Elizabeth Abbott

Elizabeth Abbott is a writer and historian with a special interest in women’s issues, the lives of animals and the environment. Her books have been translated into 16 languages, and include the best-selling A History of Celibacy, A History of Mistresses and A History of Marriage. In 1991, Abbott’s article “Haiti: Where Rivers Run Brown” won a National Magazine Award for Environmental Writing. Her book, Sugar: A Bittersweet History, was short-listed for the 2009 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction.

Abbott, who has a McGill University PhD, is a Research Associate at Trinity College, University of Toronto. She coordinated Mt.Sinai Hospital’s pet therapy program and served as Vice-President of a local historical society. She volunteers as a local Book Drive Coordinator and for Tafelmusik. She is a proud mother and grandmother and lives with several rescued dogs and cats.