Ed Smith began his writing career with his humour column, which first appeared in 1983 and has been running continuously since in several papers and one monthly magazine. Five collections of those columns have been published, as well as three non-fiction books. His books, articles, and columns have won the Newfoundland and Labrador non-fiction award for 2002, the international Gabriel award, and the Canadian Nurses Association award. He has been recognized by the Atlantic Community Newspapers Association. In 1998 he became quadriplegic as a result of a car accident but has been able to continue writing with the help of a voice-activated computer program. He lives in Springdale, NL, with his wife, Marion. The Smiths have four children and seven grandchildren.