Marilyn Gear Pilling is the author of five books of stories and poetry. Her short fiction and her poetry have wonand been shortlisted for many national literary magazine awards. Her work has been in the finals for both the CBC literary competition and the Western Magazine Awards, and her poetry has been broadcast on CBC radio. Her latest book of fiction, The Roseate Spoonbill of Happiness, was shortlisted, along with Alice Munro s2002 story collection, for the $10,000 Upper CanadaWriters Craft Award.