Paul Willcocks is an award-winning writer and journalist with a sharp eye and a keen interest in understanding why people do the things they do. After growing up in Toronto and attending university in Montreal, Willcocks headed west and landed at The Advocate, the daily newspaper in Red Deer, Alberta. His assignments included a stint as the police and court reporter. After working as editor and then publisher of the The Advocate, Willcocks ran daily newspapers in Saint John, N.B., Peterborough, Ont., and Victoria, B.C., before returning to writing and journalism. He was the first journalist honoured with the Jack Webster Commentator of the Year award and a two-time National Magazine Awards finalist. In 2012, Willcocks and his partner Jody Paterson left Victoria for two years as Cuso International volunteers in Honduras. Dead Ends is his first book.