AUTHOR. POET. SPEAKER.
LESLIE
ROACH
AS FEATURED BY
BOOKS BY LESLIE
"FINISH THIS SENTENCE"
Finish this Sentence is about a personal experience in dealing with racism and healing from its effects. As this book weaves through the anger and anxiety provoked by racism, it points to the ultimate realization: one is neither the conditioning nor the incessant chatter that racism can provoke. Rather, one is powerful and able to arrest those harmful thoughts. Awakening to these truths have helped Leslie to heal. She hopes that her work will be beneficial to others as well.
BLOG // ARTICLES
PURPOSE. MINDFULNESS. SPIRITUALITY.
ALL ABOUT LESLIE
Leslie Roach is an Ottawa-based poet and writer. Born and raised in Montreal to thoughtful and loving parents who immigrated to Canada from Barbados, Leslie has lived and worked in Italy, Mali, Tanzania, Kenya and Senegal, shaping her perspectives and worldview. She then moved to Ottawa, working in the International and Interparliamentary Affairs directorate of the Parliament of Canada.
As a lawyer, she previously worked for the United Nations for 10 years in law and HR, specializing in conduct and discipline related to sexual, physical and psychological abuse.
She started writing and journaling at a young age as a form of therapy to process the racist experiences she had growing up.
In 2020, she released her debut book Finish this Sentence, a collection of poetry about healing from the effects of racism, finding one’s voice and power, and claiming your human right to be happy. She has been featured on major media platforms, including CBC, CBC Books, and Pace Magazine, and has partnered with national brands like Deserres.
Today, she is an advocate for finding your power through practicing mindfulness, both at work and at home, as a way to respond effectively to situations. She is also a workshop facilitator on journaling and mindfulness at work, and journaling to find one's true calling and purpose.
PARTNERSHIPS
Earlier this year, I partnered with the art supplied store Deserres and students from the Specialist High Skills Major program at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board.
Students created various pieces of art, including a window presentation that went on display at Deserres' St. Laurent Shopping Centre location. The young, talented artists drew inspiration from the poems in my book Finish This Sentence.