Margaret Mahan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Saint Michael's College, where she was an editor of the school's literary review and wrote independently with poet David Huddle. After being initially drawn to the papermaking aspects of CPP, Mahan grew to focus on the written components of the workshops after studying poetry of exile in the fall of 2009 with Tibetan refugees in India. Mahan composes her own poetry while seeking to amplify the writings of those communities which she feels are so often silenced, yet all the more inspiring and artistically innovative.

From 2010 to 2011 Margaret facilitated creative writing and printmaking exercises for the Combat Paper Project.

Margaret continues to make art and write while directing Peace Paper.