Writing the Coast: BC & Yukon Book Prizes podcast

Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes Podcast

Arts EN ↓ 240 episodes

Welcome to Writing the Coast! This is the weekly podcast where we chat with the authors and illustrators of the books who make up the shortlist of the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. On the episodes you'll hear host and podcast coordinator Megan Cole chat with the folks who are creating some of BC and Yukon's best books. We'll also check in with the literary community in our region. For more information about the BC and Yukon Book Prizes visit: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/

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Writing the Coast: BC & Yukon Book Prizes podcast

Episodes

S2 Episode 26: Jessica McDiarmid talks about her journey to writing about the Highway of Tears. 14.11.2020 34:05

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode host Megan Cole talks to Jessica McDiarmid about her book Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which was a finalist for the 2020 Hubert Evans Nonfiction Prize. In their conversation Jessica talks about growing up in Smithers, systemic and institutional racism in Can...

S2 Episode 25: Alejandro Frid talks about the need for collaboration in how we face climate change. 07.11.2020 24:10

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode host Megan Cole talks to Alejandro Frid, whose book Changing Tides: An Ecologist's Journey to Make Peace with the Anthropocene won the 2020 Hubert Evans Nonfiction Prize. In their conversation Alejandro talks about the need for science and Indigenous Knowledge to come together to tackle climate change, collaboration and how Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas made a spec...

S2 Episode 24: Aaron Chapman talks about Tommy Chong, Glory Days and telling the story of a place. 31.10.2020 35:47

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode host Megan Cole talks to Aaron Chapman about his book Vancouver After Dark: The Wild History of a City's Nightlife, which won the 2020 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In this conversation Aaron talks about the characters that created, played and enjoyed Vancouver's Nightlife, how he became a historian and how glory days become a moving target. ABOUT AARON...

S2 Episode 23: Julie Flett talks about the approach she takes to tough subjects in her books. 24.10.2020 19:01

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode host Megan Cole talks to Julie Flett about her book Birdsong, which was nominated for the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Prize. Julie also won the 2020 Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence. In this conversation Julie talks about how her career started, the way she approached intergenerational relationships in Birdsong, and how she tackles...

S2 Episode 22: Steven Price talks about writing happy endings and the book that inspired Lampedusa. 17.10.2020 29:19

About this episode: In this episode host Megan Cole talks to Steven Price about his book Lampedusa, which won the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In this conversation Steven discusses The Leopard which served as inspiration for Lampedusa and how he wrote about the writing practice. About Steven Price: Steven Price is the author of three novels, Lampedusa (2019), By Gaslight (2016), longlisted for the...

S2 Episode 21: Nancy Vo talks about drawing inspiration from the Coen Brothers for her picture book. 10.10.2020 21:02

About this episode: In this episode host Megan Cole talks to Nancy Vo about her book The Ranger, which is a finalist for the Christie Harris Children's Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. Nancy discusses the techniques used to create her breathtaking illustrations, and how she found inspiration in Patrick deWitt's Sisters Brothers and movies by the Coen Brothers. About Nancy Vo : Nancy Vo is...

S2 Episode 20: Sonnet L’Abbé talks about identity, belonging and erasure. 03.10.2020 24:32

About this episode: In this episode, Megan Cole talks to Sonnet L’Abbé about her book of poetry Sonnet's Shakespeare, which is a finalist for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In this conversation Sonnet discusses her relationship with the bard and how language shapes identity. About Sonnet L’Abbé : Sonnet L’Abbé is the author of two previous collections of poetry, A Strange Relief and Killarnoe,...

S2 Episode 19: Nazanine Hozar talks about the role mothers and daughters played in her book 26.09.2020 33:41

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, Megan Cole talks Nazanine Hozar, who wrote Aria. Aria is a finalist for the 2020 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In this conversation Megan and Nazanine talk about the cause and effect of relationships, how Nazanine persevered through the 10 years it took her to write the novel and the way the relationships of mothers and daughters had in the story. ABOUT NAZANINE...

S2 Episode 18: Eldon Yellowhorn talks about his activist history and how it influenced his book 19.09.2020 29:21

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, Megan Cole talks Eldon Yellowhorn, who co-wrote What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal. What the Eagle Sees is nominated for the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation Eldon talks about his background in archeology and how his own history of rebellion and renewal is reflected in the pages of his book. ABOUT...

S2 Episode 17: Chelene Knight talks about Breathing Space Creative and author care. 12.09.2020 17:09

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, Megan Cole talks to Chelene Knight, CEO and founder of Breathing Space Creative Studio. In this conversation Chelene talks about what author care is and why it's so important. She also talks about the new partnership between the BC and Yukon Book Prizes and Breathing Space Creative Studio. ABOUT CHELENE KNIGHT: Chelene Knight is the author of the Braided Skin a...

Writing The S2 Episode 16: Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas talks how manga inspires his books 05.09.2020 19:59

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, Megan Cole talks to Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas about his book Carpe Fin: A Haida Manga, which is nominated for the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In this conversation Megan and Michael talk about the role community and relationships play in his writing and how he plays with the gutters of graphic books. ABOUT MICHAEL NICOLL YAHGULANASS: Michael Nicoll Yahg...

S2 Episode 15: Briony Penn talks about activism and finding comedy in nature 29.08.2020 32:26

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, Megan Cole talks to Briony Penn about her book A Year on the Wild Side: A West Coast Naturalist's Almanac, which is nominated for the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In their conversation they talk about the power of collaboration, the struggles of activism and getting inspiration from Groucho Marx. ABOUT BRIONY PENN: Briony Penn is an award-winning writer...

S2 Episode 14: Hazel Jane Plante talks about her love letter to art, pop culture and trans femmes. 22.08.2020 38:45

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, Megan Cole talks to Hazel Jane Plante about her book Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian). In the conversation they talk about navigating the elements of the real world and fictional world included in Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian) as well as the role TV shows play in creating shared spaces for people. ABOUT HAZEL JANE PLANTE: Hazel Jane Plante is a que...

S2 Episode 13: Bob Joseph talks about why he thinks reconciliation is alive in Canada 15.08.2020 37:01

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, Megan Cole talks to Bob Joseph whose book Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips & Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality is nominated for the Bill Duthie Booksellers Choice Award. Bob talks about the direction he chose to take with his new book and the viral response to his book 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act. ABOUT BOB JOSEPH: Bob Joseph,...

S2 Episode 12: Roy Henry Vickers & Lucky Budd talk about the power of storytelling and oral history 08.08.2020 51:17

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, Megan Cole talks to Roy Henry Vickers and Lucky Budd about their book Voices from the Skeena: An Illustrated Oral History, nominated for the Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In this conversation Roy and Lucky talk about how they began collaborating, the impact these stories have had on those around them and the power of storytelling in preserving knowledg...

S2 Episode 11: Kayla Czaga talks about the role of the speaker in her poems and getting personal. 01.08.2020 23:25

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, Megan Cole talks to Kayla Czaga whose book Dunk Tank is nominated for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. Kayla talks about how she uses the role of the speaker in her poems, what inspires her work and the important role Vancouver's Storm Crow Alehouse played in the creation of Dunk Tank. ABOUT kAYLA CZAGA: Kayla Czaga is the author of one previous collection of...

S2 Episode 10: Ivan Coyote talks about burnout, life on the road and literary Doritos. 25.07.2020 33:41

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, Megan Cole talks to Ivan Coyote about their book Rebent Sinner, which is nominated for the Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes and the Hubert Evans Nonfiction Prize. In this conversation Ivan talked about the burnout they faced leading up to the release of Rebent Sinner as well as life on the road and what it's like to be home bound during the pandemic. AB...

S2 Episode 9: Francine Cunningham talks about understanding herself through writing. 18.07.2020 24:54

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, guest contributor Jason Schreurs talks to Francine Cunningham about her book on/me, which is nominated for the Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. Francine talks about how her mental illness effects her writing and how she learns about herself through writing. ABOUT FRANCINE CUNNINGHAM: Francine Cunningham is a Canadian Indigenous writer, artist and educa...

S2 Episode 8: Sabina Khan talks about the importance of diverse stories 11.07.2020 26:52

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Sabina Khan about her book The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali. In this conversation Sabina talks about the importance of having diverse stories and books available to teens and young adults, and why she's drawn to writing stories about characters who straddle cultures. ABOUT SABINA KHAN: Sabina Khan writes about Muslim teens who straddle...

S2 Episode 7: Kyo Maclear talks getting lost in the research and collaborating with Julie Morstad 04.07.2020 27:17

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Kyo Maclear who co-created the book It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way with Vancouver illustrator Julie Morstad. Kyo talked about how the pair started working together and the connection they've both built to the story and legacy of Gyo Fujikawa. ABOUT KYO MACLEAR: Kyo Maclear is an essayist, novelist and children’s aut...

S2 Episode 6: Chantal Gibson talks about erasure and the portrayal of black women in culture. 27.06.2020 29:45

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Chantal Gibson about her poetry collection How She Read. In this conversation they discuss the way the work in How She Read examines the portray of black women in culture and history and how erasure impacts how we read and learn. ABOUT CHANTAL GIBSON Chantal Gibson is an artist-educator living in Vancouver with ancestral roots in Nova S...

S2 Episode 5: Emily Lycopolus talks about the popularity of regional cookbooks 20.06.2020 24:18

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Emily Lycopolus about the cookbook Cedar and Salt that she co-authored with Danielle Acken. Emily talks about some of the amazing food producers she met along their journey of writing the cookbook as well as why she thinks regional cookbooks like theirs are so popular in Canada. ABOUT EMILY LYCOPOLUS Emily Lycopolus is a recipe develope...

S2 Episode 4: Helen Knott talks about writing her memoir and sitting in story 13.06.2020 31:03

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Helen Knott about her book In My Own Moccasins: A Memoir of Resilience. In this conversation Helen talks about taking care of yourself as a writer, the challenges of confronting memory when writing memoir and her resistance to chronological story telling. ABOUT HELEN KNOTT Helen is a Dane Zaa, Nehiyaw, and mixed Euro-descent woman livin...

S2 Episode 3: Yasuko Thanh talks about the tricks our memories play on us 06.06.2020 24:46

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Yasuko Thanh about her book Mistakes to Run With. Yasuko talked about how she navigated the truth and memories, how she decided what to include in her book and how the process started to write her memoir. ABOUT YASUKO THANH: Yasuko Thanh’s story collection Floating Like the Dead was shortlisted for the Danuta Gleed Award and the Ethel W...

S2 Episode 2: Robin Stevenson talks about the history of reproductive rights in Canada and the US 30.05.2020 26:51

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Robin Stevenson about her book My Body My Choice: The Fight for Abortion Rights. Robin discusses the choices she made about what needed to be included in this important book, how she met the young activists she included and the important life her books lead when she publishes them. ABOUT ROBIN STEVENSON: Robin Stevenson is an award winn...