:: Read Some of Andrew's Writing
:: Purchase Some of Andrew's Work
Andrew's Biography
Andrew graduated with distinction in 2003 from the University of Calgary with a BA in English. He holds a certificate in Biblical Studies (The University of the Nations, 2001) and a certificate in Multi-Media Design (The Red Deer College, 2007).
Writing
Andrew enjoys an array of writing styles. A series of his short stories was featured in photogenX's 30 Days of Prayer for the Voiceless which has gone around the world and been translated into more than five languages. In 2008 Andrew penned four new stories for the German translation of the booklet. "Nazar", his short story about an Afghan refugee in Canada won the 2004 Hobson Foundation Prize for Fiction. His poetry has been featured in Rock and Sling (Fall 2004, Fall 2006), the e-zine Bohemian Alien (August 2008), and has won numerous prizes in the Utmost Contest, including Third Prize in 2004 for excerpts from his full-length work God/he.
In 2007, Andrew started to write plays. His first play, Shelter, was an official selection of the Scripts at Work (SAW) workshop in Red Deer, Alberta. The play, about potatoes, an affair, and grace, was workshopped with acclaimed Canadian playwright, actor, and director Mieko Ouchi and directed by Vanessa Porteous for a public reading at the Margaret Parson's Theatre in April 2007. The play was also read, under the direction of Tanya Ryga, at the 2008 Nextfest Festival of the Arts in Edmonton. In 2008 Andrew wrote and directed a short vignette called Though He Crush Me that premiered on Good Friday at CrossRoads Church in Red Deer. His play, Joseph, about a young man coming to terms with mental illness at Bible College, was selected for SAW 2008 and was workshopped with prolific playwright and film actor Daniel Libman and directed for a public reading by Eric Rose of Calgary.
Andrew's future best-sellers include full length manuscripts of poetry (God/he, So Far, and a quirky choose your own adventure collection about chasing voice), and works of prose fiction (Ten Silver Coins, The Gospel Writers Meet, and Joseph). He also enjoys conducting an occasional interview.
Film
Andrew's work in independent film includes The Prison of Mine (MD Films), the award-winning short The Blind (Unveil Studios and ReDefined Films) and the feature film E for Everyone: The Mouse and the Elephant (Unveil Studios) which he executive produced.In 2008 Andrew directed his first short, Though He Crush Me. Filmed on the celebrated studio stage at Rosebud School of the Arts, the short features inspired performances by Aaron Krogman and Kelsey Krogman, and the cinematography of his talented younger brother Daniel Kooman.
Business and Non Profit Work
In 2007 Andrew started his own business as a way to bring together his various interests and to supply the basic needs of food, shelter, and the occasional trip out of Canada. He enjoys writing, doing design work and providing creative solutions for various clients: small businesses, non-profit organizations, and corporations. In the same year he was thrilled to create a non-profit foundation in order to intentionally address issues of injustice. Raise Their Voice became an official society in Alberta in 2008.