Her current complete manuscript, tentatively titled “Compassion at the Doom Divine”, is inspired by a historic Filipino witch trial regarding one young woman's rise to power through a deal with the devil. It is a gas-lamp fantasy romance, rich with Southeast Asian folkloric elements, set in the heart of 19th century London during the Jack the Ripper serial killer spree.
She studied English Literature at McGill University with specializations in History, Political Science and Media Communications. Her research delved into fairy tale trope representation in 19th century literature and helped shape her interest in retellings. She has recently earned her Brand Marketing Certificate from the University of Toronto and works as a Senior Content Manager. She's built a #booktok community under @deannajduxburywrites of over 20,000 followers and counting.
Deanna's mother immigrated to Toronto from the Philippines at a young age with her grandmother and three aunts. Ever since she can remember, Deanna's been surrounded by incredibly powerful women and balanced her Canadian culture with her Filipino roots. She's passionate about representing her biracial perspective and writing on how the two sides of her culture affect the way she moves through the world.
Other great loves of her life include: neighbours that allow her to pet their dogs, dim sum on sunday mornings, when a love song plays in any public venue.