Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes Podcast

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Joseph Kidney. Joseph is the author of Devotional Forensics, which is a finalist for the 2026 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In this conversation, Joseph talks about why poetry is is preferred genre to write, he also talks about how art of all genres and mediums inspires him. For more about Devotional Forensics: https://bcyukonbookprizes...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Sam Wiebe. Sam is the author of The Last Exile, published by Harbour Publishing, which is a finalist for the 2026 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Sam talks about how he first became interested in crime novels and the stories of private detectives. He also talked about how mystery novels allow us to explore place and s...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Chris Labonte. Chris is the president and publisher of Figure 1 Publishing. Figure 1 was the publisher of Curve!: Women Carvers on the Northwest Coast, which one the 2025 Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award. In their conversation, Chris talks about what first drew him to working in publishing, and he talks about what could help BC boo...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Laurel Dykstra. Laurel's book, Wildlife Congregations: A Priest’s Year of Gaggles, Colonies and Murders by the Salish Sea, was a finalist for the 2025 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In their conversation, how they started the project that inspired the book. Laurel also talks about inter-species loneliness, and that community and ac...

ABOUT 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 J...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, we return to a past episode with 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 r...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This week we're returning to season two to celebrate Black futures and Black History Month. In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Chantal Gibson about her poetry collection How She Read, the winner of the 2020 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. 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 er...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Gregor Craigie. Gregor's book, Our Crumbling Foundation: How We Solve Canada's Housing Crisis, was a finalist for the 2025 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Gregor talks about some of the people, whose stories appear in the book, and the lasting impression they had. We also talk about why housing isn’t just a region...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, we return to a conversation with . Mary-Ann is the special projects manager at Book Warehouse and Black Bond books. We're returning to this episode this week as we celebrate the community that supports BC and Yukon books, and keeps our books community strong. Mary-Ann and the team at Book Warehouse, Black Bond Books, and Hager Books supports authors with readin...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole interviews Iona Whishaw. Iona is the author of the Lane Winslow mystery series, and the book Lightening Strikes the Silence was a finalist for the 2025 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In this conversation Iona talks about how King's Cove because the perfect cast of characters for her mystery series. Iona also talked about how she first he...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole revisits Iona Whishaw's first conversation on Writing the Coast. 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 f...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Carleigh Baker. Carleigh's book, Last Woman, was a finalist for the 2025 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. In their conversation, how she embraces the absurd in her writing during a time when reality seems unbelievable. She also talks about creating memorable characters in her short fiction. For more about Last Woman: https://bc...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Marilyn Bowering. Marilyn's book, More Richly in Earth: A Poet's Search for Mary MacLeod, was a finalist for the 2025 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Marilyn talks about the nearly serendipitous events that led her to the work of Mary MacLeod. She also talks about the magic that came when blending her research abo...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this holiday episode we return to our only holiday episode with Bill Richardson. BIll talks about his book I Saw Three Ships, which was a finalist for the 2020 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Awards. In his conversation with host Megan Cole, Bill reflects on the plagues he's witnessed while living in Vancouver and on the neighbourhood, Vancouver's West End, which is the sett...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Jenny Manzer. Jenny's book, Picture a Girl, was a finalist for the 2025 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation, Jenny talks about how the book The Glass Castle inspire her middle grade novel, Picture a Girl. She also talks about the research she did on surfing so that she could confidently write about surfing...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This week we return to an episode with 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 Sq...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Christopher Cheung. Chris' book, Under the White Gaze: Solving the Problem of Race and Representation in Canadian Journalism, was a finalist for the 2025 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. In their conversation, Chris talks about the way that representation and diversity in Canadian media have shaped the story of Canada, he also...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Rina Hadziev. Rina is the executive director of the BC Library Association. In their conversation, Rina talks about how she began working in libraries, and the role that libraries play in promoting BC and Yukon books. ABOUT RINA HADZIEV: Rina is an experienced librarian, drawing from public library leadership roles and a passion for acc...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Danny Ramadan. Danny's memoir, Crooked Teeth: A Queer Syrian Refugee Memoir, was a finalist for the 2025 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Danny talks about truth in memoir. He also talks about writing memoir as art and writing yourself as a character in your own memoir. For more about Crooked Teeth: https://bcyukon...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Bill Arnott. Bill's book, A Perfect Day for a Walk: The History, Cultures, and Communities of Vancouver, on Foot, a finalist for the 2025 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In this conversation, Bill talks about what first drew him to travel writing, and how mixed media helped him add new layers to how he saw Vancouver. For more abo...

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...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Shashi Bhat. Shashi's short story collection, Death by a Thousand Cuts, won the 2025 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In her conversation, Shashi and Megan talk about their mutual dislike for the term "women's fiction," and Shashi talks about why she loves writing short fiction. For more about Death by a Thousand Cuts: https://bcyukonbookpri...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Scott Alexander Howard. Scott's book The Other Valley is a finalist for the 2025 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. On the episode Scott talks about why we're so drawn to the idea of time travel. He also talks about the real life experiences that inspired his take on time travel For more about The Other Valley: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/pr...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Zehra Naqvi. Zehra's book The Knot of my Tongue is a finalist for the 2025 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. On the episode Zehra how listening helps learn language. She talks about capturing silence in poetry. For more about The Knot of my Tongue: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-knot-of-my-tongue/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Bo...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Shari Green. Shari is the author of Song of Freedom Song of Dreams, which is a finalist for the 2025 Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize. On the episode Shari talks about why she loves writing novels-in-verse. She also talks about the way protest music inspired her book. To find out more about Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams: ht...