Valerie Mansour

photo by Riley Smith

I have worked as a journalist, writer, editor, and researcher for over 35 years. I have presented writing workshops, done personal coaching, and public presentations from storytelling, to speeches, to book readings. In recent years, I have focused on editing, writing about food, and researching documentary television shows and film series.

I am editor of Nova Scotia Cookery, Then and Now, released by Nimbus Publishing in November 2017. It features a historic recipe collection from the Nova Scotia Archives with modern interpretations provided by Nova Scotia chefs. I worked on the book concept, helped to choose the recipes, edited them, wrote the introduction and chapter introductions, and interviewed the chefs.

Reviews

Videos

Chit Chat Chop with Chef Ben Kelly of Kitchen Door Catering, Nov. 15, 2017

I write profiles for Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) of the many fascinating immigrants and refugees who now call Nova Scotia home. These stories appear in ISANS’ publications and on their website.

I have worked for several Nova Scotia film companies as a content and visual researcher, most often for Tell Tale Productions and Ruby Tree Films of Halifax. More information on my film work is under “television and film writer and researcher.”

I was a regular contributor of food features for East Coast Living magazine and cookbook reviews for Atlantic Books Today.

VOLUNTEER WORK

Open Harbour Refugee Association is a community group of about 25 people who work together to welcome and help settle new arrivals in Nova Scotia. We sponsored a Kurdish Syrian family of four (now five) who arrived from Turkey in February 2016. The next year we sponsored a single man from Eritrea. In November 2018 we welcomed another Kurdish Syrian family of four, who lived as refugees in Turkey. We are responsible for their social and economic support for their first year in Canada— everything from finding and furnishing an apartment, to organizing language training, to social opportunities.

Editors Canada – I am a long-time member of Editors Canada and I was on the organizing committee for the 40th anniversary national conference from June 7 to 9, 2019, in Halifax. We last hosted in Halifax in 2013.