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~ Chery Antao-Xavier ~

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Cheryl Antao-Xavier began writing poems and publishing them in student magazines. She has a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and studied Urdu literature till high school. Her love for poetry and the English classics endured. So did working with the written word. She went to Ryerson to hone skills in writing, editing, and publishing. In 2008, a propitious melding of her publishing, editing, and creative writing experience came together when she set up In Our Words Inc. to publish literary books. IOWI's first title was her own collection of poems Dance of the Peacock. In 2010 came her second book of poems Bruised but Unbroken, and in 2014, a children's book Welcome to Maple Woods.

In 2014, she set up a non-profit company 'RISE Up! Rise ABOVE!' with the aim of 'Empowerment through Creativity.' Through creative programs that use poetry, storytelling, drama, art, music, and dance individuals are encouraged to rise above negative experiences to reclaim their power and revive their spirit.

Web Presence::
- Webpage: www.inourwords.ca/cheryl-xavier-curriculum-vitae-literary.html
- Blog: riseupriseabove.com
- Publishing company: inourwords.ca
- Non-profit organization: riseupriseabove.ca

Published Work:
- 2008 Dance of the Peacock-poems.
- 2011 Bruised But Unbroken-poems.
- 2014 Life in Maple Woods-children's story.
- 2014 RISE Up! Rise ABOVE!-anti-bullying long poem.

Selected Anthologies:
- 1991 Published one poem in New Canadian Review.
- 1992 Published poems in CONTACT, magazine of the Canorient, Toronto.
- 2008 Published poems in Arborealis, The Ontario Poetry Society.
- 2009 Published poems in Frost & Foliage, The Ontario Poetry Society.
- 2012 Published poems in Canadian Imprints, Writers and Editors Network anthology.
- 2013 Published poems and a play in IOWI anthology The Courtneypark Connection.
- 2014 Published poems and a short story in IOWI's The Literary Connection Volume I.
- 2014 Published poems in Wordfest, an anthology by the Mississauga Writers Group.
- 2015 Poems and a short story in IOWI's The Literary Connection Volume II.

Memberships:
- PEN Canada
- Amnesty International
- The Writer's Union of Canada
- League of Canadian Poets
- The Ontario Poetry Society, Mississauga Branch Manager
- Thera-Poetry Workshops-(joint Ru!Ra! and TOPS venture)-Founder and Chair
- Chapter & Verse (free online Canadian literary forum)-Co-founder and Literary Editor
- Mississauga Arts Council
- Friends of the Mississauga Library
- The Canadian Federation of Poets-former National Coordinator and Chair, Peel Region Branch Courtneypark Literary Circle-Founder and Chair
- Streetsville Literary Circle-Founder and Chair

Companies:
- Publisher, In Our Words Inc. (inourwords.ca)
- Founder and Executive Director, RISE Up! Rise ABOVE! (riseupriseabove.ca)

Contact information:
email: Cheryl
address: 83 Bremen Lane, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 1G7
phone: 647-637-5222