About
There’s a reason I don’t flinch at hard stories. I’ve lived a few of my own.
And through it all, I wrote.
I am a sexual assault survivor and a breast cancer survivor. I say this plainly because I stand in my power, and because the writers who find their way to Backhouse Press deserve to know that I have walked through fire and come out the other side. I lead by example.
I lead by thriving.
I've done the work. Years of post-secondary education, years in the field, ten thousand hours at the writing desk, therapy, yoga certifications, teaching and travelling. None of it was linear, and some of it wasn't pretty. But it's brought me here, and I wouldn't trade a minute of it.
And I keep working.
When you bring me your story, I can handle it. I'll give you the space and the encouragement to find your way through it. No judgment, complete confidentiality. It is my job to hold space, and I take that seriously.
Backhouse is a place where we all belong. You don't have to perform your pain or qualify your joy. Just bring what you've got and trust that you're in good hands.
My feet are on the ground. I'm not going anywhere. I love what I do.
Est. 2018
Named for Bev's grandmother, whose educational dreams were denied.
The Name
I named Backhouse Press after my grandmother, who dreamed of becoming a nurse but never got the chance. She never wrote down her story. And I never had the chance to talk with her about her dreams, her struggles, or her wisdom.
That loss is partly why Bev spends her days making sure other stories don't disappear. She's been on a path of transformation her whole life — and giving support feels right.
She helps people tell the truths they've carried, sometimes quietly, for decades. She works with trauma survivors, people who've overcome addiction and adversity, entrepreneurs who've built businesses and want to share the lessons, and everyday heroes whose stories of resilience deserve to be told.
Education
MA International Relations, Brock University. BA Political Science. TESL Certification. Advanced Writing Program, Humber College (studied under David Bergen 2005 Giller Prize Winner).
Teaching
Audiences up to 300 participants. Nominated for Educator of the Year. Niagara College instructor — Social Justice and the Arts, Issues in Diversity, Cross-Cultural Communication.
Publishing
Senior Project Manager at One Button Publishing — responsible for 80+ creative projects from concept to completion. Dozens of published works maintaining 4+ star Amazon ratings.
Hospitality & Media
Co-owned Backhouse Restaurant — EnRoute Magazine People's Choice Award, Best New Restaurant in Canada (2015). Managing 45 professionals, national media coverage.
Professional Foundation
Built on decades of real work.
Bev's journey began with extensive international travel that deepened her understanding of diverse perspectives and global narratives. She returned to complete a BA in Political Science and an MA in International Relations from Brock University, followed by TESL certification and a postgraduate certificate in Advanced Writing from Humber College's prestigious Writer's Program.
At Humber, she completed a full-length manuscript under the mentorship of acclaimed author David Bergen. As a college instructor at Niagara College, she developed innovative curricula — including the groundbreaking "Social Justice and the Arts" program — teaching narrative development and critical analysis to audiences of up to 300 participants.
Before dedicating herself fully to writing and publishing, she co-owned and operated Backhouse Restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake, which earned Air Canada's EnRoute Magazine's People's Choice Award for Best New Restaurant in Canada in 2015. That experience in high-stakes creative direction, team leadership, and media relations now informs every publishing project.
Art Director/Visual Designer
Muhammad Hammad
"I love the challenge of bringing order to chaos, especially when it comes to book cover design. My work is about more than making something look good. I use typography, structure, and visual systems to make sure a cover does its job — communicating the right story to the right reader before they've read a single word.
My focus is always on clarity and intention. I genuinely enjoy guiding a project through its messier stages to land where the cover design reflects the soul of your book"
The TEAM
Senior Editor
Lou Saking
" I'm a seasoned editor and ghostwriter with over five years of experience across the full spectrum of nonfiction — finance, technology, policy, and public affairs. I bring a rigorous editorial eye to complex, research-driven content, shaping manuscripts that are both authoritative and accessible.
My work spans environmental policy documents to ghostwritten nonfiction books on substantive subjects. I work exclusively in nonfiction, with a particular strength in content that demands clarity, precision, and deep respect for source material. "
Web Developer
Usama Mehmood
"I believe a good website should feel effortless — for the person visiting it, and for the person running it. My work is about more than making something look clean. I build custom tools and quiet systems behind the scenes that let creative businesses run without friction, so the focus can stay on the work itself.
For Backhouse Press, I'm responsible for the website build and the custom tools that let Bev manage her residency, courses, and community without getting in her way."
Recognition
Awards & Accomplishments
Ontario Arts Council Grant
Provincial recognition for creative writing excellence.
Calling All Writers Award
Pulse Niagara Award for outstanding literary contribution.
Forbes Featured
Client work featured in Forbes, Daily Mail UK, CBC, CTV, and international publications.
Film Adaptation
One story from Eating Books being adapted to film — directed by Bev herself.
As Featured In
What Sets Us Apart
Core competencies.
Narrative Development & Story Architecture
Transforming complex experiences into compelling, market-ready content. Structure, arc, themes — built for the reader, shaped by the writer.
Production Management
Overseeing projects from concept to completion while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines. 80+ creative projects managed to publication.
Strategic Creative Direction
Providing vision and guidance that achieves both artistic integrity and commercial success. Every project receives the same deep attention.
Cross-Cultural Content
Adapting narratives for international audiences while preserving authentic voice. Clients spanning six continents, from Switzerland to Australia.
Media Relations & Promotion
Securing coverage and building audience engagement across platforms. National and international media coverage for client work.
Trauma-Informed Practice
Writing is how we excavate our truths. We acknowledge the emotional weight of this work and create space for both craft and honesty.
"Writing is a craft. It has structure, technique, and best practices. You don't need to figure it out alone."
Fiercely committed to your story.
I work from Canada with memoir writers, novelists, children's book authors, and experimental writers from around the world. I am particularly committed to underrepresented voices: BIPOC, Indigenous, queer, disabled, immigrant, and survivor writers whose stories the world needs to read.
I limit the number of projects I take on each year so that nothing gets half of what it deserves.
My poetry, essays, and articles have appeared in publications across Canada, including Descant, Harpweaver, and Pulse Niagara. I am a recipient of the Ontario Arts Council Grant, winner of the Calling All Writers Pulse Niagara Award, and a graduate of Humber College's Advanced Writing Program, where I studied under David Bergen. I hold an MA in International Relations and have taught Writing, Social Justice and the Arts, Issues in Diversity, and Cross-Cultural Communication at Niagara College, where I was nominated as Educator of the Year.
Eating Books: A Collection of Shorts is my debut short story collection — one story is already in development as a short film, and I'll be directing it myself. My full-length novel, Blindspot, is currently under review with publishers across Canada and the United States.
