Markus Harwood-Jones

Markus ‘Star’ Harwood-Jones is an author, artist, and academic based in Toronto.

Markus holds a BA in Sociology (Toronto Metropolitan University), an MA in Gender Studies (Queen’s University), and he is currently a Ph.D. candidate under the supervision of Dr. Trish Salah (Queen’s University). He has published multiple academic articles on the topics of trans identity, LGBTQ2S+ inclusion, creative writing, and the power stories.

He is the author of YA novels including In a Heartbeat (2021), Confessions of a Teenage Drag King (2020) and We Three (2019). He has also produced several zine series and the documentary film Mosaic. Markus maintains an active Tiktok with over 140,000 followers.

Markus also works as a public speaker and workshop facilitator, specializing on the topics of gender, sexuality, creative writing, community research, zine-making, and collective storytelling. Original art and associated merchandise are available at the Starkiss Creations storefront.