If you ask Julia Wright how she got into journalism, she might tell you it all started with Nancy Drew.

She and her identical twin sister, Kate, devoured books about the teen detective as kids growing up in east Saint John.

"I liked the idea of looking closely at your surroundings — and getting to the bottom of local mysteries," Wright said.

She also cites her great-aunt, local historian and high school English teacher Vivian Wright, for instilling in her the value of reading and writing.

As a reporter, Wright wanted to shape the narrative with her own stories of New Brunswick — and in particular Saint John, the place she calls home.

Armed with a unique perspective on Saint John and years of experience under her belt, Wright's next challenge will be taking over the host chair for Information Morning Saint John.

She starts Monday.

Starting March 11, Julia Wright will be hosting Information Morning Saint John from 5:55 to 8:37 a.m. 0:59

"I know Saint John in a way that most people don't," she said. "I'm excited to bring that to my job."

Before joining CBC New Brunswick in 2016 as a newsreader and reporter, she had an eclectic career path that included a master's degree in English from McGill, working as a line cook, in group homes and at museums in Saint John and Fredericton. She and artist Pamela Marie Pierce created Hard Times in the Maritimes — an independent magazine featuring stories, poetry and drawings by local artists.

She also freelanced for Vice, Buzzfeed, Paste, and the Telegraph-Journal and was an associate editor with Civilized.

Wright, pictured here in 2017 at the Saint John Festival of Sail, has been with CBC New Brunswick since 2016. She has written for Vice, Buzzfeed and the Telegraph-Journal and was an associate editor with Civilized. (Brian Chisholm /CBC)

Wright received the 2016 Atlantic Journalism Awards' silver award for best multimedia feature and was honoured by the Fusion network, a group of young individuals striving to improve Saint John, as a finalist for arts and culture person of the year in 2015.

At CBC, she has covered a wide range of local stories, from provincial election coverage to photo features, and research into New Brunswick history.

is a house even a home if you don’t have cbc radio almost constantly on somewhere @ a low volume —@thewrightpage

The 4 a.m. start to the hosting shift is worth it for Wright, who sees her new role as an opportunity to connect to the city she loves through the radio waves.

Starting in 2016, Wright spent 15 months as the newsreader for Information Morning Saint John while also writing stories for CBCNews.ca. (Submitted by Brent Bambury)

"I love the people here," she said. "It's a really quirky, cool city."

Wright, who replaces Hance Colburne in the host's spot, is excited to get started.

"We're going to bring Saint John the same awesome morning program that people are used to," she said.

But she's also looking forward to "doing some things a little bit differently, and it will inevitably reflect what I'm bringing to the table as the new host."

Catch Wright weekdays from 5:55 a.m. to 8:37 a.m. on CBC Radio.