About Argelia E. Mann
My Writing Journey
Like so many neurodivergent writers, my journey began with a deep love for the Warrior Cats series. I was a voracious reader during childhood, which quickly spiralled into the discovery of collaborative storytelling through written roleplaying.
At age 10, I learned about a certain 50,000-word November writing event, which led to some of my earliest attempts at creating my own works, as well as my first attempts at non-animal protagonists. Although those pieces will (thankfully!) never see the light of day, my passion for wordsmithing continued to smoulder throughout the remainder of my school and college years, including when I took a creative turn to focus on graphic design and illustration.
I’ve always been drawn to the unexpected. I love taking the typically ‘beautiful’ and finding its cracks, scuffs, and blemishes as much as I love to find the charm in what others might consider ‘grotesque’. As a writer, I want to give readers a new perspective on what might otherwise be mundane.
I am a speculative fiction writer who hopes to bring magic and representation to my works. As someone at the intersection of multiple historically marginalized identities, I know how hard it can be to see yourself in the media. My stories centre characters who feel real; they are usually messy, neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, Latine, or any combination of those things, because those are the stories I need, too! I want you, the reader, to know there are writers like me who see you.
Looking for Argelia’s professional bio? Click here!
Personal Life
As a Salvadoran-Canadian, I attended a bilingual English-Spanish program from kindergarten to grade eight, which left me in the interesting position to learn that math is much harder when it’s suddenly taught in another language, even if that language is your dominant one (English). Mild academic blunders aside, I went on to attend a self-directed learning program where I self-paced my learning and graduated at the ripe age of 16, even after watching all of Prison Break and Dexter during academic hours (sorry, teachers!)
From there, I took a Digital Arts and New Media program, and one of my pieces was selected for an exhibition at the Kootenay Gallery of Art. During this time, an incredibly chatty tabby by the name of Napoleon entered my life.
All of that is to say, the loves of my life can be broken into a few categories: language, writing, art, and the precious creatures I get to share my bed with (partner included). I’m currently the tolerated roommate of a very hairless sphynx named Impy Grimm, a Mexican Black Kingsnake called Nox, and a sassy beta fish named Ira who judges me from my desk when I get distracted.
Follow @argelitamann
For writing updates and cat photos, all in the same place!
Professional Bios
Argelia is represented by Ciara Smith at Spencerhill Associates.
50-word bio: Argelia (arr-hey-lee-ah) is a Salvadoran-Canadian who draws from her culture when writing atmospheric, speculative fiction. Nestled in the mountains in small-town BC, she can be found with a cat on her shoulder and a coffee in hand. Like so many of her characters, she is ND and LGBTQ+.
100-word bio: By day, Argelia (arr-hey-lee-ah) is a psychology student at La Universidad Tecnológica de México, a graphic designer, and a medical assistant at a neurodiversity-affirming clinic. She is a Salvadoran-Canadian who drew from her direct Pipil ancestry when crafting TO BECOME THE MOON, and she pulls from her Latin heritage when creating atmospheric, speculative fiction. Nestled in the mountains in small-town BC, she can be found with a cat on her shoulder and a coffee in hand. Like so many of the characters in her stories, she is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ and ND communities.
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