Jenny O'Connell headshotJenny O’Connell is an adventure writer, freelance journalist, creative writing teacher, and outdoor guide from Portland, Maine. Her debut book project, Finding Petronella, traces her 2014 solo trek across Finland following the footsteps of a female legend beyond the Arctic Circle. 

A Maine Literary Award finalist and Pushcart Prize nominee, Jenny’s award-winning nonfiction has appeared in Backcountry Magazine, Creative Nonfiction, Down East, SLICE, Maine Magazine, Decor Maine, and Appalachia Journal, among others. Jenny teaches creative writing at Hugo House, Seguinland Institute, and The Telling Room, and presents career seminars for creative writers at Stonecoast, where she earned her MFA. She guides writing-based adventures in Maine and beyond.