Metis/Ojibway playwright and author Ian Ross was born in McCreary, Manitoba in 1968 and currently lives in Winnipeg. He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Theatre. Ross's plays include the Governor General's Literary Award winner fareWel (Scirocco Drama 1998,) which was produced across Canada and at the Edinburgh Festival, The Gap (Scirocco Drama, 2000,) Bereav'd of Light (Scirocco Drama, 2005,) Heart of a Distant Tribe, and An Illustrated History of the Anishinabe. Ross has written for theatre, film, and television, and is well-known for his radio character "Joe from Winnipeg." Ian Ross has been awarded the John Hirsch Award (1996), the Governor General's Literary Award for Drama (1997), and the James Buller Award (1999).