Journalist Susan McClelland has carved a niche for herself â¨co-writing memoirs of trauma and healing When Toronto journalist Susan McClelland first started co-writing memoirs, there was less understanding about responsible reporting on trauma that centred victim experiences. It was 2007, and public discussions about story ownership were more than a decade away. Yet instinctively she knew that her role was as a facilitator. McClelland understood the responsibilities that her job entailed at a time when many people â including funding bodies â thought that co-writers were glorified transcriptionists. In fact, McClelland didnât receive a Canada Council for the Arts grant until 2020, despite already having six books to her name, including her debut co-writing credit on Mariatu Kamaraâs international bestseller