My Story
Once upon a time, a gap-toothed spelling bee kid spent years memorizing the dictionary in her good-luck frog sweater, planting the seeds that would one day become Verb Garden. In hindsight, she was always meant to be an editor: “publishing” books at age five under her homemade imprint, vandalizing the typos in school posters (she’s belatedly so sorry about that), “forgetting” her gym class attire each week so she’d be punished with reading instead… But this is her story all grown up, so let’s jump ahead a few chapters!
Not only do precocious readers with ADHD grow up with formidable attention to detail and the posture of a shrimp, they’re also known for their expansive imagination, curiosity, and sense of whimsy. My first job at age 14 was at a fashion design camp, and I’ve gravitated ever since toward eclectic work and volunteer experiences.
Libraries, bookstores, and editorial teams, but also:
Working on a vegan farm sanctuary in Germany, caring for sheep, chickens, bunnies, geese, and even wild boar. Giving museum tours (in full petticoat, bonnet and collar!) in one of Toronto’s most famously haunted Victorian houses. Hosting intimate, candlelit letter writing workshops. Teaching and preserving the art of 19th century letterpress printing. Walking donkeys through the forests of Vancouver Island (a very calm and meditative experience!)
After completing a Bachelor of Arts in History, Linguistics, and Book & Media Studies from the University of Toronto and a Publishing Certificate from Centennial College, and a brief internship at a literary agency, my dreams of editing commercial books came true. Under the mentorship of Executive Editor Anne Collins, I spent five exhilarating years working across fiction and nonfiction genres at Penguin Random House Canada.
More on that adventure here!
In fall 2024 I left my in-house publishing career to go freelance. Though I’d set out to start a book editing business, I quickly realized that rather than contain my many passions, I could chase them all wherever they might lead — and that’s how Verb Garden was born!
Outside of this little corner of the internet, you can find me petsitting around the world, planning a fairytale wedding in the woods, slowly working on a historical novel of my own, and searching near and far for Toronto’s best vegan croissant (I’ll keep you posted!)
If you’ve read this far, thank you so much! I’m overjoyed to have you here, and I can’t wait to create magic together.
With love,
Lauren
Meet the team!
As editorial assistant and office administrator, Malvolio wears many hats (except on her head — she would never!). Her favourite book is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. When not curled up reading manuscripts on her favourite vintage couch, Mal prunes the office plants, alerts management when food supplies are running low, and always knows when a cuddle is in order. While she’s still learning English, she’s fluent in the languages of Squeak, Tail, and Butthole.
Brutus’s distinguished resume boasts his career as a self-taught opera singer, his efficiency for making snacks disappear, and his ability to swallow over three feet of string. His favourite book is The Art of War by Sun Tzu. He currently holds the position of security officer at Verb Garden, employing his commanding vocal range to defend the office from raccoons lurking outside to steal trade secrets. Unfortunately for us, he only works night shift.