Podcasts about powell river public library

ABOUT 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. ABOUT GAIL ANDERSON-DARGATZ: Gail Anderson-Dargatz is an award-winning author of over a dozen books, including The Cure for Death by Lightning and A Recipe for Bees, which were finalists for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. She also teaches other authors how to write fiction. Gail lives in the Shuswap region of British Columbia. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Aislinn Hunter, author of The Certainties, which is a finalist for the 2021 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation Aislinn talks about the influences for her novel, the research she did for the story, and how limbo played out in the lives of her two characters. For a transcript of this episode visit: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/S3E02-Writing-the-Coast_The-Certainties_Transcriptions.pdf ABOUT AISLINN HUNTER: Aislinn Hunter is an award-winning novelist and poet and the author of seven highly acclaimed books including the novel The World Before Us, which was a New York Times Editor's Choice, a Guardian and NPR “Book of the Year,” and winner of the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. Her work has been adapted into music, dance, art, and film forms–including a feature film based on her novel Stay, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Hunter holds degrees in Creative Writing, Art History, Writing and Cultural Politics, and English Literature. In 2018 she served as a Canadian War Artist working with Canadian and NATO forces. She teaches creative writing and lives in Vancouver, BC. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT 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.pdf ABOUT 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 provided a safe passage to dozens of Syrian LGBTQ-refugees to Canada. Salma the Syrian Chef is his first book for children. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Angie Abdou, author of 8 books who writes from and about Fernie, B.C. and the Kootenays. In their conversation Angie talks about how Fernie influences her work and her writing process. ABOUT ANGIE ABDOU: Angie Abdou is a Canadian author who has published seven books, including The Bone Cage (a CBC Canada Reads finalist in 2011, defended by NHL star Georges Laraque). Chatelaine magazine named Angie’s most recent novel, In Case I Go, one of the most-riveting mysteries of 2017, and The Vancouver Sun called it a “spectacularly successful” novel. It was a finalist for the Banff Mountain Book Award, in the fiction and poetry category. With her seventh book, Abdou turns her attention to nonfiction. Home Ice: Reflections of a Reluctant Hockey Mom chronicles the year in the life of a busy sport family. A starred review in Booklist calls Home Ice a first-rate memoir, a fine example of narrative nonfiction, and a must-read for parents with youngsters in organized sport. Angie is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Athabasca University. Angie's eighth book, This One Wild Life, will be published in April 2021 with ECW Press. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Greg Bechtel, the Berton House Writer-in-Residence, who arrived in Dawson City on in December 2019 and has been there ever since. In their conversation Greg talks about how being at the Berton House has impacted his writing and how he's feeling about leaving Yukon after a year. ABOUT GREG BECHTEL: Greg Bechtel’s debut story collection, Boundary Problems, won the Alberta Book of the Year Award for trade fiction and was a finalist for the ReLit Award, the William L. Crawford Fantasy Award, and the City of Edmonton's Robert Kroetsch Book Prize. Since 2011, he has taught English Literature, Creative Writing, and Writing Studies at the University of Alberta, where he completed his PhD on Canadian syncretic fantasy. Since January 2020, Greg has been serving as Writer in Residence at the Berton House Writers' Retreat in Dawson City, Yukon, where he was originally scheduled to remain for three months while working on a new novel about amnesia, climate refugees, ghost-possession, and polyamorous relationships set in a future Edmonton. When the global pandemic hit and lockdowns began in March, he offered to stay on until it was safe to bring in new writers from outside the territory. As of the writing of this bio in February 2021, he is still there. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT 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 (Hagios Press). Joanna's other poetry collections are If There Were Roads (Turnstone Press), and The Fleece Era (Brick Books) which was nominated for the Fred Cogswell Award for Excellence in Poetry. Joanna has an MLitt degree in creative writing from the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde and is a Humber School for Writers graduate. She has diplomas in journalism and plain language editing and has worked in public sector communications for well over 20 years. Joanna is on the board of the Yukon Words society and is the Yukon representative for the Federation of British Columbia Writers. Born in the south of England, Joanna lived in Wales and Scotland before moving to Canada. She now lives in Whitehorse, Yukon, where she's grateful to reside on the Traditional Territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta'an Kwäch'än Council. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT 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. Her pieces have appeared in numerous magazines, music videos, and Larry Designs was previously represented by the grace-gallery in Vancouver. Every item is hand knit with BC sourced alpaca fiber that is naturally processed and spun into a custom-made bulky yarn. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT 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 representative and publicist for some of North America’s great publishers, and worked as a foreign rights and contracts manager at Raincoast Books. Leslie sat on the Board of Directors for the Vancouver Writers Fest before taking on this role as Artistic Director; a role which she says is her dream job come true. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT 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 as a journalist he has been the foreign correspondent in Asia, Africa, and Europe for Southam News; the European bureau chief for the Toronto Star; and the national political reporter for The Globe and Mail. Manthorpe has also undertaken special projects for the United Nations, the World Bank, the Asia Development Bank, and the Canadian International Development Agency. He now lives in Victoria. She lives in Vancouver, where she directs the School of Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT 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 House Committee, and the Land Conservancy of BC. Donations were received from the public, including a sizeable donation from Ontario senator Nancy Ruth. The house is now managed by not-for-profit organization Historic Joy Kogawa House Society. Among its purposes, the Society aims to operate and preserve the home as a heritage and cultural centre and as a site of healing and reconciliation. To this end, the house serves as a site for author residencies, public events, and tours for school groups and the general public. Plans are also underway to restore the house to its 1930s appearance. ABOUT JOY KOGAWA: Acclaimed author Joy Kogawa is best known as the author of Obasan (1981), a Canadian novel that has become essential reading for a nation. Obasan is based on Joy and her family’s forced relocation from Vancouver during the Second World War when she was six years old. The novel remains ‘a touchstone’ for the internment of Japanese Canadians during this era. Joy has also worked extensively to educate the public about this dark period in Canadian history and she actively fought for government redress. Joy’s other novels for adults include Itsuka (1992, republished as Emily Kato in 2005) and The Rain Ascends (1995). Her works for children are Naomi’s Road (2005 – also produced as an opera by Vancouver Opera in 2005 and 2013) and Naomi’s Tree (2009). Since 1967, Joy has also published several poetry collections, including A Garden of Anchors: Selected Poems (2003). Among her many honours, Joy has received an Order of Canada (1986), an order of British Columbia (2006) and, from the Japanese Government, an Order of the Rising Sun (2010) for ‘her contribution to the understanding and preservation of Japanese Canadian history.’ ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT 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 appeared in The New Yorker, The Walrus, Best American Short Stories, on public radio’s “Selected Shorts,” and many other places. Her new book, We Want What We Want, is forthcoming in July 2021. She lives in Vancouver, where she directs the School of Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT 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 books, from Enid Blyton to Stephen King. She taught middle school for eight years, then made the switch to writing for a living. She has published numerous titles with Orca. Alex lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with her family. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT 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 of Fashion, Free the Tipple (Fall 2018), and Bad Boys of Fashion (Spring 2019). She has written for magazines (Nylon, Dazed & Confused, Adbusters), was once the editor of an indie fashion magazine, and for eight years, reviewed books for Vancouver’s alt weekly, the Georgia Straight. During the daytime, she’s the editorial director at nonfiction publisher Greystone Books. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 Way of the River (with Michael M’Gonigle), won the Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award at the 1989 BC Book Awards. Her next book, Write It On Your Heart: The Epic World of an Okanagan Storyteller (with Okanagan storyteller, Harry Robinson) was short-listed for the Roderick Haig-Brown book prize in 1990. Her third book, Nature Power: In the Spirit of an Okanagan Storyteller (with Harry Robinson), won the Roderick Haig-Brown book prize in 1994. She completed the Harry Robinson trilogy in 2005 with the publication (by Talonbooks) of Living By Stories: A Journey of Landscape and Memory. In 2006, Wickwire and Michael M’Gonigle co-edited a Canadian war diary: Marion Kelsey, Victory Harvest: Diary of a Canadian in the Women’s Land Army, 1940-1944 (McGill-Queens U Press). ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this holiday episode Megan Cole talks to Bill Richardson about his book I Saw Three Ships, which was a finalist for the 2020 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Awards. In their conversation Bill reflects on the plagues he's witnessed while living in Vancouver and on the neighbourhood, Vancouver's West End, which is the setting for many of the stories in I Saw Three Ships. ABOUT BILL RICHARDSON: Rhea Tregebov was born in Saskatoon and raised in Winnipeg, where she received her undergraduate education. She did postgraduate studies at Cornell and Boston Universities. For many years she worked as a freelance writer and editor in Toronto, where she also taught creative writing for Ryerson Continuing Education. She is now Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia, where she teaches poetry and translation. Tregebov is the author of six critically acclaimed books of poetry, most recently (alive): New and selected poems (Wolsak & Wynn, 2004). She has also published five popular children’s picture books including The Big Storm and What-If Sara, which are set in Winnipeg. She has edited ten anthologies of essays, poetry and fiction, most recently Arguing with the Storm. Her work has received a number of literary prizes, including the Tiny Torgi award (for The Big Storm) as well as the Pat Lowther Award, Prairie Schooner Readers’ Choice Award, and the Malahat Review Long Poem Award for her poetry. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode host Megan Cole talks to Rhea Tregebov, author of Rue Des Rosiers, which was a finalist for the 2020 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation Megan and Rhea talk about the themes of trauma, home and identity. Rhea also talks about how her own life and experiences influenced the story. ABOUT RHEA TREGEBOV: Rhea Tregebov was born in Saskatoon and raised in Winnipeg, where she received her undergraduate education. She did postgraduate studies at Cornell and Boston Universities. For many years she worked as a freelance writer and editor in Toronto, where she also taught creative writing for Ryerson Continuing Education. She is now Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia, where she teaches poetry and translation. Tregebov is the author of six critically acclaimed books of poetry, most recently (alive): New and selected poems (Wolsak & Wynn, 2004). She has also published five popular children’s picture books including The Big Storm and What-If Sara, which are set in Winnipeg. She has edited ten anthologies of essays, poetry and fiction, most recently Arguing with the Storm. Her work has received a number of literary prizes, including the Tiny Torgi award (for The Big Storm) as well as the Pat Lowther Award, Prairie Schooner Readers’ Choice Award, and the Malahat Review Long Poem Award for her poetry. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode host Megan Cole talks to Rachel Wada, who illustrated The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden (written by Heather Smith). The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden was a finalist for the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation Rachel talks about why she was drawn to this project and how she developed an artistic style that reflects her identity as a Japanese-Canadian woman. ABOUT RACHEL WADA: Rachel Wada is a freelance illustrator whose work is defined by heavy texture, bold color and intricate details that capture the nuances of people, places and ideas, real and surreal. Rachel's identity as Japanese-Cantonese, an immigrant and a woman informs her artistic practice. She loves to put her own spin on traditional techniques, motifs and symbolism inspired by her cultural background. This duality of old and new is also apparent in her use of both traditional and digital mediums, and she draws inspiration from a variety of sources, from Japanese woodblock prints, Chinese pottery and ceramics, food packaging design to traditional folk art. She has a special love for the ocean, tea and noodles of all kinds. Rachel lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode host Megan Cole talks to Joseph Dandurand, whose book Sh:lam (The Doctor) was a finalist for the 2020 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In their conversation they talk about who sh:lam the doctor, how Joesph started writing poetry and whether or not he's run into a sasquatch. ABOUT JOSEPH DANDURAND: Joseph Dandurand is a Kwantlen Aboriginal from Kwantlen First Nation in British Columbia. He is a poet, playwright, and archaeologist. Dandurand received a Diploma in Performing Arts from Algonquin College and studied Theatre and Direction at the University of Ottawa. He has previously published The Rumour (2018), Th'owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish (2019), The Sasquatch, the Fire and the Cedar Baskets (2020) and The East Side of It All (2020). ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode host Megan Cole talks to Sara Cassidy about her novel Nevers, which was nominated for the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. Sara discusses the complicated relationship between Odette and her mom Annalise, and how writing Nevers helped Sara develop a sense of belonging. ABOUT SARA CASSIDY: Sara Cassidy’s books have been short-listed for many awards, including the Chocolate Lily Award for both Black Gold and Blackberry Juice, the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award for A Boy Named Queen and the Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize for Skylark. Additionally, both A Boy Named Queen and Double Play were Junior Library Guild selections. Her poetry, fiction and nonfiction for adults have been widely published. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 Canada, and about her journey to write the book. ABOUT JESSICA McDIARMID: Jessica McDiarmid is a Canadian journalist who has worked across North America and Africa, writing for publications such as the Toronto Star, the Associated Press, Maisonneuve, Canadian Business and the Harvard Review. Highway of Tears is her first book. She lives in British Columbia. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 special gift to the book. ABOUT ALEJANDRO FRID: Alejandro Frid, Ph.D., an ecologist for First Nations of British Columbia’s Central Coast and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria, has for over two decades inhabited the worlds of science, modern Indigenous cultures, and climate activism. He lives on Bowen Island, British Columbia. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 CHAPMAN: Aaron Chapman is a writer, historian, and musician with a special interest in Vancouver’s entertainment history. He is the author of The Last Gang in Town, the story of Vancouver’s Clark Park Gang; Liquor, Lust, and the Law, the story of Vancouver’s Penthouse Nightclub, now available in a second edition; and Live at the Commodore, a history of the Commodore Ballroom that won the Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award (BC Book Prizes) in 2015. He lives in Vancouver. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 tough subjects in her work. ABOUT JULIE FLETT: Julie Flett is a Cree-Metis author, illustrator, and artist. She has received many awards including the 2017 Governor General's Award for Children's Literature for her work on When We Were Alone by David Robertson (High Water Press), the 2016 American Indian Library Association Award for Best Picture Book for Little You by Richard Van Camp (Orca Books), and she is the three-time recipient of the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Award for Owls See Clearly at Night; A Michif Alphabet, by Julie Flett, Dolphin SOS, by Roy Miki and Slavia Miki (Tradewind Books), and My Heart Fills with Happiness, by Monique Gray Smith (Orca Books). Her own Wild Berries (Simply Read Books) was featured in The New York Times and included among Kirkus’s Best Children’s Books of 2013. Wild Berries was also chosen as Canada’s First Nation Communities Read title selection for 2014–2015. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 Scotiabank Giller Prize, and Into That Darkness (2011). Also an acclaimed poet, he has written two award-winning poetry books, Anatomy of Keys (2006), winner of the Gerald Lampert Award, and Omens in the Year of the Ox (2012), winner of the ReLit Award. He lives in Victoria, B.C. About Megan Cole: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 an illustrator and picture book maker. She lives in the Great White North (aka Canada) with her husband and children. Nancy's children like to draw pictures of her with pinker teeth and longer eyelashes than she actually has. About Megan Cole: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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, and, most recently, the chapbook Anima Canadensis. In 2000, she won the Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award for most promising writer under 35. In 2014, she was the guest editor of Best Canadian Poetry in English. Her work has been internationally published and anthologized. L’Abbé lives on Vancouver Island and is a professor of creative writing at Vancouver Island University. About Megan Cole: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 HOZAR: NAZANINE HOZAR was born in Tehran, Iran, and lives in British Columbia, Canada. Her fiction and nonfiction have been published in the Vancouver Observer and Prairie Fire magazine. Aria is her first novel. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 ELDON YELLOWHORN: Dr. Eldon Yellowhorn is a member of the Piikani Nation. He holds undergraduate degrees in geography and archaeology, an MA in archaeology from Simon Fraser University and a PhD in anthropology from McGill University. His published works have appeared in the Canadian Journal of Archaeology, Native Studies Review and Plains Anthropologist. He has written three books for adults and currently, he is a professor at Simon Fraser University where he teaches Indigenous Studies. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 and the memoir Dear Current Occupant, winner of the 2018 Vancouver Book Award, and long-listed for the George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature. Her essays have appeared in multiple Canadian and American literary journals, plus the Globe and Mail, the Walrus, and the Toronto Star. Her work is anthologized in Making Room, Love Me True, Sustenance, The Summer Book, and Black Writers Matter, winner of the 2020 Saskatchewan Book Award. The Toronto Star called Knight, “one of the storytellers we need most right now.” Knight was the previous managing editor at Room magazine, and the previous festival director for the Growing Room Festival in Vancouver. She is now CEO of her own literary studio, Breathing Space Creative and she works as an associate literary agent with Transatlantic Agency. Chelene often gives talks about home, belonging and belief, inclusivity, and community building through authentic storytelling. Chelene teaches part time at the University of Toronto. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 Yahgulanaas challenges native stereotypes through illustrative story telling. The stories of the trickster Raven, as told by Yahgulanaas, are what most people would call comics, and they are fun, humorous and sometimes rude. Yahgulanaas takes traditional Haida stories and turns them into manga (Japanese-style comics). He has dropped the traditional rectangular boxes and voice balloons associated with the North American comics of Marvel and DC. Instead, he has developed a flowing style that uses a bold line stretched almost to the breaking point – a motif strongly associated with Haida art – to link the images in the narrative. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 of creative non-fiction books as well as a contributor to many anthologies and chapter books. She has been a feature writer and columnist for decades, with over five hundred articles on environmental issues and natural history in newspapers, magazines, government publications, online news sources and peer-reviewed journals. She has also written numerous environmental guides and educational handbooks for teachers in British Columbia. Her first book with RMB, The Real Thing: The Natural History of Ian McTaggart Cowan, was the winner of the 2015 BC Book Prize. Her work with Cecil Paul will continue with the publication of a comprehensive and collaborative biography, Following the Good River: Stories from the Magic Canoe of Cecil Paul, which will be published by RMB in the autumn of 2019. Briony lives on Salt Spring Island, BC. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 queer trans librarian, cat photographer, and writer. In a previous life, she co-founded a micro-press, co-edited a little literary journal, and co-hosted a podcast. She currently lives in Vancouver on the unceded ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sə̓lílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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, founder of Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., has provided training on Indigenous relations since 1994. As a certified Master Trainer, Bob has assisted both individuals and organizations in building Indigenous relations. His Canadian clients include all levels of government, Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, including the World Bank, small and medium-sized corporate enterprises, and Indigenous Peoples. He has worked internationally for clients in the United States, Guatemala, Peru, and New Caledonia in the South Pacific. Bob Joseph is an Indigenous person, or more specifically a status Indian, and is a member of the Gwawaenuk Nation. The Gwawaenuk is one of the many Kwakwaka’wakw tribes located between Comox and Port Hardy on Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland of British Columbia. He comes from a proud potlatch family and is an initiated member of the Hamatsa Society. As the son of a hereditary chief, he will one day, in accordance with strict cultural laws, become a hereditary chief. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 knowledge and history. To find out more about Voices of the Skeena and to here more recordings by Imbert Orchard visit: https://memoriestomemoirs.ca/portfolio/voices-from-the-skeena/?portorder=menu ABOUT LUCKY BUDD AND ROY HENRY VICKERS: Robert (Lucky) Budd is the co-author of the Northwest Coast Legends series and the author of Voices of British Columbia (Douglas & McIntyre, 2010), which was shortlisted for the 2011 Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award, and its sequel, Echoes of British Columbia (Harbour Publishing, 2014), which won second prize in the BC Historical Federation’s writing competition in 2014. He lives in Victoria, BC. Roy Henry Vickers is a Canadian Master Artist best known around the world for his limited edition prints. He is also an accomplished carver, design advisor of prestigious public spaces, a sought-after keynote speaker, and publisher and author of several successful books.In addition, he is a recognized leader in the First Nations community, and a tireless spokesperson for recovery from addictions and abuse. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 poems, For Your Safety Please Hold On (Nightwood Editions, 2014), and the chapbook Enemy of the People (Anstruther Press, 2015). Her work has been awarded the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award and the Canadian Authors Association’s Emerging Writer Award and has been nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, and the Debut-litzer. She lives in Victoria, B.C. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Audience Development for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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. ABOUT IVAN COYOTE: Ivan Coyote is the award-winning author, co-author or co-editor of eleven books, including Tomboy Survival Guide, shortlisted for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Nonfiction Prize and an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book. They are also the creator of four short films as well as three CDs that combine storytelling with music. Ivan is a seasoned stage performer and an audience favourite at storytelling, literary, film, and folk music festivals. Ivan lives in Vancouver. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 educator. Her creative non-fiction has appeared in The Malahat Review, the anthologies Boobs: Women Explore What It Means to Have Breasts (Caitlin Press) and Best Canadian Essays 2017 (Tightrope Books), and was longlisted for the 2018 Edna Staebler Personal Essay. Her fiction and poetry have appeared in Grain as the winner of the Short Grain Writing Contest in 2018, The Puritan, Joyland, Echolocation, The Maynard and more. She is a graduate of the UBC Creative Writing MFA program, winner of the 2019 Indigenous Voices Award for unpublished prose, winner of The Hnatyshyn Foundation’s REVEAL Indigenous Art Award, and a recipient of Telus’ 2017 STORYHIVE web series grant. On/Me is her first book. ABOUT JASON SCHREURS: Jason Schreurs is a writer specializing in music and health. He is a student in the MFA in Creative Nonfiction program at the University of King’s College. Jason hosts a podcast called Scream Therapy, about the link between punk rock and mental health. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 cultures. She was born in Germany, spent her teens in Bangladesh and lived in Macao, Illinois and Texas before settling in British Columba with her husband and two daughters. Sabina is an educational consultant helping young people with academic and personal challenges. She started writing because she couldn’t find stories with characters who looked like her daughters or her students. She discovered that while Canada has a very diverse population, in schools, students are required to read the same books that have been in the curriculum for decades. “There is not much to engage them since they never see themselves reflected in the books they read,” she says. Her mission became to write books, both fantasy and contemporary, where the young people around her could see themselves as heroes overcoming obstacles to find love and happiness. Sabina is passionate about creating awareness around LGBTQIA+ issues and for representation of all peoples in literature. She has spoken at events across North America including TeenBookCon, the Montreal YA Festival and the ABA Winter Institute. Her upcoming book Zara Hossain Is Here will be released in November 2020. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 author. She was born in London, England and moved to Toronto at the age of four with her British father (a foreign correspondent and documentary filmmaker) and Japanese mother (a painter and art dealer). Her books have been translated into fifteen languages, published in over twenty countries, and garnered nominations from the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction, the Trillium Book Award, the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards, the Amazon.ca First Novel Award, the National Magazine Awards, among other honours. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 Scotia. Her visual art collection Historical In(ter)ventions, a series of altered history book sculptures, dismantles text to highlight language as a colonial mechanism of oppression. How She Read is another altered book, a genre-blurring extension of her artistic practice. Sculpting black text against a white page, her poems forge new spaces that challenge historic representations of Black womanhood and Otherness in the Canadian cultural imagination. How She Read is Gibson’s debut book of poetry. Her work has been published in Room magazine and Making Room: 40 years of Room Magazine (Caitlin Press, 2017), and she was shortlisted for PRISM magazine’s 2017 Poetry Prize. An award-winning teacher, she teaches writing and visual communication in the School of Interactive Arts & Technology at Simon Fraser University. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 developer, the author of six olive oil-focused cookbooks, a level two olive oil sommelier, the co-founder of eatcreative.ca, a food-driven creative content agency, and the founder of The Olive Oil Critic (oliveoilcritic.com). Her family owns an olive grove in central Italy, where her love of olive oil began. She lives in Victoria, BC. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 living in Northeastern BC. In 2016 Helen was a global change-maker featured by the Nobel Women’s Initiative for being committed to ending gender-based violence. Helen was selected as a 2019 RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Author. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 Wilson Fiction Prize. One of its stories won an Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story. The title story won the Journey Prize for the best story published in Canada in 2009. Quill & Quire named Floating Like the Dead a Best Book of the Year. CBC hailed Yasuko Thanh one of ten writers to watch in 2013. Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains, her debut novel, won the Rogers Writers’ Trust for Fiction, the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize, and was nominated for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award. She lives in Victoria, BC, with her two children. In her spare time she plays in a punk band called 12 Gauge Facial, for which she writes all the songs and music. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

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 winning author of more than twenty-five books for kids and teens. Her writing has been translated into a number of languages, published in more than ten countries, and has won or been nominated for numerous awards. She writes both fiction and non-fiction, for toddlers through teens. She is a member of the Writers' Union of Canada, CANSCAIP and CWILL BC; and a team member and mentor at We Need Diverse Books. She regularly speaks at conferences, libraries and schools across North America. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Michael Christie about his book Greenwood. In their conversation Michael talks about how he stumbled upon the unique structure for the book, how the idea for the novel came to him, and what it means to write the environmental novel you never set out to write to begin with. ABOUT ONJANA YAWNGHWE: MICHAEL CHRISTIE is the author of the novel If I Fall, If I Die, which was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Kirkus Prize, was selected as a New York Times Editors' Choice Pick, and was on numerous best-of 2015 lists. His linked collection of stories, The Beggar's Garden, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, shortlisted for the Writers' Trust Prize for Fiction, and won the Vancouver Book Award. His essays and book reviews have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Globe & Mail. Greenwood, his most recent novel, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, and short listed for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. Rights have been sold in seven countries. A former carpenter and homeless shelter worker, he divides his time between Victoria, British Columbia, and Galiano Island, where he lives with his wife and two sons in a timber frame house that he built himself. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode Megan Cole talks to Harley Rustad about his book Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada's Last Great Trees, which was nominated for the 2019 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. Harley shares what it was like when he first saw Big Lonely Doug as well as what it was like to work with one of the integral characters to the story, Dennis Cronin, who saved one of Canada's biggest, and most famous trees. ABOUT HARLEY RUSTAD: Harley Rustad is a journalist, author, and editor. His writing has appeared in Outside magazine, The Walrus, the Globe and Mail, Geographical, Guardian, CNN, and elsewhere. He is the author of Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees, which was named a best book of 2018 by the Globe and Mail and one of the best Canadian nonfiction books of the year by the CBC, and was nominated for several awards. Lost in the Valley of Death, his second book, will be published by Harper (US) and Knopf (Canada). He received a silver National Magazine Award for an article about a logger who saved one of the largest trees in Canada (Big Lonely Doug) and an honourable mention for a feature on digital mapping in the Belcher Islands, Nunavut (Where the Streets Have No Names). He is a features editor at The Walrus magazine, a faculty editor at the Banff Centre's mountain and wilderness writing residency, and the founder of the Port Renfrew Writers’ Retreat. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and originally from Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Cale Atkinson about his children's book Sir Simon: Super Scarer. In addition to hearing about where the inspiration for Sir Simon came from, they also discuss the challenges of writing a moral in a children's book and who Cale writes for when he's approaching a new picture book ABOUT CALE ATKINSON: Cale Atkinson is an illustrator and animator living lakeside with his family in Kelowna, British Columbia. His work can be found in children’s books, including To the Sea, which he wrote and illustrated, animated shorts, television and games. If he had to choose, Cale would probably want a hippogriff as a pet, to go on adventures and solve mysteries with. Or maybe just a goldfish… ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Onjana Yawnghwe about her book of poetry The Small Way. The book includes themes around science and space, as well as narratives and story. Onjana and Megan talk about how the words we use to define ourselves shape our identity and reconciling whose stories we have permission to tell. ABOUT ONJANA YAWNGHWE: Onjana Yawnghwe was born in Thailand but is a part of the Shan people from Burma. She grew up in Vancouver, and received a MA in English literature. Her poems have been featured in numerous anthologies and journals, including The Best Canadian Poetry in English 2011, 4 Poets, CV2, Room, and The New Quarterly. She was awarded Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award for Emerging Literary Artist in 2012, was nominated for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize and longlisted for the Gerald Lampert Award in 2018. Onjana produced a hand-made chapbook with JackPine Press called The Imaginary Lives of Buster Keaton. She was a co-founder of Fish Magic Press, a micro press specializing in limited-run, hand-made chapbooks, and was a co-editor of Xerography, a little literary journal. Her first poetry book, Fragments, Desire, was published by Oolichan Books in 2017. Her second book of poetry, The Small Way was published with Caitlin Press in 2018 and was nominated for the 2019 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. She is currently working on a graphic novel about her family set in Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, and Canada. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Kathy Page about her book Dear Evelyn, whose protagonist meet before World War II and fall and love as Harry goes off to fight. Their marriage endures the war but as Kathy and Megan discuss it's the damage left by Evelyn's parents' relationship and struggles with mental health (which wasn't talked about at the time) that took at toll and them as individuals and as husband and wife. In addition to themes of mental health and sexism of the time, Kathy and Megan also talk about complicated empathy which Kathy plays with in many of her novels. ABOUT KATHY PAGE: Born in the U.K., writer Kathy Page now lives in Salt Spring Island, B.C. Her books include Alphabet, which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction, and the short story collections Paradise & Elsewhere and The Two of Us, both of which were longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Her latest book is the novel Dear Evelyn, which takes place in London and tells the story of a 70-year-long marriage, won the 2018 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and was nominated for the 2019 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Darrel J. McLeod's breathtaking memoir Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age received a lot of acclaim when it was published in 2018, including the 2018 Governor General's Award for Non-Fiction. In this episode of Writing the Coast, Megan talks to Darrel about his beautiful book. Their conversation included a look at how Darrel came to putting his stories on the page, the healing his family found through storytelling and the power of nature and the environment. ABOUT DARREL J. MCLEOD: Darrel J. McLeod is Cree from treaty eight territory in Northern Alberta. Before deciding to pursue writing in his retirement, he was a chief negotiator of land claims for the federal government and executive director of education and international affairs with the Assembly of First Nations. He holds degrees in French literature and Education from the University of British Columbia. He lives in Sooke, BC, and is working on a second memoir following the events in Mamaskatch. In the spring of 2018, he was accepted into the Banff Writing Studio to advance his first work of fiction. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS MINISODE: In this special minisode, Megan chats with Tara Borin. Tara is a poet, and is the first member of the BC and Yukon Book Prizes board from the Yukon. And now that the prizes has shifted to more formally recognizing the work being created in the Yukon, Megan thought it was high time we checked in to see what's so special about the Yukon. Tara and Megan talk about the Dawson City Daily News Print and Publishing Festival, the Berton House residency and, of course, the famous sour toe cocktail. ABOUT TARA BORIN: Tara Borin’s chapbook manuscript Thick was a finalist for Quattro Books’ inaugural Best New Poets in Canada contest and is now available in Quattro’s Best New Poet’s anthology. Tara also has work forthcoming in the Resistance anthology, edited by Sue Goyette, from Coteau Books in 2020. Tara’s poems have been published in Prairie Fire, The Northern Review, The Maynard, Mom Egg Review, and elsewhere online. A recent graduate of Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio Online, Tara is working on a book-length manuscript about addiction, connection and working in a sub-arctic dive bar. Born in 1983 in London, Ontario, Tara Borin now makes a home in Dawson City, Yukon in traditional Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in territory. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode Megan chats with award-winning author Eve Lazarus. Eve starts the conversation off with a reading from her book Murder by Milkshake. She takes us to the top of the iconic Bowmac sign with one of the most captivating moments of the "astonishing true story" of Esther Castellani by her husband Rene in the 1960s. True crime has quickly become one of the most popular genres the page, on the airwaves and on-screen, but Eve's approach often gives the victims of the crimes she researches a voice. ABOUT EVE LAZARUS: Eve Lazarus is a journalist, blogger and the author of seven books of non-fiction. She is a former Vancouver Sun reporter and has written for a variety of newspapers and magazines including the Globe and Mail, Style at Home, Costco Connection and Marketing Magazine. Her books include the B.C. bestsellers Murder by Milkshake: An astonishing true story of adultery, arsenic, and a charismatic killer (2018); Blood, Sweat, and Fear: The story of Inspector Vance, Vancouver’s first forensic investigator (2017); Cold Case Vancouver: The city’s most baffling unsolved murders (2015); and Sensational Vancouver (2014). She is the recipient of two Gold awards for feature writing at the Kenneth R. Wilson Awards. Her work has been recognized by the City of Vancouver (Heritage Award) and shortlisted for a City of Vancouver Book Award. She was a 2016 and 2019 finalist for the Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award at the BC Book Prizes and a 2018 finalist for Best National True Crime book at the Arthur Ellis Awards. Eve blogs at Every Place Has a Story (evelazarus.com). ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode Megan chats with Alex Leslie, the author of We All Need to Eat: Short Stories that was nominated for the 2019 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In addition to hearing Alex read from her newly released book of poetry Vancouver for Beginners, Megan and Alex talk about writing about place and what it means to write about home and the place you grew up in as an uninvited visitor and settler on Indigenous land. ABOUT ALEX LESLIE: Alex is a poet and fiction writer born on unceded Musqueam territory in Vancouver; her heritage is English and Ashkenazi Jewish from Ukraine. She was born and raised in Vancouver. She's published two collections of short fiction and two collections of poetry. We All Need to Eat was published by Book*hug in Fall 2018 was shortlisted for the 2020 Kobzar Prize; it was a Top 10 book of 2018 by Now Magazine and a fiction pick of the year by 49th Shelf. Alex's collection of prose poems The things I heard about you (Nightwood)was shortlisted for the 2014 Robert Kroetsch Award for innovative poetry. The collection of short stories People Who Disappear was published in 2012 (Freehand ), shortlisted for a Lambda Award for debut fiction. Her writing has won a CBC Literary Award for fiction, a Gold National Magazine Award for creative non-fiction and has been published in Granta‘s first spotlight issue on Canadian contemporary literature (2017), the Journey Prize anthology (McClelland & Stewart), Best Canadian Poetry in English (Tightrope) and Best Canadian Stories (Oberon). Alex received the 2015 Dayne Ogilvie Award from the Writers’ Trust of Canada for emerging LGBT*Q2S writers. She was shortlisted for the 2018 ARC poem of the year award for her poem ‘The Purity Detector.” She has been a guest fiction mentor at the Banff Centre for the Arts and a Writer-in-Residence for the Vancouver International Writers Festival’s school outreach program. She is currently writing a novel. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode Megan chats with award-winning author Monique Gray Smith about her two most recent books Lucy and Lola, which is part of The Journey Forward, a compilation of two novellas co-written with Richard Van Camp, and her new novel for adult readers Tilly and the Crazy Eights. In addition to talking about Monique's beautiful books the pair also discusses the wrote of writing and books in truth and reconciliation. ABOUT MONIQUE GRAY SMITH: Monique Gray Smith is of Cree, Lakota and Scottish ancestry and is the proud mother of twins. She is an international speaker, an award-winning author and a sought-after consultant who lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Her board book, My Heart Fills With Happiness, won the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize and her nonfiction book, Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation, won the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award. Her new novel, Tilly and the Crazy Eights came out his fall. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Sean Cranbury and Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode Megan is joined by a special co-host Charlotte Gill. Together they ask poet and fiction writer Laisha Rosnau about her book of poetry Our Familiar Hunger, and her new novel Little Fortress. They talk about writing women's stories and particularly immigrant women's stories, and Laisha reads from Our Familiar Hunger and Little Fortress. ABOUT LAISHA ROSNAU: Lindsay Wong holds a BFA in Creative Writing from The University of Laisha is an award-winning poet and novelist, university instructor, editor, and writing mentor. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and a Certificate in Narrative Therapy from the Vancouver School of Narrative Therapy. She adores teaching Creative Writing in the Creative Studies Program at University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus. Laisha is also a married mother of two who lives with her family as resident caretakers of Bishop Wild Bird Sanctuary in British Columbia. Find out more about Laisha at: laisharosnau.com ABOUT CHARLOTTE GILL: Charlotte Gill is the author of Eating Dirt, a tree-planting memoir nominated for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize, the Charles Taylor Prize, and two B.C. Book Prizes. It was the 2012 winner of the B.C. National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction. Her previous book, Ladykiller, was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award and winner of the B.C. Book Prize for fiction. Her work has appeared in Best Canadian Stories, The Journey Prize Stories, and many magazines. She is currently faculty in creative writing at the University of British Columbia and in the MFA program in Creative Nonfiction at King’s College. She lives on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Find out more about Charlotte at: charlottegill.com ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Sean Cranbury and Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode Megan chats with Lindsay Wong, the author of The Woo Woo: How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug-Raids, Demons, And My Crazy Chinese Family. In this conversation they discuss writing about mental health, family and Lindsay's new teen novel. ABOUT LINDSAY WONG: Lindsay Wong holds a BFA in Creative Writing from The University of British Columbia and a MFA in Literary Nonfiction from Columbia University in New York City. The Woo-Woo: How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug-Raids, Demons, And My Crazy Chinese Family is her debut memoir. It won the 2019 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize and was a finalist for the Writers Trust 2018 Hilary Weston Prize in Nonfiction. Her debut YA novel, The Summer I Learned Chinese, is forthcoming from Simon Pulse in 2020. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Sean Cranbury and Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode Megan chats with poet Shazia Hafiz Ramji. Shazia reads from her book of poetry Port of Being which was nominated for the Dorothy Livesay Prize. Shazia also talks about her family learning about some of her truths through her book and her writing, and how that shaped their relationship now. Megan and Shazia also discuss the novel that Shazia is currently working on. This episode was recorded in late-August in Megan's kitchen after Shazia was in Powell River for a reading at the Powell River Public Library. At the time when Megan and Shazia talked, Megan's peach tree was heavy with fresh fruit so any background noise can be linked to her husband picking peaches outside the kitchen window. ABOUT SHAZIA HAFIZ RAMJI: Shazia Hafiz Ramji is the author of Port of Being, a finalist for the 2019 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize and Gerald Lampert Memorial Award. Her writing has recently appeared in Poetry Northwest, Music & Literature, and Canadian Literature. She is a columnist for Open Book and is currently at work on a novel. ABOUT THE HOSTS: Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinator where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Sean Cranbury and Megan Cole.

Thanks for tuning in Cousins! Events: October 10th World Mental Health Day, Death Becomes Us, a transmedia Art Installation opens in the atrium of the Powell River Public Library.  Music: General Strike - The Souljazz Orchestra Birdy Nam Nam - Birdy Nam Nam Communist Goth - Deep Sixed  Toy Division - Deep Sixed  Poetry: The Lesson of the Moth - Archy and Mehitabel  Information: The Rise of Blister Packs - Ropack 

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode Sean and Megan test the equipment and introduce themselves and their vision for the future of the podcast. Sean checks in with Jane Davidson, the producer of the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts, on their amazing program this year. ABOUT THE HOSTS: Sean Cranbury is the Executive Director of the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. He's the Founder and co-host of the Real Vancouver Writers' Series, and creator of radio show and podcast, Books on the Radio, that broadcast on CJSF 90.3 FM from 2009 to 2015. Find out more at seancranbury.com Megan Cole is a writer based in Powell River, British Columbia. She also works at the Powell River Public Library as the teen services coordinaotr where she gets to combine her love for books and writing with a love for her community. Megan has worked as a freelance journalist and is working on a memoir which tackles themes of gender and mental health. ABOUT THE PODCAST: The BC and Yukon Podcast, tentatively titled *Writing the Coast*, is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Sean Cranbury and Megan Cole.