Ed Kavanagh grew up in Kilbride, Newfoundland and Labrador. He received an Honours B.A. in English and a B. Ed from Memorial University of Newfoundland, a B.A. in Music from Carleton University, and an M.A. in English and Creative Writing from the University of New Brunswick. He has worked as a writer, actor, musician, theatre director, university lecturer, and editor. His stories, essays, dramatic scripts, and poetry have earned 15 awards in the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Competition. Ed has taught creative writing through the extension services of both Memorial University and the University of New Brunswick. He is a past president of the Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Ed is the author of the Amanda Greenleaf series of children’s books. Amanda Greenleaf: The Complete Adventures, a finalist for the NL Book Award for Children’s Literature, includes the three previously published Amanda Greenleaf stories, plus the never-before published fourth and final installment, The Journey Home. Ed has also published The Cat’s Meow: The ‘Longside Players Selected Plays 1984-1989 (co-author and editor), and released a cassette tape of his children’s songs: Alison Gross and Other Wickedly Wonderful Songs (this is now available on CD). In 2001, Killick Press published his first adult novel, The Confessions of Nipper Mooney, which won the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award for Fiction, was a finalist for the Winterset Award, and was also nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Ed has released three Celtic harp CDs: On Strings of Light: Christmas Melodies Performed on Celtic Harp; One Star Awake; and Weaving the Wind. Ed’s most recent book is the short story collection Strays, which was shortlisted for the NL Book Award for Fiction and the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award.
Since the publication of his first book in 1986, Ed Kavanagh has travelled widely, visiting many schools and libraries. As a musician, harper, and writer of children's songs, he adds variety to his visits with musical selections on guitar and Celtic harp.
He has performed extensively throughout Newfoundland and Labrador as well as
in Nova Scotia, New Zealand, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Ireland.