Alexandra Vanik is a Canadian writer who resides in Astoria, New York with her husband, rescue cat, and FaceTime presence of her ballerina daughter. A logophile, Alex admits to hiding in the bathroom as a kid to read the dictionary; falling in love with the sounds of words. Possessing a perpetually evolving mind and commitment to writing, these traits have helped prioritize a disciplined practice alongside her caregiving responsibilities for family and neighbors that span three generations. Her dedication to nurturing extends to the characters she creates. Of her three college degrees, Alexandra insists that it wasn’t the two in English/English Literature that taught her to write, but her Film degree.
Passionate about teaching literacy to young children and exposing them to the joy of learning, she devised an Art History syllabus that incorporates paralleling art projects for primary school students. She also created a curriculum for young, marginalized filmmakers exposing them to the lexicon of documentary with the hopes for empowerment.
A 2023 Vermont Studio Center Fellow; it afforded her time to work on her first novel. Kleos is a story honoring her parents who were born and raised in Cairo, Egypt – but with honey bees that do some really weird stuff. She is excited to finish this project so that she can begin the four other novels she has floating around in her brain. Like Kleos, they all straddle the realm of magical realism. Alexandra feels blessed that she is fulfilling her childhood fantasies of living in NYC, not unlike the characters From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Harriet the Spy. (Though she insists that she doesn’t intentionally spy on her neighbors or squat in museums at night. ) Alexandra loves spending time and is proud of the micro-ecosystem she has created in her little city garden. It is an oasis for birds, butterflies, bees, and a smattering of mythical creatures such as gnomes, fairies, and pixies – which she knows to be real.