Originally from Texas, Karen Lee Pickett moved from New York to Victoria in 2003, and began Fernwood Writers Workshop in 2008. Karen was a member of the Amherst Writers & Artists group Manhattan Writers for a number of years, and is so proud of what Aaron has done with the place! (www.nywc.org) She received her MFA in playwriting at the University of Victoria, and has led writing workshops for the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Center, South Park Family School, Intrepid Theatre, and Island Community Mental Health.
Her play I Thee Wed, produced by On the Lam Productions, has been performed at the Toronto Fringe, Vancouver Fringe, Victoria Fringe (where it was chosen as Best New Play by Fringe audiences) and the Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival. The Cursed Cabaret of Kelowna Day Taylor, a musical she co-wrote with Brooke Maxwell (Ride the Cyclone), received its premiere at Craigdarroch Castle in 2010. Her site-specific audio play, Static, was part of Intrepid Theatre's Press>Play project in celebration of Victoria's 150. Her one-person play Slick premiered at Intrepid Theatre's Uno Festival in May 2015. Karen is certified as an Amherst Writers & Artists workshop leader, teaches in SD61 and SD79, and lives on beautiful Vancouver Island.