John Bell is a Lunenburg-based author and editor specializing in Canadian history, literature, and popular culture. Among his books are Invaders from the North: How Canada Conquered the Comic Book Universe (2006) and Rebels on the Great Lakes: Confederate Commando Operations Launched from Canada, 1863-1864 (2011).
As a freelance writer, John has contributed to The Literary Review of Canada, Event, This Magazine, Maisonneuve, and many other Canadian and American periodicals. As well, his work has appeared in The Canadian Encyclopedia and more than two dozen anthologies and collections, including Nova Scotia: Visions of the Future (2009) and Salt Lines (2012).
John has also had considerable experience as an editor, having served on the editorial boards of such magazines as Borealis, Arc, Archivaria, and The Griffin. Moreover, he has edited ten anthologies and collections, including Halifax: A Literary Portrait (1990) and Against the Raging Sea: Stories from the Golden Age (2002).
In addition, John has served as the senior curator and editor of several major exhibitions and websites for the National Library and the National Archives. These include Guardians of the North: The National Superhero in Canadian Comic-Book Art, First Among Equals: The Prime Minister in Canadian Life and Politics, and A Real Companion and Friend: The Diary of William Lyon Mackenzie King.
John’s editorial skills run the gamut from basic proofreading and copyediting to more demanding stylistic and structural editing. He has also managed several large-scale writing and research projects. As well, John is an experienced researcher, having worked as a senior archivist at the National Archives for nearly thirty years. Furthermore, he has prepared several detailed book indexes.
For more information, see the following webpages:
http://writers.ns.ca/members/profile/28
http://www.pottersfieldpress.com/authors/bellj.html
http://www.dundurn.com/authors/john_bell