Shows
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 7 Episode 15: Revisiting Book Design with Jazmin Welch who answers the question "should we judge a book by its cover?"This, after a few weeks of colds, flus, and food poisoning, host Megan Cole revisits a favourite episode with Jazmin Welch. Jaz Welch is the founder and book designer of fleck creative studio. In her conversation with host Megan Cole, Jaz talks about how she got into book design, what she thinks about the trends in book covers, and answers the age-old question, "should we judge a book by its cover?" Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: http://www.bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About fleck creative studio: https://fleckcreativestudio.com/ About Luke Bird: https://www.lukebird.co.uk/ About Holly Ovenden: https...
2025-10-1830 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 20: David Norwell on the role of awe and wonderABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to David Norwell. David wrote and illustrated A Complex Coast: A Kayak Journey from Vancouver Island to Alaska, which was a finalist for the 2024 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In their conversation, David talks about the push and pull of starting the kayak trip. He also talks about loneliness, and the role of awe and wonder. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About A Complex Coast: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/a-complex-coast/ ABOUT DAVID NORWELL: David Norwell is an author, illustrator, and world traveller. He holds a BSc in Geography...
2024-10-1230 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 19: Jordan Scott on sense memories and remembering his BabaABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Jordan Scott. Jordan co-created My Baba's Garden with illustrator Sydney Smith, which is a won the 2024 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation, Jordan talks about collaborating with Sydney Smith, he also talks about how the book opened up opportunities to share stories of his Baba with his kids. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About My Baba's Garden: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/my-babas-garden/ ABOUT JORDAN SCOTT: Jordan Scott is a poet whose work includes Silt, Blert, DECOMP, and Night & Ox. Blert, which explores the...
2024-10-0522 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 18: Hazel Jane Plante on the witchiness of novel writingABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Hazel Jane Plante. Hazel is the author of Any Other City, which is a finalist for the 2024 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation, talks about how music and art inspired the book, and how she's opening herself up to the next creative project. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Any Other City: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/any-other-city/ ABOUT Hazel Jane Plante: Hazel Jane Plante is a librarian, cat photographer, and writer. Her debut novel Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian) (Metonymy Press, 2019) won a Lambda Literary...
2024-09-2840 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 17: Chelsea Wakelyn talks about communal grief during the toxic drug crisisABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Chelsea Wakelyn. Chelsea is the author of What Remains of Elsie Jane, which is a finalist for the 2024 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Chelsea talks about who Elsie Jane is, and writing autofiction. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About What Remains of Elsie Jane: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/what-remains-of-elsie-jane/ ABOUT CHELSEA WAKELYN: Chelsea Wakelyn is a writer, musician, and mother to two lovely, eccentric humans. She lives on Vancouver Island. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for the BC...
2024-09-2128 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 16: Dominique Bernier-Cormier talks about the language of dreamsABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Dominique Bernier-Cormier. Dominique is the author of Entre Rive and Shore, which is a finalist for the 2024 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In their conversation, Dominique talks about using the spine of the book in the structure of some of the poems, he also talks about the way his father became a character in the book. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Entre Rive and Shore: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/entre-rive-and-shore/ ABOUT DOMINIQUE BERNIER-CORMIER: Dominique Bernier-Cormier is a Québécois/Acadian poet and translator. His first bo...
2024-09-1432 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 15: Jess Housty on how her grandmother played a role in the creation of her poemsABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Jess Housty. Jess is the author of Crushed Wild Mint, which is a finalist for the 2024 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize and the 2024 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In their conversation, Jess talks about prayer and poetry, they also talks about their role as an herbalist and how that inspires them creatively. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Crushed Wild Mint: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/crushed-wild-mint/ ABOUT JESS HOUSTY: Jess Housty (‘Cúagilákv) is a parent, writer and grassroots activist with Heiltsuk (Indigenous) and mixed settler ance...
2024-09-0731 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 13: Katherine Palmer Gordon on the importance of reciprocityABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Katherine Palmer Gordon. Katherine is the author of This Place Is Who We Are: Stories of Indigenous Leadership, Resilience, and Connection to Homelands, which is a finalist for the 2024 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In their conversation, Katherine talks about the importance of reciprocity, and the need for respect and acknowledgement of Indigenous science. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About This Place Is Who We Are: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/this-place-is-who-we-are-stories-of-indigenous-leadership-resilience-and-connection-to-homelands/ ABOUT KATHERINE PALMER GORDON: Katherine Palmer Gordon is the author of eight books of non-fiction...
2024-08-2443 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 12: Cathy Stonehouse talks about using object to write about her dream houseABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Cathy Stonehouse. Cathy is the author of Dream House, which is a finalist for the 2024 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In their conversation Cathy talks about the complexity of writing about home, she also talks about how her visual art practice inspires her literary art. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Dream House: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/dream-house/ Link to video of Cathy Stonehouse reading at Planet Earth Poetry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OqAKQFGW6U ABOUT CATHY STONEHOUSE: Cathy Stonehouse (she/they) is a...
2024-08-1746 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 11: Geoffrey Morrison on how poetry led him to his debut novelABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Geoffrey Morrison. Geoffrey is the author of Falling Hour, which is a finalist for the 2024 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation Geoffrey talks about how he taught himself to write a novel, and the authors that inspired him to write Falling Hour. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Falling Hour: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/falling-hour/ ABOUT GEOFFREY MORRISON: Geoffrey D. Morrison is the author of the poetry chapbook Blood-Brain Barrier (Frog Hollow Press, 2019) and co-author, with Matthew Tomkinson, of the experimental short fiction collection...
2024-08-1041 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 10: Colleen Brown on writing about her mother beyond her murderABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Colleen Brown. Colleen is the author of if you lay down in a field, she will find you there, which is a finalist for the 2024 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. In their conversation Colleen writes about how her visual art practice led to her book, and how writing changed her ideas of memoir and truth. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About if you lay down in a field, she will find you there: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/if-you-lie-down-in-a-field-she-will-find-you-there/ ABOUT COLLEEN BROWN: Colleen Brown is known primarily...
2024-08-0330 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 9: Francine McCabe on supporting local fibre and textile producersABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Francine McCabe. Francine is the author of Fleece & Fibre: Textile Producers of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, which is a finalist for the 2024 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In their conversation Francine talks about how she started working and making art with fibre, and how her passion project became a book. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Fleece & Fibre: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/fleece-and-fibre/ ABOUT FRANCINE McCABE: Francine McCabe is a mixed-blood Anishinaabe writer, fibre artist, and organic master gardener from Batchewana First Nation...
2024-07-2730 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 8: Darrel McLeod on how fiction changes his writing practiceABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Darrel McLeod. Darrel is the author of A Season in Chezgh'un, which is a finalist for the 2024 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation Darrel talks about how writing fiction changed his writing practice, and how he began developing his novel's character, James. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About A Season in Chezgh'un: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/sonnets-from-a-cell/ ABOUT DARREL MCLEOD: Darrel J. McLeod is Cree from Treaty-8 territory in Northern Alberta. Before deciding to pursue writing, he worked as an educator, chief negotiator of...
2024-07-2038 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 6: Andrea Warner how she started Rise up and Sing!ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Bradley Peters. Bradley is the author of Sonnets from a Cell, which is a finalist for the 2024 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In their conversation Bradley talks about how the sonnet was the perfect form to write about prison. He also talks about how he was introduced to poetry. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Sonnets from a Cell: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/sonnets-from-a-cell/ ABOUT BRADLEY PETERS: Bradley Peters is a poet, actor, and carpenter from Mission, BC. His poetry has been published in numerous literary...
2024-07-1329 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 6: Andrea Warner how she started Rise up and Sing!ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Andrea Warner. Andrea is the author of Rise Up and Sing! Power, Protest, and Activism in Music, which is a finalist for the 2024 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation Andrea talks about what inspired her to become a music writer, how her book Rise Up and Sing! started, and why kids (and their parents) need this book now. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Rise Up and Sing!: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/rise-up-and-sing-power-protest-and-activism-in-music/ ABOUT ANDREA WARNER: Andrea Warner (she/her) writes and...
2024-07-0644 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 5: Julie Lawson talks about the family stories that have inspired her booksABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Julie Lawson. Julie is the author of Out of the Dark, which is a finalist for the 2024 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation Julie talks why we need historical fiction to understand the present. She also talks about how she rights on instinct and impulse, not plans and outlines. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Out of the Dark: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/out-of-the-dark/ ABOUT JULIE LAWSON: Julie Lawson is the award-winning author of many books for young people. Her three novels...
2024-06-2936 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 4: Henry Tsang talks about the legacy of anti-Asian RiotsABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Henry Tsang. Henry is the author of White Riot: The 1907 Anti-Asian Riots in Vancouver, which is a finalist for the 2024 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In their conversation Henry talks the 360 Riot Walk that led to the book. He also talks about the role of naming, gentrification, and revitalization. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About White Riot: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/white-riot/ ABOUT HENRY TSANG: Henry Tsang is an artist who explores the spatial politics of history, language, community, food, and cultural translation in relationship...
2024-06-2237 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 3: Brandon Reid talks about family stories and fictionABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Brandon Reid. Brandon is the author of Beautiful Beautiful, which is a finalist for the 2024 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation Brandon talks about the narrator in his book Redbird Anon, and how this narrator provides a unique point of view. He also talks about the influence of family stories on his novel. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Beautiful Beautiful: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/beautiful-beautiful/ ABOUT BRANDON REID: Brandon Reid holds a B.Ed. from UBC with a specialization in Indigenous education, and...
2024-06-1526 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 2: Emelia Symington-Fedy on consent and writing memoirABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Emelia Symington-Fedy. Emelia is the author of Skid Dogs, which is a finalist for the 2024 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. In their conversation Emelia talks about the event the led to revisiting her childhood and teen years in her book. She also talked about the values and challenges of consent in writing. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Skid Dogs: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/skid-dogs/ ABOUT EMELIA SYMINGTON-FEDY: Emelia Symington-Fedy grew up in Armstrong, BC. She has worked as an essayist, storyteller and documentary producer for...
2024-06-0839 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 6 Episode 1: E.G. Alaraj on the magic and challenges of board booksABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to E.G. Alaraj. Evangelene is the author of When Stars Arise, which was a finalist for the 2024 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation Evangelene talks about how her own kids bedtime routine inspired her first book. She also talks about how her own creative childhood inspired her. 2024 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/winners-finalists/#2024 Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About When Stars Arise: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/when-stars-arise/ ABOUT E.G. Alaraj: E.G. Alaraj grew up in the...
2024-06-0129 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 5 Episode 32: Jackie Hoffart talks about how Massy Arts supports and reflects communityABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Jackie Hoffart. Jackie is the admin and events coordinator at Massy Arts Society. In their conversation, Jackie talks about why they wanted to work with Massy Arts Society, and what some of their favourite memories of working with Massy have been. They also talk about how important community is to the society. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Massy Arts Society: https://massyarts.com/ Massy Voices video archive: https://massyarts.com/category/voices/ ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for...
2024-03-1632 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 5 Episode 31: Kyeren Regehr on the legacy of one of Victoria's beloved reading seriesABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Kyeren Regehr. Kyeren is a poet and artistic director of Planet Earth Poetry. In their conversation, Kyeren talks about some of her favourite memories from the audience and as the artistic director of Planet Earth Poetry, she also shares some of the vast array of events and programs run about Planet Earth Poetry. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Planet Earth Poetry: https://planetearthpoetry.com/ Planet Earth Poetry livestream archive: https://www.youtube.com/@planetearthpoetry5525 ABOUT KYEREN REGEHR: Kyeren Regehr’s collection Cult Life, was a...
2024-03-0922 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 5 Episode 30: Hope Lauterbach celebrating and creating space for BIPOC writersABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Hope Lauterbach. Hope is the founder and creative director of Unbound Reading Series. In their conversation, Hope talks about creating a space that honours and creates community around black storytelling, and writing. She also talks about what inspired the Unbound Reading Series. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Unbound Reading Series: https://hopeadrift.ca/unbound/ Unbound Reading Series Instagram: https://hopeadrift.ca/unbound/ ABOUT HOPE LAUTERBACH: Hope Lauterbach is a Zambian Canadian writer and poet, a 2021 graduate of The Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser Un...
2024-03-0219 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 5 Episode 29: Susan Sanford Blades talks about how she started the Wild Prose Reading SeriesABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Susan Sanford Blades. Susan is the author of Fake It So Real, a past finalist for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, and the organizer and host of the Wild Prose Reading Series. In their conversation, Susan talks about how a need for community following the pandemic lockdowns inspired the Wild Prose Reading Series. She also talks about her hopes for the future of the series. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About The Wild Prose Reading Series: https://www.susansanfordblades.com/wild-prose-reading-series About Fake It So...
2024-02-1723 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 5 Episode 28: Jesse Donaldson and Erika Dyck on harm reduction and Pink FloydABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Jesse Donaldson and Erika Dyck. Jesse and Erika are the authors of The Acid Room: Psychedelic Trials and Tribulations of Hollywood Hospital, which was a finalist for the 2023 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In their conversation Jesse and Erika talks about how they ended up working together on The Acid Room, the characters in the book, and Pink Floyd. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About The Acid Room: Psychedelic Trials and Tribulations of Hollywood Hospital: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-acid-room/ ABOUT JESSE DONALDSON: Jesse Donaldson is...
2024-02-1043 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 5 Episode 27: Otoniya Okot Bitek on maps, cartography, and Heart of DarknessABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Otoniya J. Okot Bitek. Otoniya's book A is for Acholi won the 2023 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In their conversation Jesse talks about how she became fascinated by maps and cartography, where she finds magic in writing, and she talks about mullet poems. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About A is for Acholi: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/a-is-for-acholi/ ABOUT OTONIYA J. OKOT BITEK: Otoniya J. Okot Bitek is a poet and scholar. Her collection of poetry, 100 Days (University of Alberta, 2016), was nominated for several writing prizes...
2024-02-0337 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 5 Episode 26: Jesse Finkelstein on what excites her about the future of publishingABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Jesse Finkelstein. Jesse is the co-founder and co-chief executive officerof Page Two Books. Page Two published Namwayut: We Are All One: A Pathway to Reconciliation by Chief Robert Joseph which won the 2023 Bill Duthie Booksellers Choice Award. In their conversation Jesse talks about how she became involved in the BC publishing community, what sets Page Two apart, and what excites her about the future of publishing. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Namwayut: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/namwayut/ About Page Two: https://pagetwo.com/ ABOUT...
2024-01-2727 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 5 Episode 25: Monique Gray Smith on staying hopefulABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Monique Gray Smith. Monique's book I Hope was a finalist for the 2023 Billy Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In their conversation Monique talks about the author-illustrator relationship, and why she wanted to write a book about hope for young readers. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About I Hope: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/i-hope-nipakoseyimon/ ABOUT MONIQUE GRAY SMITH: Monique Gray Smith is a proud mom of teenage twins, an award-winning, best-selling author and sought after consultant. Monique’s most recent novel, Tilly and the Crazy Eights was lo...
2024-01-2026 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 5 Episode 24: Billy-Ray Belcourt on how his novel allowed him to write what was unwritableABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Billy-Ray Belcourt. Billy-Ray's novel A Minor Chorus won the 2023 the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation Billy-Ray talks about how he approached the challenges of the novel form, and where he finds joy in writing. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About A Minor Chorus: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/a-minor-chorus/ ABOUT BILLY-RAY BELCOURT: Billy-Ray Belcourt (he/him) is a writer from the Driftpile Cree Nation. He won the 2018 Griffin Poetry Prize for his debut collection, This Wound Is a World, which was also a finalist...
2024-01-1323 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 5 Episode 23: Rachel Hartman talks about the world for her books she created as a kidABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Rachel Hartman. Rachel's book In the Serpent's Wake won the 2023 the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation Rachel talks about how she ended up writing from multiple points of view for In the Serpent's Wake, and how writing fantasy allows her to break the norms of the "real world." Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About In the Serpent's Wake: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/in-the-serpents-wake/ ABOUT RACHEL HARTMAN: Rachel was born in Kentucky, but has lived a variety of places including Chicago, Philadelphia...
2024-01-0636 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastSeason 5 Episode 22: Tsering Yangzom Lama talks about doubt and writingABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Tsering Yangzom Lama. Tsering's book We Measure The Earth With Our Bodies was a finalist for the 2023 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and the 2023 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. In their conversation Tsering talks about how she deals with doubt and writing, and she talks about why she avoids answering questions about writing about home. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About We Measure The Earth With Our Bodies: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/we-measure-the-earth-with-our-bodies/ ABOUT TSERING YANGZOM LAMA: Tsering Yangzom Lama holds a BA in...
2023-12-1629 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 21: Gary Wyatt talks about the impact of Robert Davidson's artABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Gary Wyatt. Gary's book Echoes of the Supernatural: The Graphic Art of Robert Davidson was a finalist for the 2023 Bill Duthie Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation Robert talks about how he met Robert Davidson, and the role Robert has had in indigenous art. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Echoes of the Supernatural: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/echoes-of-the-supernatural/ ABOUT GARY WYATT: Gary Wyatt represented master-level Northwest Coast, Inuit, and Maori artists for thirty-five years, including Robert Davidson from the late 1980s to 2020. He was...
2023-12-0926 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 20: Susan Juby talks about how the #metoo movement inspired her middle grade novelABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Susan Juby. Susan's book Me Three was a finalist for the 2023 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation Susan talks about how she approaches book banning, and how the #metoo movement inspired her book. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Me Three: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/me-three/ ABOUT SUSAN JUBY: Susan Juby is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of eight acclaimed novels for teenagers. Her debut novel, Alice, I Think (the first of the Alice MacLeod trilogy) was made into a successful...
2023-12-0228 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 19: Grant Lawrence talks about the journalistic approach he took in Return to SolitudeABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Grant Lawrence. Grant's book Return to Solitude: More Desolation Sound Adventures with The Cougar Lady, Russell the Hermit, The Spaghetti Bandit and Others, was a finalist for the 2023 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In their conversation Grant talks about how these solitude seekers ended up turning to community, and how he used a more journalistic approach in Return to Solitude. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ To hear some of the podcasts about Desolation Sound that Grant's done visit his website: https://grantlawrence.ca/ About Return...
2023-11-2532 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 18: Janice Lynn Mather on why she loves writing short fictionABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Janice Lynn Mather. Janice's book Uncertain Kin was a finalist for the 2023 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Janice talks about her love of short fiction, food, and folk lore. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About UNCERTAIN KIN: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/uncertain-kin/ ABOUT JANICE LYNN MATHER: Janice Lynn Mather is the author of two acclaimed novels for young adults: Learning to Breathe, which was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award, and Facing the Sun, which won the Amy Mathers Teen Bo...
2023-11-1828 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 17: Christopher Patterson talks about the research and writing of Y-Dang TroeungABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Christopher Patterson. Chris is Y-Dang Troeng’s husband. Y-Dang is the author of Refugee Lifeworlds: The Afterlife of the Cold War in Cambodia, which was a finalist for the 2023 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. Y-Dang died of pancreatic cancer in fall 2022. In their conversation, Chris talks about Y-Dang's research and writing, along with her legacy. "Refugee Archives across the Transpacific – A Conversation" full presentation: https://youtu.be/_WC4dewA9pA?si=dHp7ej0kAbOr9xAR Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About REFUGEE LIFEWORLDS: http...
2023-11-1133 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 16: Michael Hathaway talks about shifting cultural relationships to mushroomsABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Michael Hathaway. Michael's book What A Mushroom Lives For: Matsutake and the Worlds They Make won the 2023 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes, and was a finalist for the 2023 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Michael talks about human exceptional, the varying cultural relationships to mushrooms, and how he made his book accessible to a non-academic audience. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About WHAT A MUSHROOM LIVES FOR: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/what-a-mushroom-lives-for-matsutake-and-the-worlds-they-make/ ABOUT MICHAEL HATHAWAY: Michael J. Hathaway is professor of anthropology...
2023-11-0437 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 15: Cecily Nicholson talks about the politics of food and poetics.ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Cecily Nicholson. Cecily's book HARROWINGS was a finalist for the 2023 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In their conversation, Cecily talks about the politics of food, the places that inspired the book, and how she approached the research for the poems. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About HARROWINGS: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/harrowings/ ABOUT CECILY NICHOLSON: Cecily Nicholson is the author of four books and a past recipient of the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry. She was the Ellen an...
2023-10-2836 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 14: Robin Stevenson talks about censorship and the need for queer joyABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Robin Stevenson. Robin is an author of over 30 books for kids and teens, and the winner of the 2023 Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence. In their conversation Robin talks about how we can support authors during times of censorship and book bans, and how she brings queer joy to children's books. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ ABOUT ROBIN STEVENSON: Robin Stevenson is the award winning author of thirty books of fiction and non-fiction for kids and teens: her writing has been translated into numerous languages...
2023-10-2126 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 13: Harrison Mooney talks about creative hygiene and false realitiesABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Harrison Mooney. Harrison's book Invisible Boy: A memoir of self-discovery was a finalist for the 2023 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize and the 2023 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. In their conversation Harrison talks about researching his own life, writing about Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley, and his creative hygiene routine. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ Read about Invisible Boy: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/invisible-boy/ ABOUT HARRISON MOONEY: Harrison Mooney is a writer and journalist. Born to a West African immigrant mother, he was adopted as...
2023-10-1454 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 12: Cole Pauls talks about zines, manga, and working with youthABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Cole Pauls. Cole's book Kwändǖr. In their conversation, Cole talks about his process, what he misses about Haines Junction, and how self-publishing comics at 15 helped his career. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ Read about Kwändǖr: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/kwandur/ ABOUT COLE PAULS: Cole Pauls is a Champagne and Aishihik Citizen and Tahltan comic artist, illustrator & printmaker hailing from Haines Junction (Yukon Territory) with a BFA in Illustration from Emily Carr University. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and...
2023-10-0725 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 11: Katherine Munro talks why haiku inspires herABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Katherine Munro, who publishes as kjmunro. Katherine is the recipient of the 2023 Borealis Prize: Commissioner of Yukon Award for Literary Contribution In their conversation, Katherine talks about what drew her to poetry as a young writer, and what makes the Yukon literary and creative community so special. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Katherine Munro: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/katherine-munro/ ABOUT KATHERINE MUNRO: Originally from Vancouver, Katherine Munro moved to the Yukon Territory in 1991. She is Membership Secretary for Haiku Canada & a member of the...
2023-09-1627 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 10: Eve Lazarus talks about how families need transparency around cold casesABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Eve Lazarus. Her book Cold Case BC: The Stories behind the Province’s Most Intriguing Murder and Missing Persons Cases is a finalist for the 2023 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In their conversation, Eve talks about why the Babes in the Woods case stuck with her, and the challenges in telling the stories of cold cases. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ Eve Lazarus' podcast Cold Case Canada: https://coldcasecanada.podbean.com/ Eve Lazarus' blog Every Place Has A Story: https://evelazarus.com/blog/ About Cold Ca...
2023-09-0944 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 9: Emily Seo talks about how she revisited her tween years in The Science of BoysABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Emily Seo. Her book The Science of Boys is a finalist for the 2023 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation, Emily talks about how she used interviews to bring her back to her tween and teen years, to help write The Science of Boys. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About The Science of Boys : https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-science-of-boys/ ABOUT EMILY SEO: Emily Seo holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of British Columbia and worked in science publishing in Germany. Her...
2023-09-0221 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 8: Jessika Von Innerebner talks about Richard Scary, and making magic in picture booksABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Jessika Von Innerebner. Her book That's My Sweater! is a finalist for the 2023 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation, Jessika talks about the picture books she loved as a kid, and how she captures magic and thoughtful stories in her books. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About That's My Sweater! : https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/thats-my-sweater/ ABOUT JESSIKA VON INNEREBNER Jess is an author, artist, creatrix, and real-life world adventurer. She’s worked with many awesome people bringing their ideas into reality through il...
2023-08-2625 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 7: Marion Ehrenberg talks about she merged her career as a psychologist with writingABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Marion Ehrenberg. Her book The Language of Dreams is a finalist for the 2023 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Marion talks about how her career as a psychologist led to her first novel, The Language of Dreams. She also shares the story of how she published her book. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About The Language of Dreams: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-language-of-dreams/ ABOUT MARION EHRENBERG: Marion Ehrenberg is a Canadian psychologist, professor, and writer. Marion has been practicing psychotherapy for over twenty-five years...
2023-08-1929 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 6: Kim Spencer talks about shifting her memoir to a middle grade novelABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Kim Fraser. Her book Weird Rules to Follow is a finalist for the 2023 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation, Kim talks about growing up in Prince Rupert and how that shaped the setting of the book, and what it means to her to call herself a writer. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Weird Rules to Follow: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/weird-rules-to-follow/ ABOUT KIM SPENCER: Kim Spencer is a graduate of the Writers Studio at Simon Fraser University, where she focused on...
2023-08-1233 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 5: Haley Healey & Kimiko Fraser talk about writing historical booksABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Haley Healey and Kimiko Fraser. Their book Her Courage Rises: 50 Trailblazing Women of British Columbia and Yukon is a finalist for the 2023 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation, Haley and Kimiko talk about collaborating, and the challenges of writing and illustrating women of the past when research was sparse. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Her Courage Rises: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/her-courage-rises/ ABOUT HALEY HEALEY: Haley Healey is a high school counsellor, registered clinical counsellor, and the bestselling author of On...
2023-08-0524 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 4: Megan Fennya Jones talks about writing about experiences of the bodyABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Megan Fennya Jones. Jones's book The Program is a finalist for the 2023 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In their conversation, Jones talks about how important and inspiring her editor Dorothy Lasky was to her writing and her book, and how she approaches writing about personal experiences. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About The Program: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-program/ ABOUT MEGAN FENNYA JONES: Megan Fennya Jones’s poetry has appeared in publications across North America including Poetry Northwest, Room Magazine, and PRISM International, in the anthology Th...
2023-07-2929 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 3: Lyndsie Bourgon talks about how life histories added nuance to her bookABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Lyndsie Bourgon. Lyndsie's book Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America's Woods is a finalist for the 2023 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Lyndsie talks about the thorough research and interviews she did for this complicated stories, and how that investment of time added necessary depth and nuance to the book. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Tree Thieves: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/tree-thieves/ ABOUT LYNDSIE BOURGON: Lyndsie Bourgon is a writer, oral historian, and National Geographic Explorer. Her work has appeared in...
2023-07-2234 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 1: Sheryda Warrener talks about how her noticing practice shapes her poetryABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Sheryda Warrener. Sheryda's book Test Piece is a finalist for the 2023 BC and Yukon Book Prizes. In their conversation, Sheryda talks about noticing and asking questions, and talks about how she came to write ekphrastic poems. Sherdya will be part of an upcoming virtual event for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. Find the info here: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/event/storied-turning-memories-and-personal-experiences-into-stories-and-art-with-harrison-mooney-kim-spencer-and-sheryda-warrener/ Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About Test Piece: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/test-piece/ ABOUT SHERYDA WARRENER: Sheryda Warrener is the author of the poetry...
2023-07-1535 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS5 Episode 1: Danny Ramadan on how to write good sex scenesABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to return guest, Danny Ramadan. Danny's novel The Foghorn Echoes is a finalist for the 2023 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation Danny talks about how he approaches structure, and gives tips on writing good sex scenes, and why there are so many bad sex scenes. On the episode Danny mentions the book Cleanness by Garth Greenwell: http://www.garthgreenwell.com/ And Megan and Danny both gush over francesca ekwuyasi's Butter Honey Pig Bread, published by BC publisher Arsenal Pulp Press: https://arsenalpulp.com/Books/B/Butter-Honey-Pig-Bread Visit BC and...
2023-07-0849 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 36: Rebecca Wood Barrett talks about film adaptations and the Whistler Writers FestivalABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Rebecca Wood Barrett. Rebecca is the artistic and executive director of the Whistler Writers Society. In their conversation Rebecca talks about her journey to being involved with the writing community, and what she's looking forward to for the 2023 Whistler Writers Festival. ABOUT REBECCA WOOD BARRETT: Rebecca is an award-winning writer and filmmaker living in Whistler, British Columbia. Her short fiction has been published in Room, The Antigonish Review and Pique Newsmagazine. She has made over 35 short films, which have broadcast on TV and been screened at festivals around the...
2023-02-1826 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 35: Michelle Cyca talks about the joy of reading and "great novels"ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Michelle Cyca. Michelle is a journalist and book critic. In their conversation, Michelle talks about how she can't get enough of the Gilmore Girls, and what she's excited about when it comes to BC books. ABOUT MICHELLE CYCA: Michelle Cyca is a writer, editor and book enthusiast living on unceded territories of the Musqueam Band, and the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Her writing has appeared in the Vancouver Sun, Chatelaine, SAD Mag and more. Find her on Twitter @michellecyca. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and...
2023-02-1132 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 34: CEO of Creative BC Prem Gill talks about supporting British Columbia book publishersABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Prem Gill, CEO of Creative BC. In their conversation Prem talks about her love of cookbooks, and how Creative BC supports book publishers and the creative sectors in the province. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University...
2023-02-0423 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 33: Ingrid Love talks about the Elephant Mountain Literary FestivalABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Ingrid Love, the executive director of the Elephant Mountain Literary Festival. In their conversation Ingrid talks about her life long love of books, and describes the personality she's hoping to cultivate for the Elephant Mountain Literary Festival. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her...
2023-01-2821 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 32: Mary-Ann Yazedjian talks about her journey to becoming a book personABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Mary-Ann Yazedjian. Mary-Ann is the special projects manager at Book Warehouse and Black Bond books. In their conversation Mary-Ann talks about the books that transformed her, and how Amazon is devaluing books. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from...
2023-01-2122 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 31: Iona Whishaw talks about how a longing for home shaped settingABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Iona Whishaw. Iona is the author of A Lethal Lesson. A Lethal Lesson was a finalist for the 2022 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In their conversation Iona talks about the real life person who inspired her character Lane Winslow. She also talks about how the Kootenays became the setting for her murder mystery series. ABOUT IONA WHISHAW: Iona Whishaw is a former educator and social worker whose mother and grandfather were both spies during their respective wars. She is the award-winning author of the Globe and Mail bestselling Lane...
2023-01-1431 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 30: Matea Kulić talks about what sets BC book publishing apart from other regionsABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Matea Kulić. Matea Kulić is the Executive Director of the Association of Book Publishers of BC. In their conversation Matea talks about what the Association does, and what she's excited for in 2023. ABOUT MATEA KULIC: Matea Kulić is the current Executive Director of the Association of Book Publishers of BC and formerly the Editorial Director of The Capilano Review. She lives in Vancouver, BC, with her partner and daughter, in an apartment with too many books. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for the BC...
2023-01-0716 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 29: Shane Goth talks about the power of collective imagining in picture booksABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Shane Goth. Shane wrote The Midnight Club, which was illustrated by Yong Ling Kang. The Midnight Club was a finalist for the 2022 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation Shane talks about how he founded The Midnight Club and how reading picture books with kids can be an amazing experience of collective imagining. ABOUT SHANE GOTH: Shane Goth is an MFA graduate from the University of British Columbia, whose short fiction has been published in several literary journals. The Midnight Club is his first picture book. Shane...
2022-12-1026 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 28: Angela Ahn talks about how she wrote about shame in her middle grade novelABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Angela Ahn. Angela's book Peter Lee's Notes from the Field was a finalist for the 2022 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation Angela talks about her journey to writing and publishing Peter Lee's Notes from the Field, and introducing ideas and emotions like shame into a middle grade novel. ABOUT ANGELA AHN: Angela Ahn is a former teacher and librarian. She is the author of several children’s books including Krist Kim-Bap and Peter Lee’s Notes from the Field. She lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her...
2022-12-0333 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 27: Fiona Tinwei Lam talks about mentorship and anthologies as literary partiesABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Fiona Tinwei Lam. Fiona is the City of Vancouver's 6th Poet Laureate. In their conversation Fiona talks about her legacy project as Poet Laureate, writing about place, and why she's drawn to working on anthologies. ABOUT FIONA TINWEI LAM: Fiona Tinwei Lam is the author of Intimate Distances (finalist for the City of Vancouver Book Prize), Enter the Chrysanthemum, and Odes & Laments. She also authored the illustrated children’s book, The Rainbow Rocket. Her poetry and prose have been published in over forty anthologies (Canada, Hong Kong, and the US...
2022-11-2634 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 26: Grahame Russel discusses why we aren't talking about Canadian mining in GuatemalaABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Grahame Russell. Grahame edited Testimonio: Canadian Mining in the Aftermath of Genocides in Guatemala with Catherine Nolin. Testimonio was a finalist for the 2022 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. In their conversation Grahame talks about his NGO Rights Action, and about why Testimonio shouldn't be a provocative book. ABOUT GRAHAME RUSSELL: Grahame Russell is, since 1995, director of Rights Action. He is a non-practicing Canadian lawyer and also adjunct professor at University of Northern British Columbia. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for the...
2022-11-1932 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 25: Alix Ohlin talks about how we need new ways to tell storiesABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Alix Ohlin. Alix's book We Want What We Want was a finalist for the 2022 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation Alix talks about how she put her collection together, and how female "diades" came up as a theme in the book. ABOUT ALIX OHLIN: Alix Ohlin’s novel Dual Citizens, like her novel Inside, was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Best American Short Stories, and many other places. Her most recent book...
2022-11-1227 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 24: Ian Williams talks about putting himself on the page in his book DisorientationABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Ian Williams. Ian's book Disorientation: Being Black in the World was a finalist for the 2022 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. In their conversation Ian talks about the word "disorientation" and how he used it in the book, he also reflects on polarization and conversation. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ian Williams was born in Trinidad and raised in Canada. In 2019 he won the Scotiabank Giller Prize for his first novel, Reproduction, which was published in Canada, the US, and the UK, and translated into Italian. His poetry collection, Personals, was shortlisted for...
2022-11-0530 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 23: Barry Gough talks about how good storytelling makes history come aliveABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Barry Gough. Barry's book Possessing Meares Island: A Historian's Journey into the Past of Clayoquot Sound was a finalist for the 2022 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In their conversation, Barry talks about the title of the book and how "possession" plays into the history of Meares Island and it's retelling. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Barry Gough, one of Canada’s foremost historians, is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Fellow of King’s College London and Life Member of the Association of Canadian Studies, and has been awarded a Doct...
2022-10-2948 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 20: Tara Borin talks about the importance of community to their writing practiceABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Tara Borin. Tara is the winner of the 2022 Borealis Prize: The Commissioner of Yukon Award for Literary Contribution. Tara's book The Pit was published in 2021 by Nightwood Editions. In their conversation, Tara talks about what the Borealis Prize has meant to the Yukon literary community, and what inspires the work they're doing. ABOUT TARA BORIN: Tara Borin is a poet and writer living in the traditional territory of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, Dawson City, Yukon. Their debut full-length poetry collection, The Pit, was published by Nightwood Editio...
2022-10-0826 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 19: Harsha Walia talks about drawing inspiration from those who make home and safetyABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Harsha Walia. Her book Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism is the winner of the 2022 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. In their conversation, Harsha talks about language and how the language we use has impacted how we see borders and immigration. ABOUT HARSHA WALIA: Harsha Walia is a South Asian activist and writer based in Vancouver, unceded Coast Salish Territories. She has been involved in community-based grassroots migrant justice, feminist, anti-racist, Indigenous solidarity, anti-capitalist, Palestinian liberation, and anti-imperialist movements, including No...
2022-10-0128 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 18: Kallie George and Elly MacKay talk about capturing wonder for their readers.ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Elly MacKay and Kallie George. Their book The Secret Fawn is a finalist for the 2022 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation, Elly and Kallie talk about how they met and became friends, and how they try to capture wonder for their readers, and their own kids. ABOUT KALLIE GEORGE AND ELLY MACKAY: Kallie George is an author, editor and creative writing teacher. She has written numerous books for early readers, including the first three books in the Anne chapter book series (Anne Arrives, Anne’s Kindred Sp...
2022-09-1731 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 17: Jenny Boychuk talks about why she wanted to explore antonyms in her bookABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Jenny Boychuk. Her book Antonyms for Daughter is a finalist for the 2022 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In their conversation, Jenny talks about writing about family, and how antonyms helped her explore the complexity of her relationship with her mother. ABOUT JENNY BOYCHUK: Jenny Boychuk was born in New Westminster, British Columbia, and holds an MFA from the University of Michigan Helen Zell Writers’ Program. Her poems and essays have appeared in The Walrus, CBC Books, Best New Poets 2016, The Malahat Review, The Fiddlehead,, Grain, The New Quarterly, PRISM international, am...
2022-09-1024 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 16: Carrie Jenkins talks about mental illness and its ability to silenceABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Carrie Jenkins. Her book Victoria Sees It is a finalist for the 2022 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Carrie talks about how the novel became a way for her to talk about topics and themes that she hadn't been able to discuss in other writing projects, and why Cambridge was the setting for Victoria Sees It. ABOUT CARRIE JENKINS: Carrie Jenkins is an award-winning philosopher and writer. She is Canada Research Chair in Philosophy at the University of British Columbia and holds a PhD from Trinity College, Cambridge...
2022-09-0330 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 15: Matt Rader talks about who Ghosthawk is and how it became the title of the book.ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Matt Rader. His book Ghosthawk is a finalist for the 2022 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In their conversation, Matt talks about how walking and riding his bike helped him experience the land, plants and animals that inspired his book. ABOUT MATT RADER: Matt Rader is an award-winning author of four volumes of poetry and a collection of stories, What I Want to Tell Goes Like This (Nightwood Editions, 2014). His work has appeared in Best Canadian Poetry, Geist, The Walrus, Wales Arts Review, The Fiddlehead and The Malahat Review. Rader is...
2022-08-2735 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 14: Jordan Abel talks about how writing NISHGA impacted how he feels about homeABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Jordan Abel. Jordan's book NISGHA is a finalist for the 2022 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize and the 2022 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In their conversation, Jordan talks about thinking expansively about genre and writing, and how he approached the balance of text, white space and visuals in NISGHA. ABOUT JORDAN ABEL: Jordan Abel is a Nisga’a writer from Vancouver. He is the author of The Place of Scraps (winner of the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize), Un/inhabited, and Injun (winner of the Griffin Poetry Prize). Abel’s work has recently been...
2022-08-2039 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 13: Ruth Ozeki talks about the role libraries have played in her life and her booksABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Ruth Ozeki. Ruth's novel The Book of Form and Emptiness is a finalist for the 2022 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Ruth talks about the questions at the centre of The Book of Form and Emptiness, and her love of libraries. ABOUT RUTH OZEKI: Ruth Ozeki is a novelist, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest. She is the award-winning author of three novels, My Year of Meats, All Over Creation, and A Tale for the Time Being, which was a finalist for the 2013 Booker Prize. Her nonfiction work includes...
2022-08-1333 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 12: Nancy Turner talks about what led her to ethnobotanyABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Nancy J. Turner. Nancy co-wrote Luschiim's Plants: Traditional Indigenous Foods, Materials and Medicines with Dr. Luschiim Arvid Charlie. Luschiim's Plants is a finalist for the 2022 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize, and the 2022 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In their conversation, Nancy talks about why we need books like Luschiim's Plants, and how it can help us establish a closer relationship with the land and plants. ABOUT NANCY J. TURNER: Nancy J. Turner is an ethnobotanist, Distinguished Professor Emerita, Fellow of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and former Hakai Professor in...
2022-08-0631 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 11: David Robertson and Julie Flett talk about the power of their collaborationsABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to David A. Robertson and Julie Flett. Their book On the Trapline is a finalist for the 2022 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation, Julie and David talk about the trust in their collaborative relationship and the special spiritual connections that have emerged in their projects. ABOUT THE GUESTS: David A. Robertson is the author of numerous books for young readers including When We Were Alone, which won the 2017 Governor General’s Literary Award. The Barren Grounds, the first book in the middle-grade The Misewa Saga series, received a...
2022-07-3031 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 10: Darrel McLeod talks about memoir's ability to reclaim storiesABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Darrel J. McLeod. Darrel's memoir Peyakow: Reclaiming Cree Dignity is a finalist for the 2022 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize and the 2022 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. In their conversation, Darrel talks about the way memoir writing allowed him to reclaim and tell his story, and how he used Cree in his books. ABOUT DARREL J. MCLEOD: Darrel J. McLeod is Cree from Treaty-8 territory in Northern Alberta. Before deciding to pursue writing, he worked as an educator, chief negotiator of land claims for the federal government and executive...
2022-07-2337 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 9: Barbara Nickel talks about sticking to the facts in Dear Peter, Dear UllaABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Barbara Nickel. Barbara's novel Dear Peter, Dear Ulla is a finalist for the 2022 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation, Barbara talks about the real life stories that inspired Dear Peter, Dear Ulla and why we need the lessons of her historical novel today. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Barbara Nickel grew up in Saskatchewan and has taught Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. She has published acclaimed books for both adults and young people. Her children’s titles include Hannah Waters and the Daughter of Johann Se...
2022-07-1633 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 8: The Honourable Janet Austin talks about how reading helps understand community.ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to the Honourable Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. In their conversation, Her Honour talks about the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence and its past recipients, as well as what excites her about books written and published in British Columbia. ABOUT THE GUEST: The Honourable Janet Austin was sworn-in as the 30th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia on April 24, 2018. Prior to this appointment, she spent 15 years as Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Metro Vancouver, one of the province’s largest and most diversified non-profits. There she oversaw operations de...
2022-07-0915 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 7: Tanya Christenson talks about tackling tough topics in her book A Soft Place to FallABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Tanya Christenson. Tanya's debut novel A Soft Place to Fall is a finalist for the 2022 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation, Tanya talks about keeping the hope of getting her book published and giving challenging students a voice through her book. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tanya Christenson is currently a Vice Principal but spent most of her career as a teacher and elementary school counsellor. Writing is a passion, which she squeezes into her busy days whenever possible. Returning to her hometown of Creston BC after receiving...
2022-07-0221 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS3 Episode 13: Michael Prior talks about poetry as a medium for asking questionsABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Michael Prior, whose book Burning Province is a finalist for the 2021 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In their conversation Michael talks about watching Star Wars with his grandparents, the way literature is bringing the history of Japanese Internment into the present, and how he finds metaphors within his work to help with the writing.ABOUT MICHAEL PRIOR:Michael Prior is a writer and a teacher. His poems have appeared or are forthcoming in numerous magazines and anthologies across North America and the U.K., including Poetry...
2021-08-2830 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS3 Episode 12: Bonnie Sherr Klein talks about representing disability in picture booksABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Bonnie Sherr Klein , author of Beep Beep Bubbie, which is a finalist for the 2021 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation Bonnie talks about how her own experiences with mobility shaped Beep Beep Bubbie, and how her grand kids helped her write the book.ABOUT BONNIE SHERR KLEIN:Bonnie Sherr Klein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and writer. After suffering a catastrophic brainstem stroke in 1997, she published a best-selling memoir, Slow Dance: A Story of Love and Disability. Soon after, she co-founded KickstART...
2021-08-2122 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS3 Episode 10: Eve Lazarus talks about untold histories and giving a voice to victimsABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Eve Lazarus, author of Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City's Hidden History, which is a finalist for the 2021 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In their conversation Eve talks about the blog that inspired the book and how buildings are an important part of remembering and retelling a city's history.ABOUT EVE LAZARUS:Eve Lazarus is a Vancouver writer and podcaster with an Aussie accent and a passion for true crime stories, cold cases, and non-traditional history. She is the author of four Arsenal titles: Cold...
2021-08-0740 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS3 Episode 8: Linda Bailey, author of Princesses vs. Dinosaurs, talks about tropes in picture booksABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Linda Bailey, author of Princesses versus. Dinosaurs, which is a finalist for the 2021 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation Linda talks about how the book began and how picture books help give young readers permission to be themselves.ABOUT LINDA BAILEY:Linda Bailey is the author of more than two dozen books for children, including the Stevie Diamond mystery series, the Good Times Travel Agency graphic novels, and an eclectic assortment of picture books including If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur...
2021-07-2425 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS3 Episode 7: Michelle Good, author of Five Little Indians, talks about humor as a decolonizing toolABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Michelle Good, author of Five Little Indians which is a finalist for the 2021 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and the 2021 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. Michelle talks about what it means to be an emerging writer and how she developed the characters in her novel.ABOUT MICHELLE GOOD:Michelle Good is a writer of Cree ancestry and a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. She obtained her law degree after three decades of working with indigenous communities and organizations. She earned...
2021-07-1727 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS3 Episode 6: Claudia Cornwall talks about the lasting effects of BC's 2017 forest firesABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Claudia Cornwall, author of British Columbia in Flames: Stories from a Blazing Summer, which is a finalist for the 2021 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In this conversation Claudia talks about the importance of BC's old growth and shares some of the amazing stories she collected while writing her book.ABOUT CLAUDIA CORNWALL:Claudia Cornwall is most recently the author of Battling Melanoma and Catching Cancer (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016 and 2013). Her book At the World’s Edge: Curt Lang’s Vancouver, 1937–1998 (Mother Tongue, 2011) was shortlisted for the City of Van...
2021-07-1032 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS3 Episode 5: Robert Amos talks about how E.J. Hughes documented BC's changing landscapeABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Robert Amos, author of The E.J. Hughes Book of Boats, which is a finalist for the 2021 Bill Duthie Bookseller's Choice Award. Robert Amos talks about how E.J. Hughes captured the changing landscape of British Columbia and it's industrialization through his paintings of boats.ABOUT ROBERT AMOS:Robert Amos has published eight books on art, including E. J. Hughes Paints British Columbia and E. J. Hughes Paints Vancouver Island, and was the arts columnist for Victoria’s Times Colonist newspaper for more than thirty ye...
2021-07-0337 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS3 Episode 4: Junie Désil talks about using source material in eat salt | gaze at the oceanABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Junie Désil, author of eat salt | gaze at the ocean, which is a finalist for the 2021 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. Junie discusses how she ended up writing about zombies, how the source material impacted the writing and why she's not sure she wants her family to read her book.For a transcript of this episode visit:https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/S3-E4-Writing-the-Coast_Junie-Desil.pdfABOUT JUNIE DESIL:Junie Désil is a Haitian Canadian poet. Born of immigrant parents on th...
2021-06-2631 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS3 Episode 3: Gail Anderson-Dargatz writes about writing high-low novels like Ride HomeABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Gail Anderson-Dargatz about her book Ride Home, which is a finalist for the 2021 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. Gail also discusses the dangers of writing an earnest book and the impact her high-low titles have on those working on their literacy skills.For a transcript of this episode visit: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/S3-E03-WritingtheCoast_gail_TRANSCRIPT.pdfABOUT GAIL ANDERSON-DARGATZ:Gail Anderson-Dargatz is an award-winning author of over a dozen books, including The Cure for Death by Lightning and...
2021-06-1924 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS3 Episode 1: Danny Ramadan talks about food memories and home in Salma the Syrian ChefABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Danny Ramadan, author of Salma the Syrian Chef, which is a finalist for the 2021 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. Danny discusses how food memories shape ideas of home in his writing and identity, and diversity in children's literature.For a transcript of this episode visit: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/S3-E1-Salma-the-Syrian-Chef-Danny_transcription.pdfABOUT DANNY RAMADAN:Danny Ramadan is a Syrian-Canadian author, award-winning activist, and public speaker. His debut novel, The Clothesline Swing, won multiple awards. His work in activism...
2021-06-0527 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS2 Episode 41: Joanna Lilley talks about Yukon Words a new society focused on Yukon word artistsABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Joanna Lilley, a Yukon author and board member of the society Yukon Words. In their conversation Joanna talks about why the society started and what some of their goals are. Joanna also talks about how Yukon inspires her writing.ABOUT JOANNA LILLEY:Joanna Lilley's fifth book and third poetry collection, Endlings, was published by Turnstone Press in March 2020. She's also the author of a novel, Worry Stones (Ronsdale Press), which was longlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award, and a short story collection, The Birthday Books...
2021-03-0619 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS2 Episode 40: Terri Potratz talks about Salt Spring Island's Paper Covers Rock FestivalABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Terri Potratz, the founder of Paper Covers Rock Festival. In their conversation Terri talks about the inspiration for the festival, the literary community on Salt Spring Island and how the festival is adapting to the pandemic.ABOUT TERRI POTRATZ:Terri is a writer, event producer and the organizer behind Paper Covers Rock, a new annual readers and writers festival on Salt Spring Island. Terri also co-publishes Saltine.ca, an online zine about Salt Spring.She is a self-taught knitter and started Larry Designs in 2007...
2021-02-2719 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS2 Episode 39: Leslie Hurtig talks about her favourite Vancouver Writers Fest momentsABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Leslie Hurtig, the artistic director of the Vancouver Writers Fest. In their conversation Leslie talks about the challenges of organizing a literary festival during a pandemic, the importance of finding the right moderator and some of her favourite memories from past years of the Vancouver Writers Fest.ABOUT LESLIE HURTIG:Leslie was born into a house of books and has made her career from various points within Canada’s book industry. She has worked for some of Canada’s best bookstores, acted as a sales repr...
2021-02-2026 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS2 Episode 38: Jonathan Manthorpe talks about the challenges he faced writing Claws of the PandaABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Jonathan Manthorpe about his book Claws of the Panda: Beijing's Campaign of Influence and Intimidation in Canada. Claws of the Panda was a finalist for the 2020 Hubert Evans Nonfiction Prize. In their conversation Jonathan talks about using the public record as primary source material for the book and the chapters he'd add to the book a year and a half after it's been published.ABOUT JONATHAN MANTHORPE:Jonathan Manthorpe is the author of three books on international relations, politics, and history. Over his 40-year career...
2021-02-1340 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS2 Episode 37: Ann-Marie Metten talks about the legacy of the Historic Joy Kogawa HouseABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Ann-Marie Metten, Executive Director of the Historic Joy Kogawa House. In 2020, Joy Kogawa and Julie Flett were awarded the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence. Megan and Ann-Marie talk about the history and legacy of the Historic Joy Kogawa House as well as Joy winning the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence.ABOUT THE HISTORIC JOY KOGAWA HOUSE:In 2005–2006, Joy lent her support to a community campaign that saved the house from demolition. This campaign was led by fellow authors and friends, the Save Kogawa Ho...
2021-02-0621 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS2 Episode 36: Alix Ohlin talks about love stories, research and twinshipABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Alix Ohlin, author of Dual Citizens, which was a finalist for the 2020 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation Alix talks about how the love story of two siblings formed the backbone of the book as well as how she paid tribute to Neko Case in the novel.ABOUT ALIX OHLIN:Alix Ohlin is the author of five books. Her novel Dual Citizens, like her novel Inside, was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Her work has ap...
2021-01-3028 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS2 Episode 35: Alex Van Tol talks about the challenges of working on the road and wild placesABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Alex Van Tol, who co-wrote Great Bear Rainforest: A Giant-Screen Adventure in the Land of the Spirit Bear with Ian McAllister. Great Bear Rainforest was a finalist for the 2020 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In their conversation Alex talks about writing the book from a truck stop in Ontario, the importance of writing about wild places like the Great Bear Rainforest and some of her favourite stories from working on the book.ABOUT ALEX VAN TOL:Alex Van Tol grew up reading a wide range of...
2021-01-2327 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS2 Episode 34: Jennifer Croll talks about men in high heels and how men have used fashion to rebelABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Jennifer Croll, author of Bad Boys of Fashion: Style Rebels and Renegades Through the Ages, which was a finalist for the 2020 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. Jennifer talks about the way masculinity has been reflected in fashion, how clothing was used not only as a way to express yourself, but also as a way to look at history, sexuality, gender and more.ABOUT JENNIFER CROLL:Jennifer Croll is the author of four books on fashion and culture: Fashion That Changed the World, Bad Girls...
2021-01-1626 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS2 Episode 34: Wendy Wickwire talks about the research that brought James Teit to life.ABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Wendy Wickwire, author of At the Bridge: James Teit and an Anthropology of Belonging. At the Bridge was a finalist for the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In their conversation Wendy will talk about how she ended up spending many decades researching James Teit as well as how her exploration took her to Shetland.ABOUT WENDY WICKWIRE:Wendy Wickwire, a professor emerita in the Department of History at the University of Victoria, is the author of numerous award-winning books and articles. Her first book, Stein: The...
2021-01-0943 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS2 Episode 32: Julia Nobel talks about how friendships are vital to the stories she writes.ABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode Megan Cole talks to Julia Nobel, author of The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane, which was a finalist for the 2020 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. Julia discusses how her love of the Babysitter's Club inspired her debut novel and other writing projects, and why writing the outsider is important to her stories.ABOUT JULIA NOBEL:Julia Nobel is a teacher and lives in a small town on Vancouver Island. The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane is her debut novel and the first title in a middle grade series.
2021-01-0220 min