Who are we?
Here are some of the folks who bring you the Draft reading series …
Hardish K. Dhaliwal (treasurer) is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and has worked for accounting firms, international charities and NGOs, the public sector, and most recently as a Citizenship Judge. Home is Toronto, but her work has taken her everywhere from Bangladesh to Zimbabwe, reading local authors along the way. Hardish has been writing on and off for most of her life, and is currently querying her first novel, and is busy writing a second
Ron Edding (designer) was born in Montreal. He was educated at Dawson College, Concordia University and the University of Western Ontario. Ron has exhibited artwork and presented performances in Canada, England, Chile, Serbia and Mexico. Along with a lifelong individual art practice, Ron has always had strong collaborative relationships with other artists and writers. His latest collaborative venture is in the area of graphic novels. For over a decade, Ron has been involved, at a variety of levels (from board room to bake sales) in Toronto’s lively world of artist run culture. His work with the Draft Collective is the latest example.
Huria Jalalzai (promotions). After a decade in policy making, I’ve decided to follow my true passions: social work, writing, and plant medicines for mental wellness. Now, I’m diving into the world of emerging authors and learning the ropes of storytelling and promotion. If you want a sneak peek, ask about my draft manuscripts (they’re stashed next to my secret supply of Costco’s Lacey’s cookies, hidden from my four kids). Whether it’s stories, social work, or wellness, I’m all in—and loving the ride.
Maria Meindl (cook and bottle-washer) is the author of The Work (Stonehouse) and Outside the Box (McGill Queen’s). Her essays have appeared in numerous anthologies and periodicals including The Literary Review of Canada, Descant, The New Quarterly and The Temz Review. She teaches movement classes in downtown Toronto and presents a series of lecture/discussions called The Work: Straight Talk on Craft and Method on the history of wellness, fitness and performer-training methods. This also includes @work, a series of podcast interviews with present-day artists on questions of method and craft.
Rolf Meindl (technical whizz) was raised in rural Nova Scotia and has lived and worked in downtown Toronto for the last 30 years. He works in the IT field for Diabetes Canada and has a background in Programming, Project Management, Urban Planning and Cartography. Previously he has spent time in Europe, South East Asia, Australia and the Middle East. You will usually find him cruising the streets of Toronto on his bike, sailing in the outer harbour on a Laser or in studious concentration over a Go Board.