Annik Babinski

Annik Babinski was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada. In her gap-year between high school and college, she volunteered with a Canadian government program called Katimavik. This was where Annik first helped children learn to read and solidified her belief that reading and writing skills are great democratic equalizers.

Annik graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, with a degree in English and Communications. During college, Annik worked in the strategy department at marketing agency SID LEE. Following graduation, she moved to Wasanipi, a Cree village in northern Quebec, where she taught high school and directed after-school media programming. Annik helped the students found their high school radio show, newspaper, and photography club.

Annik moved to Miami in 2012 as a John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Fellow in Poetry at Florida International University’s Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts program. As a graduate student, she taught high school and college writing classes, and created programming for O, Miami Poetry Festival and the Wolfsonian Museum in South Beach. Annik worked as a journalist, technical writer, and freelance communications consultant following graduation.

In her spare time, Annik likes to read and spend time outdoors. She lives in Miami with her husband, Michael, and their cat, Tina.