Born in London,
England. Graduated with a degree in Social Work from Birmingham
University. Emigrated to Canada and brought her family (Beverly Deutsch, a graphic
artist and Adam Deutsch, a computer systems analyst) up in Toronto. Worked as a
psychotherapist specializing in early childhood traumas. Remarried to the sculptor,
Elias Wakan, and travelled extensively including living two years in Japan.
With Elias had a small publishing house, Pacific-Rim Publishers, that published
educational books which Naomi wrote and illustrated. She and her husband moved
to Gabriola in 1996 and opened a studio, Drumbeg House Studio, where Elias
makes wood sculpture and Naomi paints, writes and does fabric art. During this period
Naomi has moved from writing books geared to children to books for an adult market.
her essays and poetry have appeared in Resurgence, Geist, Room of One's Own, Kansai
Time Out, Far East Journal and many other magazines and web-sites. She has read her
writings on CBC and in poetry venues. She is also a member of Haiku Canada, The League of
Canadian Poets and is on the board of Poetry Gabriola.
Recent works
Segues, a book of poetry, Wolsak and Wynn, Spring, 2005.
Writing, a book of poetry focused on reading and writing Naomi Wakan, Spring, 2005.
Late Bloomer - on writing later in life, Wolsak and Wynn, Fall, 2006.
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Naomi Wakan
Biography
