Carol Shaben

At 42 I left a corporate career to pursue my passion: telling stories of often individuals who, through their courage, heroism and conviction, make positive change and in doing so, deeply move and inspire us to be our best selves. My first book, "Into the Abyss", sold to Random House Canada within two hours and has since become a national bestseller. Available in 70 countries, through publishing contracts with the United States, the UK and Commonwealth, Brazil, Spain and the Spanish-speaking world, the book has won a national non-fiction award and also been optioned for film. My most recent book, "The Marriott Cell", co-written with award-winning Egyptian-Canadian journalist, Mohamed Fahmy, was published by Random House Canada, November 15, 2016, selected as one of the Globe & Mail's 100 Best Books of the Year and shortlisted for the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. Having worked as a journalist, I feel that if we pay close attention to the individuals and events that intersect our lives, they can teach us all we need to know about creating a better world; one without racism, poverty, violence, oppression or environmental degradation. Finally, I consider myself a humanist—someone who strives to live an ethical life guided by reason, inspired by compassion and informed by knowledge and experience. The writing and creative projects I undertake are driven by this philosophy and by my deep commitment to employ the essential art of storytelling to inspire others to change the world.