In a series of short profiles, Capital Current introduces key persons of influence in the city to the community.
Who is she?
Katie Tallo is an award-winning screenwriter, director and author who sets her mystery thrillers in Ottawa, referencing real places in the city.
What’s her background?
Born in Toronto and raised in Ottawa, Tallo graduated from Carleton University with a double major in film and English literature. She then studied television broadcasting at Algonquin College. She worked on short films, animation, television series, documentaries and feature films.
For decades, Tallo had mused about writing a novel. She finally began in her late 40s, after winning the international Mslexia Women’s Novel Writing Competition in 2013.
What is she known for in Ottawa?
Tallo is known for her mysteries set in the Ottawa area, including her international bestseller, Dark August, which is partially set in the Wellington West neighbourhood. The debut novel was a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice, Apple Book of the Month and made the Globe and Mail’s top 100 list. Tallo continued the series with Poison Lilies and Buried Road. Her next thriller will be released in 2026.
Tallo’s work features neighbourhoods and businesses in the city, such as the Mayfair Theatre, SuzyQ Doughnuts and the Glebe. Tallo used to walk through her neighbourhood with her dog Levi for inspiration.
“It adds that extra layer for people who are from the city,” she says. Her stories are female-driven and delve into the darker side of human nature.
What do people say about her?
Tom Shoebridge taught Tallo a screenwriting course at Algonquin College and said she shone with her language and insight into a story.
“She looks like the girl next door, you know, rosy cheeks, smiley kind of thing, but she has a very dark imagination,” says Shoebridge. Writer Ian Colford wrote for the Miramichi Reader, “Tallo’s prose is polished and elegant and shimmers with imaginative detail.” He added that Dark August presents Tallo as an “author worth watching.”
Whar’s a little-known fact about her?
Tallo collects items for her office that remind her of the creative process. During one of her beloved solo walks, she found a small bird’s nest on the road and later found an empty eggshell at a garage sale. Now, both sit near her desk. The nest symbolizes her care for her project, and the egg represents the beginning of a new one.
