Writer
Writing is Sharon’s first love. She published her first poem in the community newspaper kids’ section before she was 10, then cultivated her literary curiosity in fiction and poetry through her teenage years and into early adulthood, when her focus on theatre prompted her to make the jump to writing plays. She has had four plays produced since 2008, most recently Dayboil, which premiered at Ship’s Company Theatre in Parrsboro, NS in July 2022. She also has two plays in development and looks forward to seeing them on stage in the next few years. Judith Thompson called her script Factory Girls “a brilliant piece of feminist drama.” Since 2016, Sharon has also been working as a dramaturge, supporting other creators with their works in development.
After a long hiatus, Sharon returned to writing for the page while working toward her MA English. Since 2018, her non-fiction and poetry have appeared in Riddle Fence, her non-fiction has appeared in WORD, and her first collection of poetry, This Is How It Is, was published by Breakwater Books. Sharon was long-listed for the CBC Poetry Prize in 2020 and is a three-time winner of the Arts & Letters Awards in fiction, dramatic script, and poetry.
Praise for This Is How It Is
“From the first line of Sharon King-Campbell’s This Is How It Is, I felt immediately comforted. Not because these poems are warm and fuzzy – though some of them certainly are! – but because these are poems that are unapologetically Atlantic Canadian. Even though King-Campbell’s collection traverses the world, it is centred with these roots in Atlantic Canada.”
—Alison Manley, The Miramichi Reader
“This is a book about journey, touching on different kinds of travel. Across the globe, through perspective, and into the past. The words have traction, trekking in various realms, where King-Campbell guides us through how it is.”
—Joan Sullivan, The Telegram
“Sharon King-Campbell writes with such apparent ease. […] Her poetry catches the imagination, catches my breath, and catches pieces of life spanning from Newfoundland, to Thailand, to New Zealand and back again. […] I have found a new favourite poet.”
—more.books.than.days
“Sharon King-Campbell’s use of language is exquisite! […] pure lyrical inventiveness.”
—bookalong
“Evocative and introspective, a perfect summer read for fellow poetry-lovers.”
—saltpagesnl