Ajay Heble is Professor of English in the School of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Guelph. He is the author or editor of several books and the Founder and Artistic Director of the Guelph Jazz Festival. Under his visionary leadership, the Festival—winner of the prestigious Premier's Award for Excellence in the Arts (2010), and a three-time recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Award of the Arts (1997, 2000, 2001)—has achieved a rock-solid international reputation as one of the world's most inspired and provocative musical events. Dr. Heble is also the Project Director for Improvisation, Community, and Social Practice, a large-scale Major Collaborative Research Initiative, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.