Robin Blackburn McBride is a Canadian novelist, poet, and coach. Her first full-length work of fiction, The Shining Fragments (Guernica, 2018), is an Editors’ Choice selection in Historical Novels Review. Her self-help book, Birdlight: Freeing Your Authentic Creativity, became an Amazon Best Seller in 2016 and has since been released on Audible. Robin’s poetry has been published in two anthologies, Making Room: Forty Years of Room Magazine (Caitlin Press, 2017) and Elana Wolff’s Implicate Me: Short Essays on Reading Contemporary Poems (Guernica, 2010), as well as in various Canadian periodicals. In 2002, Guernica published a volume of her poetry, In Green.
Currently, Robin is at work on River of Dreams, a stand-alone novel sequel to The Shining Fragments. In 2022 and ’23, excerpts from the project have appeared as short stories in five North American literary magazines: Voices de la Luna, Flights, The MacGuffin, El Portal, and flo.
For many years Robin worked as an English and Language Arts teacher in Toronto, including two decades at Branksome Hall. Before that, she worked as an actress. Robin holds degrees in English, Drama, and Education from the University of Toronto where she received a Samuel J. Stubbs Award for academic achievement as well as two W. J. McAndrew Awards for Drama (performance), and was a Faculty Scholar with High Distinction. As a devoted learner, when she is not writing, coaching, and delivering her own workshops, Robin continues to hone her craft through ongoing mentorship and professional trainings.
Robin has a lifelong passion for the arts, local history, and intergenerational family stories. She’s a lover of long walks in the woods, and an active supporter of social justice and environmental protection—in particular, the preservation of old-growth forests.
In addition to writing, Robin serves as a professional life coach specializing in transformation and creative fulfillment.
Robin lives with her husband, Hugh, and their black cat, Poe, in Gatineau, Quebec.
Books
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Gripping historical fiction, inspirational self-help, and poetry that intrigues and enchants. Order books and read excerpts.
Author Presentation & Speaking
Book club visits, author readings, and dynamic workshops and talks on the creative process—from the power of vision to overcoming obstacles in service of your dream.
Personal Coaching
Seeking to ignite your creativity and transform your results?
Learn more about Robin’s professional coaching offerings and the benefits of having an experienced mentor in your corner.