Rayanne Haines (she/her) is a Canadian writer, educator, cultural producer, and thought leader who focuses on intersectional grief practices, women's and queer narratives, mental health, and intergenerational trauma.

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Her current research investigates intersectional non-institutionalized death-related coping strategies and the effects of artistic and individual expression on grief ceremonies. Her study of intersectionality in artistic practice informs her understanding of how leadership and beliefs are shaping Canadian arts organizations. A central theme in her writing and research is the exploration of mental health and the impact of trauma passed down through generations.

 

As an award-winning poet, Haines champions poetry as an accessible art form that enables vulnerable storytelling and fosters community engagement. She believes it is the poet's job to "question, to seek answers, to share experiences".​

 

Rayanne has penned five poetry collections - The Stories in My Skin (2013), Stained with the Colours of Sunday Morning (Inanna, 2017), Tell The Birds Your Body Is Not A Gun (Frontenac, 2021) which won the 2022 Stephan G. Stephansson, Alberta Literary Award for Poetry as well as being shortlisted for both the Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry, and the National ReLit Award for Poetry, What Kind of Daughter? (Frontenac 2024) shortlisted for the 2025 Stephan G. Stephansson Award and a collaborative epistolary chapbook, Sincerely, Sincerely (Agatha Press, written with Carolyne Van Der Meer).  Her essay, This is Normal, published in Impact: Women Writing After Concussion (UofA Press), was shortlisted for the John Whyte Memorial Essay Alberta Literary Award. She is a 2019 recipient of the Edmonton Artist Trust Fund Award.

 

Rayanne Haines’s writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Grain Magazine, Minola Review, Fiddlehead, Prairie Fire, Impact: The Lives of Women After Concussion Anthology, Voicing Suicide Anthology, The Selkie Resiliency Anthology, Freefall, and Funicular, among others.

 

A previous Writer in Residence for the Metro Edmonton Federation of Libraries, Rayanne is currently an Assistant Professor in the Arts and Cultural Management Program at MacEwan University and serves as the president of the League of Canadian Poets. In her 20+ years in the arts sector, Rayanne has held various leadership and mentorship roles, including those with The Banff Centre for the Arts, The Writers Guild of Alberta, The Edmonton Arts Council, The Edmonton Region Federation of Libraries, Stony Plain Records, and The Edmonton Poetry Festival.

 

Rayanne holds a Master of Arts Degree in Arts, Festival and Cultural Management from Queen Margaret University.