
Shannon Cowan
Shannon Cowan was Eartheasy's editor for over a decade. She is a published novelist — her young-adult novel Tin Angel was a finalist for the Geoffrey Bilson Award — and gardens six acres on Vancouver Island.
- Role
- Editor, 2013–2024
- Articles
- 115
- Where
- Six acres, Vancouver Island
- Books published
- Four, since 2000
Shannon Cowan came to Eartheasy as a writer and stayed as its editor, planning and commissioning the site's content for more than a decade. Before that, she was a novelist.
Her debut, Leaving Winter, was published by Oolichan Books in 2000 and reached the BC bestseller list. Tin Angel, a young-adult novel set in British Columbia in 1969, followed from Lobster Press in 2007 and was named a finalist for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People. She co-wrote Hiking Vancouver Island for Falcon Guides and co-edited Double Lives: Writing and Motherhood for McGill-Queen's University Press.
Away from the desk she hikes, paddles, plays the fiddle, and has a weakness for vintage typewriters and letterpress printing.
Six acres, two families, one piece of land
She works six acres of alder bottom on Vancouver Island with her husband and daughters, sharing the land with a second household — two families turning semi-rural brush into a working farm.
There is a poultry flock, an orchard, and a mixed ornamental and edible garden.
Credentials and education
- Master's in Creative Writing University of British Columbia
- Art degree University of Guelph
- Writing Studio, 1998 The Banff Centre
Books and recognition
- Leaving Winter — novel Oolichan Books, 2000 · ISBN 9780889821866 · BC bestseller list
- Hiking Vancouver Island Falcon Guides / Globe Pequot, 2003, with Lissa Cowan · ISBN 9780762723508
- Tin Angel — young-adult novel Lobster Press, 2007 · ISBN 9781897073681 · set in British Columbia in 1969
- Double Lives: Writing and Motherhood McGill-Queen's University Press, 2008, co-editor · ISBN 9780773533776
- Finalist, Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People 2008, for Tin Angel
- Eden Mills Literary Prize, 2002 · Norma Epstein Award, 2002 · CBC Literary Competition shortlist, 2002
- Tin Angel — Quill & Quire Best Books of the Year, starred review Also rated Highly Recommended in CM: Canadian Review of Materials
- Editorial Coordinator, youngpoets.ca A project of the League of Canadian Poets
Articles by Shannon Cowan
The 9 most recent.

5 Ways to Use Your Greenhouse This Fall

6 Fall Garden Projects You Can Do Right Now

How to Grow Your Own Garlic

15 Camping Food Ideas to Simplify Mealtimes

Debunking 10 Common Garden Soil Myths

10 Pergola Ideas to Elevate Your Backyard Patio

Expert Tips on Growing Cut Flowers from Lisa Mason Ziegler

The Easiest Way to Start Composting Now

12 Trellis-Perfect Plants for Small Gardens

Fall is the Best Time to Plant Your Eco-Lawn

How to Save Seed From Your Garden

10 Fall Tasks for Raised Garden Beds

10 Ways to Maximize Storage in Your Garden Shed And Keep It Organized

How to Make the Healthiest School Lunches (+Recipes)

Winter Gardening: Best Crops to Extend Your Harvest

7 Mid-Season Tasks to Keep Your Garden Growing

7 Tips for Creating a Backyard Sanctuary

Housing Your Backyard Chickens

What Keeps Mosquitoes Away? Controls That Actually Work

How to Grow Sprouts at Home

5 Tips for Growing Early Spring Greens

Top Zero Waste Gift Ideas for Every Budget

Eco Friendly Gifts for Everyone on Your List















