JC VILLAMERE
Canadian author and developer
BOOKS
Is Canada Even Real? How A Nation Built on Hobos, Beavers, Weirdos, and Hip Hop Convinced the World to ‘Beliebe’
With sharp wit and playful storytelling, Villamere challenges Canadian stereotypes while celebrating the country's charm.
Dundurn Press
Agent: Carolyn Swayze
"One Of The Best Comedy Books Of The Year"
- Vulture
The Spaces and Places of Canadian Popular Culture
An exclusively Canadian textbook, this collection investigates the relationships between identity, geography, and popular culture produced and consumed in this sprawling country.
A Read on Canada Reads
Edited by Victoria Kannen and Neil Shyminsky
Canadian Scholars Press
“Villamere knows her way around a story. Her brilliant writing is fast and funny one moment, sad and serious the next, but always rooted in the familiar, often hilarious, truth of self-discovery.”
— Terry Fallis, best-selling Canadian author and two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour
SELECT PUBLICATIONS
The Toronto Star
“It's the biggest award for humour writing in Canada — and women have only won it six times since 1947. Why the discrepancy?”
- Conducted in-depth historical research
- Collected and analyzed data
- Sourced contact information for 61 sources
- Cold emailed contacts
- Interviewed 16 high-profile authors
“Giant Tiger beat the discount chain odds and became your go-to stop on the way to the cottage.”
- Conducted in-depth business research
- Researched the history of Canadian department stores
- Interviewed sources
- Provided original photos and sourced vintage images
Villamere Magazine: The Lowbrow Magazine of High-End CanLit
"I founded a literary magazine after my residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts, tapping the network of writers I met to serve as contributors.
The magazine was part of a strategic effort to secure book deals, a goal that was realized when my associate editor and I landed deals after just three issues. (Efficient!)
Although the magazine was short-lived, it became a significant platform in the literary scene. I gained attention by being the first to announce Ron Sexsmith's debut novel following an exclusive interview. Additionally, I interviewed CanLit star Allison Pick, discussing her role as a jury member for the Giller Awards.
My role spanned the entire production process: from layout design in Adobe InDesign, crafting ads and illustrations in Photoshop, to distributing print and digital editions. I also designed a dedicated website, shop, and social media presence to enhance our reach.”
ET Canada
Collaborated for 8+ years, creating over 200 entertainment news articles.
- Crafted engaging stories and pitched creative ideas that landed effective features
- Conducted research using Billboard charts, archives, and biographies
- Wrote and edited high-quality articles that met ET Canada's high standards
- Designed eye-catching WordPress galleries and articles
- Optimized content for better search visibility
- Curated images while respecting copyrights
- Managed social media for increased engagement
17 Black Canadians Who Changed The Music Scene
Oscar Peterson’s Most Famous Fans
The 2 Live Crew And 30 Years Of The Parental Advisory Label
The 25 Biggest Moments In Juno Award History
50 Glorious Years Of Juno Awards Fashion
The Life and Times of RuPaul
Gordon Lightfoot: A Look Back At A Canadian National Treasure
A Look Back At Canada’s ‘Royal’ Wedding: Wayne Gretzky And Janet Jones’ Glamorous 1988 Ceremony
Snubbed Stars! The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame’s Biggest Brush-Offs
Top Royal Moments
The 22 Biggest Pop Culture Headlines of The Year
‘Vs.’ At 25: A Track-By-Track Look Back At Pearl Jam’s Record-Setting Second Album
The Most Accurate Grammy Predictions You’ll Read All Day
“Villamere, it seems, could have been a set decorator for filmmaker Wes Anderson, but her real resumé is just as interesting: civil servant, magazine editor at Canadian Living, social media expert, author ...”
— The Hamilton Spectator
SELECT DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION
TESTIMONIALS
"Villamere knows her way around a story. Her brilliant writing is fast and funny one moment, sad and serious the next, but always rooted in the familiar, often hilarious, truth of self-discovery. Start, and you won’t stop.”
— Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Award, 2011 winner of Canada Reads
“Villamere's writing is a literary spritz of the funny, sad and conflicted, with a frankness to give it the bite of hard candy, not forgetting its gooey heart.”
— Dave Bidini, 2011 Canada Reads finalist, National Post columnist, founding member of Rheostatics
“Frisky, light-spirited, uninhibited – dare I say teasing? Villamere extols the virtues of a spirited life; the energetic frolic through career and love that takes courage and smarts and a rich fever in the blood.”
— Michael Winter, winner of the 2008 Writers’ Trust Award, shortlisted for the 2007 Giller Prize
Select Citations
Ruel, Maxime. "The Bizarro Laws Keeping Canada Weird" Medium, September 12, 2018.
Nathan Taylor. “Orillia Festival Helps Keep the Art of Storytelling Alive and Well.” Orillia Matters, July 16, 2018 newspaper.
"The best Canadian books of all time" Ottawa Life, July 1, 2018, magazine.
"The best Canadian books of all time" Kobo, June 26, 2018, website.
Boone, Brian. "The Best Comedy Books of 2017" Vulture/New York, December 25, 2017, magazine
Sinclair, Reyes. “Funny Canadian History” Reading for You, November 30, 2017, website.
Davidson, Dan. "Poking Fun at Some National Icons on Our Birthday" What's Up Yukon, August 30, 2017, magazine.
"Is Canada Even Real?" The Book Trail, June 30, 2017, website.
“Various Artists: Dominionated IV” Dominionated, June 30, 2017, website.
Tennant, Jamie. “Get Lit E31 with J.C. Villamere” 93.3 CFMU-FM, June 22, 2017, radio.
Day, Lisa. "#IsCanadaEvenReal? ET Canada’s J.C. Villamere finds out" Book Talk, May 29, 2017 website.
Dandeneau, Lolly K. "Is Canada Even Real? How a Nation Built on Hobos, Beavers, Weirdos, and Hip-Hop Convinced the World to Beliebe by J.C. Villamere" Book Stalker, May 23, 2017, website.
Brody, Laura. "Is Canada Even Real?" CHCH TV, May 16, 2017, television.
Gray, Charlotte. "Review: Jesse Brown’s The Canadaland Guide to Canada and J.C. Villamere’s Is Canada Even Real?" The Globe & Mail, May 12, 2017, newspaper.
Rockingham, Graham. “Hamilton writer celebrates Canada's 'weirdos’” the Hamilton Spectator, May 10, 2017, newspaper.
Spuckler, Joseph "Book Review — Is Canada Even Real?: How a Nation Built on Hobos, Beavers, Weirdos, and Hip Hop Convinced the World to Beliebe" Evilcyclist's Bookshelf, March 7, 2017, website.
Kathy Renwald, Kathy. “Curating Canadiana" the Hamilton Spectator, August 6, 2015, newspaper.
“People in Publishing.” Masthead, March 3, 2011, magazine.
“Tips From CSME Panel on Building a Successful Blog.” Masthead, February 17, 2011, magazine.
