Cameron A. Straughan is an award-winning writer. He was born in a small, conservative lake-side town whose motto was “don’t change anything” and its social machinations - and their impact upon him - would not be out of place in any given Morrissey lyric. A loner by nature, his endless hours spent fishing and exploring the local woods and waterways led him to a career as a fisheries biologist.

His career led him across Canada and down into New York – where he provided outdoor education for at-risk-youth. He slowly became more interested in the social and cultural aspects of science – in particular science communication. This led him to pursue two additional degrees - a Master of Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Education. For his Master’s Degree, he made a documentary on Algonquin Park wolves. As a teacher, he taught secondary science and biology, and primary school, for 12 years in England. He now works as a STEM teacher in a Northern Ontario First Nations school.

While working in England, and markedly late in life, a lifelong mystery was solved. After decades of not knowing why he was ‘different’ and didn't seem to fit in, it was a mainly positive experience which he is still adapting to. On the positive side, it has gifted him with a vivid imagination, unique perspectives, distinctive sense of humour and an absurd view of life, which he freely expresses in his award-winning writing. His vivid dreams, fascination with surrealism, love of photography and film-making, and professional experience with both scientific and technical writing helped develop his unique, clean, matter-of-fact visual style – where the commonplace is juxtaposed with the fantastic.

His blog, “Trapped on a Rock Floating in Space”, is a perfect encapsulation of his view of life and his desire to reach out and share ideas with similar-minded individuals. The blog’s tagline sums him up well: “The singular adventures of a lone traveller drifting through time, searching for peace, comfort and meaning.”