackwell is a retired history professor whose research interests include the history of Maritime Canada and the cultural life of Nova Scotia’s early Scottish immigrants. She has written several children’s books, including Big Rory of Market Square, Big Rory Returns to Market Square, The Pets that Came to Palmerston Street /Na Peataichean a thàinig gu Sràid Phalmerston, A Pictou Christmas, Hanging out with the Haggis, My Best Friend Forever, and A' cur fàilt' air na Nàbaidhean Ùra / Meeting the New Neighbours. With its whimsical images and playful storyline, An Cù Agam Tank / My Dog Tank is designed to delight and engage the pre-reader and young reader in both English and Gaelic.

Sophia Lawrence is a Nova Scotian queer artist, writer, and youth-educator. A Fine Arts graduate from Mount Allison University, she works in such media as painting, video, puppetry, and drawing. The Pictou Bee Press is pleased to share Sophia’s creative talents with its readers. Her work is light-hearted and playful. In 2025, Sophia illustrated the children’s book, My Best Friend Forever, for The Pictou Bee Press. This is her second children’s book with our press. Sophia is currently doing an MFA degree in creative non-fiction, which involves writing a book about art and precarity in art careers. 

Photo credit: Lily Watts

Dr. Michael Linkletter is a member of the Celtic Studies Department at St. Francis Xavier University, and holder of the Sister Saint Veronica Chair in Gaelic Studies. With a PhD in Celtic Languages and Literatures from Harvard University, Michael’s research interests encompass the history, culture, language, and literature of the Scottish Gaels in Canada. And he is a lover of dogs!