Mark Leslie Lefebvre

Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author of more than thirty books that include the award-winning humorous urban fantasy Canadian Werewolf series— hailed by readers as “the thinking man’s werewolf”—and his award-nominated ghostly explorations such as Haunted Hospitals and Tomes of Terror. He is also the editor of more than ten anthologies that include titles in the Hugo Award Nominated Pulphouse Fiction Magazine and the Aurora Award-winning Tesseracts series, which showcases the best in Canadian speculative fiction. His work has been translated into French, Italian, and German.

While choosing the shorter and easier-to-spell moniker of Mark Leslie for most of his writing, Mark leverages his full name for work in inspiring, informing, and assisting other authors. Mark’s first short story was published in 1992, the same year he began in the book industry. He is a tireless advocate for libraries, bookstores, and other authors and has held the roles of president of The Canadian Booksellers Association, board member for BookNet Canada, chair of the Professional Advisor Committee for Sheridan College’s Honours Degree in Writing and Publishing, and Director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations for Rakuten, Kobo, Inc. where he launched Kobo Writing Life.

A pioneer in digital publishing, Mark has embraced both traditional and self-publishing routes and continues to look for new ways that technology and innovation can improve the industry for all authors. He has appeared on countless podcasts, television, and radio programs and has spoken on stages across Canada and the United States as well as in England, Germany, France, and Italy.

Mark’s weekly podcast, Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing—launched in January 2018— takes an unflinching look at the reality of the publishing world with a balanced take on the pros and cons of various publishing routes. One of his greatest passions is helping writers navigate the bold new realms and opportunities that continue to unfold as the industry evolves.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre became a Writers of the Future judge in 2024.

“Fantastic fiction has long been considered the herald of possibility. If so, then writers are the pioneering champions of inspiring the world in creative and imaginative ways that can bring form and reality to that raw potential. One of the most significant things we can do as writers is to inspire others to dream well beyond the limits and constraints of our world—to imagine the infinite potency and wonders that lie just on the other side of ‘what if.’ Those whose mission is to seek out and celebrate new imaginative voices, to offer them a platform to launch their words, dreams, and stories, and to provide guidance as they navigate a complex and ever-changing publishing industry are the purveyors of possibility in the finest sense. And that is what Writers of the Future has always been. I am proud and honored to join the prestigious panel of world-class writers, artists and all of the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes in continuing L. Ron Hubbard’s magnificent vision of paying it forward to the creative minds of tomorrow.” —Mark Leslie Lefebvre

Find out more at: markleslie.ca