Masthead
Editor-in-Chief
Ruby Harris
Ruby (she/her) is a third-year Writing and Political Science student who writes fiction, poetry, and everything in between. Her work has been recognized by UVic’s On the Verge Writing Contest, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and Columbia College Chicago’s Young Authors Writing Competition. She is the Senior Staff Editor at the Martlet and is excited to serve as This Side of West’s Editor-in-Chief this year. When she’s not writing or reading, she’s likely exploring the outdoors, rewatching Harry Potter or Marvel movies, or crushing her opponents at foosball.
Managing Editor
Eden Conti
Eden (she/her) is a third-year writing student, originally from the U.S., with a focus in journalism and an intense love for poetry. Her nonfiction has been published in the Island Writer, and she is currently a Senior Staff Writer with the independent newspaper, the Martlet. Fascinated by the everyday, Eden seeks to uplift joy and connection in her writing.
Director of Social Media
Renia Sembrat
Renia (she/her) is a second-year student at UVic studying Writing and Music. Her works, primarily fiction and poetry, often center around nature, identity, and the human condition. In her spare time, Renia is most likely to be found either sitting in front of her computer gaming, searching for seaglass at the beach, or indulging in one of her many (many, many) creative pursuits.
Director of Visual Art
Noor Chaudhry
Noor (she/her) was born and raised in Victoria, B.C., and is a third-year UVic student studying Psychology and Computer Science. When she’s not consumed by her homework, she can be found skateboarding down Dallas Road or holed up in her room, writing across many different genres. After graduation, she hopes to become an author while also working in the field of artificial intelligence.
Fiction Editor
Mya Doerksen
Mya (any pronouns) grew up in Kimberley BC on the unceded territory of the Ktunaxa nation and is currently a second-year writing student at UVIC. She enjoys writing about fantastical worlds and surreal experiences, highlighting the complexity of identity and humanity where possible. In her spare time, Mya is passionate about musical theatre, photography, and D&D.
Fiction Editor
Maeve Rose
Maeve (she/her) escaped the winters of Ottawa to study writing at UVIC, with a focus on fiction. She has been a speaker at Ottawa’s Capital Pride festival and helped to found her high school’s first Writing Club alongside the Writers Collective of Canada. In her spare time she enjoys yoga, Agatha Christie novels, and spending far too much money on bubble tea.
CNF Editor
Abby Bidwell
Abby (she/her), born and raised in Victoria, B.C., is a fourth-year student, majoring in writing and minoring in professional communications. Currently, she is writing her first novel, but her past experience includes having written articles for the Nexus Newspaper and the Martlet. Her work often discusses women’s experiences, mental health, and grief. She is thrilled to be a Creative Non-Fiction Editor at This Side of West.
CNF Editor
Megan Fryatt
Megan (she/her) is originally from Bournemouth, England and is currently completing a double major in gender studies and writing. Her writing often incorporates a mixture of poetry and creative non-fiction, discovering the depth of human nature and the complexities of emotion. In her spare time she can be found lying in a sun puddle, hiding amongst her (far too many) books at home, or obsessing over the health of her house plants.
Poetry Editor
Kit-xgwélemc Kennedy
Kit-xgwélemc (he/him) is a stuxtéws secwepemc poet studying English & Writing at the University of Victoria. His poetry has been published in The Fellowship of the Unmoored, This Side of West, and duise. He was a recipient of the 2025 Norma Epstein Writing Award, and a BC Arts Council scholarship. He is currently working as Poetry Editor at This Side of West.
Drama Editor
Lloyd Davis
Lloyd is primarily a playwright but also writes short fiction. He has worked in theatre tech with The Banff Center and at Cirque du Soleil’s Montreal headquarters. His work has been published in Absolute Underground and he proudly serves as a Drama Editor for This Side of West.
Drama Editor
Alex Da Matta
Alex (he/him) is a fourth-year creative writing student at UVic. His multiracial background played a major role in producing his first published work, which was honoured in the On the Verge Writing Contest. Pursuing a career in screenwriting, Alex’s goal is to write for a lifetime, storytelling in the mediums of film, television, and interactive narrative.
Drama Editor
Charley Tepper
Charley (she/her) is a fourth year student, majoring in screenwriting with a minor in film studies, while dabbling in playwriting when she has the time. Her work often explores human connections and various relationship types through a weird and slightly off-putting lens. When she’s not putting more nonsense into the world, Charley is usually drawing little characters in her notes or watching any movie ever.
Intern
Ben Anderson
Ben (he/him) is a first year UVic Writing student from Kelowna, BC. He mainly focuses on playwriting, and is a 2x finalist for the ABCDE Youthwright competitions for his short plays ‘We Close At Nine’ and ‘The Rhino.’ In addition to writing, Ben is also an actor, and has worked with New Vintage Theatre in Kelowna. Ben can be frequently seen using one of the microwaves at the Mystic Market, having a preference toward the grey microwave with the fancy dial.
Intern
Coen Cael Tucker
Coen (any pronouns) grew up in Calgary, Alberta and is currently a first-year undergraduate in the writing program at UVIC. His writing, primarily in the medium of poetry and fiction, centres often in themes of identity, contemporary threats to artistic expression, and queer reflections in the context of spirituality. When not in these creative pursuits, Coen can be caught exploring the city atop a bicycle, brewing a second pot of coffee for the day, or swaying in the crowd of a hardcore show.
Intern
Olivia Orlewicz
Olivia (she/her) is a first-year writing student with a passion for fiction and film. Her writing often focuses on the complexities of being human, seeking to make sense of suffering and struggle. When she isn’t writing or painting, she can be found in the gym, playing guitar on the beach, or catching up on sitcoms.
