About Christene Browne

Christene Browne, born in St. Kitts, is an award-winning filmmaker and novelist with over 30 years experience in the film and television industry.  Her work, which most often deals with marginalized communities, has been sold and screened all over the world. She is the first Black woman to direct and write a dramatic feature film in Canada.

Christene is the author of two novels, Philomena (Unloved) and Two Women, both published by Second Story Press. She has been a featured author at the Bookfest Windsor, The Sacramento Black Book Fair and the Alliouagana Festival of the Word in Monserrat, and has conducted writing workshops in North Words, NWT. 

Presently, Christene is working on her third novel, 2084, completing an animated documentary and teaching at Ryerson University. Her first stage play and libretto are in development. She lives in Toronto.

Visit Christene’s website.

Contact Christene. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

From the publisher:

Born in the Caribbean, Philomena Jones is abandoned by her mother and left to the mercy of her grandmother, who, after raising eight children and grandchildren, is not capable of dedicating herself to another child. Love-starved, Philomena is easy prey for the island’s new pastor. She leaves home for America, hoping to find her mother, but ends up drifting and battling mental illness.

Relocated to a supportive housing facility, Philomena meets a diverse cast of women who, despite their wildly differing backgrounds and difficulties, share one common bond; their history of abuse. In this most unexpected of places, will Philomena finally find the family she has been longing for?

To learn about Christene’s other works, visit her website.

Praise

“Christene A. Browne pushes the conversation around sexual violence and #MeToo forward to include vulnerable women who’ve not yet had their voices heard.”

49th Shelf

“Both compelling, and pedagogical, readers will find it difficult to leave the pages until the end. A raw, artfully crafted story.”

A Different Booklist

“This is a thought-provoking narrative that underscores the many ways people can undergo trauma and highlights the importance of mental health care.”

School Library Journal