Podcasts about this magazine

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Laurence Fox, who writes as L.E. Fox. Laurence's book This Book is a Knife is a finalist for the 2026 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. In their conversation Laurence talks about how working-class people could change the oppressive systems we live in. They also talk about how we need to expand our visions for the future beyond communism and capitalism. For more about This Book is a Knife: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/this-book-is-a-knife/ To view the 2026 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2026/04/14/ann…es-shortlists/ ABOUT L.E. FOX: L.E. Fox is a queer, non-binary, working-class writer and journalist. Their work, which focuses on issues of class, gender, sexuality, the environment, and the messy places where these things intersect, has appeared with The Guardian, Vice, and The Globe and Mail, among many other outlets. This Has Always Been a War is their first book. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Sarah Louise Butler. Sarah's book Rufous and Calliope is a finalist for the 2026 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Sarah talks about how she landed on the braided structure of her novel. She also talked about how important place and setting was in Rufous and Calliope. For more about Rufous and Calliope: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/rufous-and-calliope/ To view the 2026 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2026/04/14/ann…es-shortlists/ ABOUT SARAH LOUISE BUTLER: Sarah Louise Butler is a novelist based in the West Kootenay region of the BC Interior. With a background in physical geography and environmental studies, her stories seek to portray natural landscapes and their non-human inhabitants as characters in their own right. Her debut novel, The Wild Heavens, was a 49th Shelf Book of the Year, and a favourite of book clubs and libraries across the country, including being chosen as a Vancouver Public Library Top 20 Favourite Books of 2020. It was recently translated and released in France. Her second novel, Rufous and Calliope, is a “geographical fiction” that features runaway children, treehouse hideaways, early-onset dementia and the persistence of hope amidst ecological grief. Butler was named a CBC Writer to Watch in 2020. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Jen Sookfong Lee. Jen's book The Hunger We Pass Down is a finalist for the 2026 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. In their conversation, Jen talks about the haunted house that inspired her book. She also talks about how women become monsters in folk stories. For more about The Hunger We Pass Down: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-hunger-we-pass-down/ To view the 2026 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2026/04/14/ann…es-shortlists/ ABOUT JEN SOOKFONG LEE: Jen Sookfong Lee was born and raised in Vancouver's East Side, and she now lives with her son in North Burnaby. Her books include The Conjoined, nominated for International Dublin Literary Award and a finalist for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, The Better Mother, a finalist for the City of Vancouver Book Award, The End of East, The Shadow List, and Finding Home. Jen acquires and edits for ECW Press. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Kidney. Joseph is the author of Devotional Forensics, which is a finalist for the 2026 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In this conversation, Joseph talks about why poetry is is preferred genre to write, he also talks about how art of all genres and mediums inspires him. For more about Devotional Forensics: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/devotional-forensics/ To view the 2026 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2026/04/14/ann…es-shortlists/ ABOUT JOSEPH KIDNEY: Joseph Kidney has published poems in Best Canadian Poetry 2024, Arc, Vallum, The Malahat Review, Oberon, The Fiddlehead, Periodicities, The New Quarterly, PRISM, The Ex-Puritan, and Al-Araby Al-Jadeed (in Arabic translation). He won the Poem of the Year award from Arc, the Short Grain Contest from Grain, and The Young Buck Poetry Prize (now the Foster Poetry Prize) from CV2 for the best poem submitted by an author under 35. He was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, the Bedford International Poetry Award, The Malahat Review's Far Horizons Contest, The Malahat Review's Long Poem Prize, and a Canadian National Magazine Award. Originally from BC, he is currently a lecturer at Stanford University. His chapbook Terra Firma, Pharma Sea is available from Anstruther Press. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Sam Wiebe. Sam is the author of The Last Exile, published by Harbour Publishing, which is a finalist for the 2026 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Sam talks about how he first became interested in crime novels and the stories of private detectives. He also talked about how mystery novels allow us to explore place and setting in ways other genres can't. For more about The Last Exile: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-last-exile/ To view the 2026 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/2026/04/14/announcing-the-2026-bc-and-yukon-book-prizes-shortlists/ ABOUT SAM WIEBE: Sam Wiebe is the author of the bestselling Ocean Drive (2024), as well as the Wakeland novels, one of the most authentic and acclaimed detective series in Canada, including Sunset and Jericho (2023) and The Last Exile (2025). His work has won the Crime Writers of Canada award, the Kobo Emerging Writers prize, and a silver medal from the Independent Publisher Book Awards, and been shortlisted for the Edgar, Hammett, Shamus and City of Vancouver book prizes. Wiebe lives in New Westminster, BC. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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.

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with David Ly about his novel, Not All Dragons (Wolsak & Wynn, 2026).What is it that you are, Rhys? In a land of magic and myth, Rhys awakens on the shore of Lanilia with mysterious wounds on his back and no memory of his life before. Disoriented, he stumbles on the Mernese estuary protected by the mermaid Delia, who is quickly intrigued by this male who doesn't smell like any Lanilian she's ever met and who is unable to answer questions about himself. Determined to figure out his past, Rhys convinces Delia to help, and begins a dangerous journey to discover who he is, or was, and who he might become as they hunt for the truth beneath story and prophecy. David Ly brings readers a fascinating and fresh take on dragons and destiny in this captivating debut novel. David Ly is the author of Mythical Man (Anstruther Books, 2020) and Dream of Me as Water (Anstruther Books, 2022), both short-listed for ReLit Poetry Awards, and the fantasy novel Not All Dragons (Poplar Press, 2026). He co-edited, with Daniel Zomparelli, Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022). David's poems have appeared in publications such as Arc Poetry Magazine, Best Canadian Poetry, PRISM International, and The Ex-Puritan, where he won the inaugural Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence for Poetry, as well as in the Pan MacMillan anthologies He, She, They, Us: Queer Poems (2024) and You're Never Too Much: Poems for Every Emotion (2025). He is the Poetry Editor at This Magazine. More here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with David Ly about his novel, Not All Dragons (Wolsak & Wynn, 2026).What is it that you are, Rhys? In a land of magic and myth, Rhys awakens on the shore of Lanilia with mysterious wounds on his back and no memory of his life before. Disoriented, he stumbles on the Mernese estuary protected by the mermaid Delia, who is quickly intrigued by this male who doesn't smell like any Lanilian she's ever met and who is unable to answer questions about himself. Determined to figure out his past, Rhys convinces Delia to help, and begins a dangerous journey to discover who he is, or was, and who he might become as they hunt for the truth beneath story and prophecy. David Ly brings readers a fascinating and fresh take on dragons and destiny in this captivating debut novel. David Ly is the author of Mythical Man (Anstruther Books, 2020) and Dream of Me as Water (Anstruther Books, 2022), both short-listed for ReLit Poetry Awards, and the fantasy novel Not All Dragons (Poplar Press, 2026). He co-edited, with Daniel Zomparelli, Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022). David's poems have appeared in publications such as Arc Poetry Magazine, Best Canadian Poetry, PRISM International, and The Ex-Puritan, where he won the inaugural Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence for Poetry, as well as in the Pan MacMillan anthologies He, She, They, Us: Queer Poems (2024) and You're Never Too Much: Poems for Every Emotion (2025). He is the Poetry Editor at This Magazine. More here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with David Ly about his novel, Not All Dragons (Wolsak & Wynn, 2026).What is it that you are, Rhys? In a land of magic and myth, Rhys awakens on the shore of Lanilia with mysterious wounds on his back and no memory of his life before. Disoriented, he stumbles on the Mernese estuary protected by the mermaid Delia, who is quickly intrigued by this male who doesn't smell like any Lanilian she's ever met and who is unable to answer questions about himself. Determined to figure out his past, Rhys convinces Delia to help, and begins a dangerous journey to discover who he is, or was, and who he might become as they hunt for the truth beneath story and prophecy. David Ly brings readers a fascinating and fresh take on dragons and destiny in this captivating debut novel. David Ly is the author of Mythical Man (Anstruther Books, 2020) and Dream of Me as Water (Anstruther Books, 2022), both short-listed for ReLit Poetry Awards, and the fantasy novel Not All Dragons (Poplar Press, 2026). He co-edited, with Daniel Zomparelli, Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022). David's poems have appeared in publications such as Arc Poetry Magazine, Best Canadian Poetry, PRISM International, and The Ex-Puritan, where he won the inaugural Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence for Poetry, as well as in the Pan MacMillan anthologies He, She, They, Us: Queer Poems (2024) and You're Never Too Much: Poems for Every Emotion (2025). He is the Poetry Editor at This Magazine. More here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/fantasy

In her third collection, Nova Scotian poet Jaime Forsythe has created an elegant long poem with Yield (Buckrider Books, 2026). In these dreamlike lines a mother faces the postpartum void from a porous house by the ocean as the veil between land and sea, and between being lost and being found, grows thinner. With repeated waves of couplets Forsythe brings the reader unforgettable images: a pom-pom that hardens into a sea urchin, an underwater dance club, a coast that melts into the sea. Delicately tracing the disorientation and dark edges of new motherhood, this is a collection that embraces beauty and ambiguity with a baby that roots for milk while what's ancient—whether history or memory—floods in. Jaime Forsythe's previous books are I Heard Something (Anvil Press, 2018) and Sympathy Loophole (Mansfield Press, 2012). Her poetry and fiction have appeared in Arc, EVENT, Grain, The Malahat Review, Geist, The Ampersand Review and This Magazine, among others. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph and currently lives close to where she grew up in Nova Scotia/Mi'kma'ki. Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from  the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In her third collection, Nova Scotian poet Jaime Forsythe has created an elegant long poem with Yield (Buckrider Books, 2026). In these dreamlike lines a mother faces the postpartum void from a porous house by the ocean as the veil between land and sea, and between being lost and being found, grows thinner. With repeated waves of couplets Forsythe brings the reader unforgettable images: a pom-pom that hardens into a sea urchin, an underwater dance club, a coast that melts into the sea. Delicately tracing the disorientation and dark edges of new motherhood, this is a collection that embraces beauty and ambiguity with a baby that roots for milk while what's ancient—whether history or memory—floods in. Jaime Forsythe's previous books are I Heard Something (Anvil Press, 2018) and Sympathy Loophole (Mansfield Press, 2012). Her poetry and fiction have appeared in Arc, EVENT, Grain, The Malahat Review, Geist, The Ampersand Review and This Magazine, among others. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph and currently lives close to where she grew up in Nova Scotia/Mi'kma'ki. Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from  the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/poetry

James Stewart (J.D.M.) speaks with Peter MacLeod and Richard Johnson about their book, Democracy's Second Act: Why Politics Needs the Public. Democracy's Second Act is a smart, story-driven blueprint for how democracies can move beyond gridlock and cynicism by giving ordinary citizens real power between elections. Drawing on vivid case studies from Ireland, Canada, France, and beyond, MacLeod and Johnson show how new democratic institutions are already revitalizing politics and creating fresh opportunities for reform-minded leaders. Lively, hopeful, and grounded in practice as well as theory, it's perfect for readers who are looking for clear, engaging ideas about how democracy can evolve. Peter MacLeod is the founder and principal of MASS LBP, where for nearly two decades he has been at the forefront of democratic innovation championing a new style of politics rooted in deliberation and shared power. A trusted advisor to governments at all levels, he is one of Canada's leading voices on democracy, civic trust, and active citizenship. Richard Johnson is a former journalist and current policy director at MASS LBP. His writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, The Walrus, Reader's Digest, This Magazine, The New Quarterly, and many others. A former Fellow in Literary Journalism at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, he was also a longtime writer for the award-winning podcast Trailblazers, with Walter Isaacson. If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society's mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada's past.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Chris Labonte. Chris is the president and publisher of Figure 1 Publishing. Figure 1 was the publisher of Curve!: Women Carvers on the Northwest Coast, which one the 2025 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In their conversation, Chris talks about what first drew him to working in publishing, and he talks about what could help BC book publishers stand up to multinational publishers. For more about Curve!: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/curve-women-carvers-on-the-northwest-coast/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT CHRIS LABONTE: Chris shapes the Figure 1 publishing program, collaborating with our authors and partners to produce books of the highest quality. He has worked in the book industry for nearly twenty years, in roles including writer, bookseller, acquiring editor, and publisher. He spends far too much time following the Whitecaps, weeding his vegetable garden, and figuring out which of his kids has his iPad. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Laurel Dykstra. Laurel's book, Wildlife Congregations: A Priest's Year of Gaggles, Colonies and Murders by the Salish Sea, was a finalist for the 2025 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In their conversation, how they started the project that inspired the book. Laurel also talks about inter-species loneliness, and that community and activism can hold us up during times of climate crisis. For more about Wildlife Congregations: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/wildlife-congregations-a-priests-year-of-gaggles-colonies-and-murders-by-the-salish-sea/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT GREGOR CRAIGIE: Laurel Dykstra is an Anglican priest, environmental activist, and amateur naturalist who lives in the lower Fraser watershed on Coast Salish territory with a haphazard queer family and a cat who looks like bad taxidermy. Laurel leads Salal + Cedar, a tiny church that worships outdoors. Writing from Laurel includes books, articles, and anthologies mostly at the intersection of Bible and social action with occasional helpings of parenting and racial justice. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Janice Lynn Mather. Janice's book Uncertain Kin was a finalist for the 2023 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Janice talks about her love of short fiction, food, and folk lore. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About UNCERTAIN KIN: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/uncertain-kin/ ABOUT JANICE LYNN MATHER: Janice Lynn Mather is the author of two acclaimed novels for young adults: Learning to Breathe, which was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award, and Facing the Sun, which won the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award. She lives in Vancouver. Uncertain Kin is her adult debut. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the 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, we return to a past episode with Ian Williams. Ian's book Disorientation: Being Black in the World was a finalist for the 2022 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. In their conversation Ian talks about the word "disorientation" and how he used it in the book, he also reflects on polarization and conversation. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ian Williams was born in Trinidad and raised in Canada. In 2019 he won the Scotiabank Giller Prize for his first novel, Reproduction, which was published in Canada, the US, and the UK, and translated into Italian. His poetry collection, Personals, was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Robert Kroetsch Poetry Book Award. His short story collection, Not Anyone's Anything, won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award for the best first collection of short fiction in Canada. His first book, You Know Who You Are, was a finalist for the ReLit Poetry Prize. Williams holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Toronto and has recently returned to that university as a tenured professor, after several years as a professor of poetry. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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.

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with author KJ Aiello about their book, The Monster and the Mirror: Mental Illness, Magic, and the Stories We Tell (ECW Press, 2024). Revelatory memoir and cultural criticism that connects popular fantasy and our perceptions of mental illness to offer an empathetic path to compassionate care Growing up, K.J. Aiello was fascinated by magical stories of dragons, wizards, and fantasy, where monsters were not what they seemed and anything was possible. These books and films were both a balm and an escape, a safe space where Aiello's struggle with mental illness transformed from a burden into a strength that could win battles and vanquish villains. A unique blend of memoir, research, and cultural criticism, The Monster and the Mirror charts Aiello's life as they try to understand their own mental illness using The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and other stories as both guides to heroism and agency and cautionary tales of how mental illness is easily stereotyped as bad and violent. Aiello questions who is allowed to be “mad” versus “sane,” “good” versus “evil,” and “weak” versus “strong,” and who is allowed to tell their own stories. The Monster and the Mirror explores our perceptions of mental illness in a way that is challenging and tender, empathetic and knowledgeable, and offers a path to deeper understanding and compassionate care. K.J. Aiello is a mentally ill, award-winning writer based in Toronto, ON. Their work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Life, Chatelaine, The Walrus, and This Magazine. They are still waiting for their very own dragon. Sadly, this has not happened, so their cats will have to suffice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with author KJ Aiello about their book, The Monster and the Mirror: Mental Illness, Magic, and the Stories We Tell (ECW Press, 2024). Revelatory memoir and cultural criticism that connects popular fantasy and our perceptions of mental illness to offer an empathetic path to compassionate care Growing up, K.J. Aiello was fascinated by magical stories of dragons, wizards, and fantasy, where monsters were not what they seemed and anything was possible. These books and films were both a balm and an escape, a safe space where Aiello's struggle with mental illness transformed from a burden into a strength that could win battles and vanquish villains. A unique blend of memoir, research, and cultural criticism, The Monster and the Mirror charts Aiello's life as they try to understand their own mental illness using The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and other stories as both guides to heroism and agency and cautionary tales of how mental illness is easily stereotyped as bad and violent. Aiello questions who is allowed to be “mad” versus “sane,” “good” versus “evil,” and “weak” versus “strong,” and who is allowed to tell their own stories. The Monster and the Mirror explores our perceptions of mental illness in a way that is challenging and tender, empathetic and knowledgeable, and offers a path to deeper understanding and compassionate care. K.J. Aiello is a mentally ill, award-winning writer based in Toronto, ON. Their work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Life, Chatelaine, The Walrus, and This Magazine. They are still waiting for their very own dragon. Sadly, this has not happened, so their cats will have to suffice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This week we're returning to season two to celebrate Black futures and Black History Month. In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Chantal Gibson about her poetry collection How She Read, the winner of the 2020 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In this conversation they discuss the way the work in How She Read examines the portray of black women in culture and history and how 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 the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Gregor Craigie. Gregor's book, Our Crumbling Foundation: How We Solve Canada's Housing Crisis, was a finalist for the 2025 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Gregor talks about some of the people, whose stories appear in the book, and the lasting impression they had. We also talk about why housing isn't just a regional or provincial problem, it's a national one that is uniquely Canadian. For more about Our Crumbling Foundation: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/our-crumbling-foundation-how-we-solve-canadas-housing-crisis/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT GREGOR CRAIGIE: Gregor Craigie has been a journalist for more than 25 years at the BBC World Service, CBC Radio, CBS Radio and Public Radio International. He has hosted On The Island on CBC Radio One in Victoria, BC, since 2007. His first book, On Borrowed Time: North America's Next Big Quake, was a finalist for both the Balsillie Prize for Public Policy and the City of Victoria Book Prize, and was a Globe and Mail Top 100 book in 2021. His first novel, Radio Jet Lag, was published in 2023. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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, we return to a conversation with . Mary-Ann is the special projects manager at Book Warehouse and Black Bond books. We're returning to this episode this week as we celebrate the community that supports BC and Yukon books, and keeps our books community strong. Mary-Ann and the team at Book Warehouse, Black Bond Books, and Hager Books supports authors with readings and events, puts books in readers hands, and is the happy face selling books at literary events in the community. In this conversation Mary-Ann talks about the books that transformed her, and how Amazon is devaluing books. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 interviews Iona Whishaw. Iona is the author of the Lane Winslow mystery series, and the book Lightening Strikes the Silence was a finalist for the 2025 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In this conversation Iona talks about how King's Cove because the perfect cast of characters for her mystery series. Iona also talked about how she first heard about Japanese Balloon Bombs and why she decided to include them in her novel. ABOUT IONA WHISHAW: Iona Whishaw is a former educator and social worker whose mother and grandfather were both spies during their respective wars. She is the award-winning author of the Globe and Mail bestselling Lane Winslow Mystery series. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the BC and Yukon Book Prizes Executive Director. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 revisits Iona Whishaw's first conversation on Writing the Coast. Iona is the author of A Lethal Lesson. A Lethal Lesson was a finalist for the 2022 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In their conversation Iona talks about the real life person who inspired her character Lane Winslow. She also talks about how the Kootenays became the setting for her murder mystery series. ABOUT IONA WHISHAW: Iona Whishaw is a former educator and social worker whose mother and grandfather were both spies during their respective wars. She is the award-winning author of the Globe and Mail bestselling Lane Winslow Mystery series. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the BC and Yukon Book Prizes Executive Director. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Carleigh Baker. Carleigh's book, Last Woman, was a finalist for the 2025 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. In their conversation, Carleigh talks about how she embraces the absurd in her writing during a time when reality seems unbelievable. She also talks about creating memorable characters in her short fiction. For more about Last Woman: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/last-woman/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT CARLEIGH BAKER: Carleigh Baker is an nêhiyaw âpihtawikosisân /Icelandic writer who lives as a guest on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Skwxwu7mesh, and səl̓ilwəta peoples. Her work has appeared in Best Canadian Essays, The Short Story Advent Calendar, and The Journey Prize Stories. She also writes reviews for the Globe and Mail and the Literary Review of Canada. Her debut story collection, Bad Endings (Anvil, 2017) won the City of Vancouver Book Award, and was also a finalist for the Rogers Writers' Trust Award, the Emerging Indigenous Voices Award for fiction, and the BC Book Prize Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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.

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Sean Minogue about this play, Prodigals (Latitude 46 Publishing, 2025). When a big-city dreamer from a small northern Ontario city returns to his hometown to testify in a murder trial, he faces old uncovered wounds in his circle of friends and discovers that his missed opportunities are more than just regrets. Sean Minogue has written for film, television and theatre. His poems, stories and essays have been published in ARC Poetry Magazine, Maudlin House, Shift, THIS Magazine, Full Stop, Huffington Post and The Globe and Mail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Sean Minogue about this play, Prodigals (Latitude 46 Publishing, 2025). When a big-city dreamer from a small northern Ontario city returns to his hometown to testify in a murder trial, he faces old uncovered wounds in his circle of friends and discovers that his missed opportunities are more than just regrets. Sean Minogue has written for film, television and theatre. His poems, stories and essays have been published in ARC Poetry Magazine, Maudlin House, Shift, THIS Magazine, Full Stop, Huffington Post and The Globe and Mail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Sean Minogue about this play, Prodigals (Latitude 46 Publishing, 2025). When a big-city dreamer from a small northern Ontario city returns to his hometown to testify in a murder trial, he faces old uncovered wounds in his circle of friends and discovers that his missed opportunities are more than just regrets. Sean Minogue has written for film, television and theatre. His poems, stories and essays have been published in ARC Poetry Magazine, Maudlin House, Shift, THIS Magazine, Full Stop, Huffington Post and The Globe and Mail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/performing-arts

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Marilyn Bowering. Marilyn's book, More Richly in Earth: A Poet's Search for Mary MacLeod, was a finalist for the 2025 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Marilyn talks about the nearly serendipitous events that led her to the work of Mary MacLeod. She also talks about the magic that came when blending her research about Mary with her own. For more about More Richly in Earth: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/more-richly-in-earth-a-poets-search-for-mary-macleod/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT MARILYN BOWERING: Marilyn Bowering is a novelist, poet, and librettist; she is the author of four novels and numerous books of poetry. She is the winner of the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, the Gwen MacEwen Poetry Prize, the Pat Lowther Prize, and the Dorothy Livesay Prize. She has been shortlisted for the Orange Prize, the Prix Italia, and the Sony Award. Her work has been translated into numerous languages including Spanish, Finnish, German, Romanian, Russian, Greek, and Punjabi. In a review of her novel What it Takes to Be Human the Globe and Mail said of her “[Bowering] does not seek moments to be brilliant: those moments just arrive.” Marilyn Bowering lives in Victoria, BC. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Jenny Manzer. Jenny's book, Picture a Girl, was a finalist for the 2025 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In their conversation, Jenny talks about how the book The Glass Castle inspire her middle grade novel, Picture a Girl. She also talks about the research she did on surfing so that she could confidently write about surfing in the novel. For more about Picture a Girl: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/picture-a-girl/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT JENNY MANZER: Jenny Manzer is the author of Save Me, Kurt Cobain and My Life as a Diamond, which was shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Diamond Willow Award, Chocolate Lily Award, Victoria Children's Book Prize and the Silver Birch Award. She has a degree in creative writing and was a finalist for the 2013 CBC Creative Nonfiction Prize, one of Canada's most prestigious literary competitions. She lives with her family in Victoria, British Columbia. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Interim Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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: This week we return to an episode with Michelle Cyca. Michelle is a journalist and book critic. In their conversation, Michelle talks about how she can't get enough of the Gilmore Girls, and what she's excited about when it comes to BC books. ABOUT MICHELLE CYCA: Michelle Cyca is a writer, editor and book enthusiast living on unceded territories of the Musqueam Band, and the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Her writing has appeared in the Vancouver Sun, Chatelaine, SAD Mag and more. Find her on Twitter @michellecyca. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Christopher Cheung. Chris' book, Under the White Gaze: Solving the Problem of Race and Representation in Canadian Journalism, was a finalist for the 2025 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. In their conversation, Chris talks about the way that representation and diversity in Canadian media have shaped the story of Canada, he also talks about why we need to be talking about race in media literacy. For more about Under the White Gaze: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/under-the-white-gaze/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG: Christopher Cheung was a staff reporter at one of Canada's earliest online news sources, the Tyee. Previously at Metro and the Vancouver Courier, he is highly acclaimed for his reporting on urban culture, inequality, and life in Metro Vancouver's diasporas. Among his many honours are two Jack Websters, BC's top journalism awards. He holds a Master of Journalism from UBC. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Interim Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Rina Hadziev. Rina is the executive director of the BC Library Association. In their conversation, Rina talks about how she began working in libraries, and the role that libraries play in promoting BC and Yukon books. ABOUT RINA HADZIEV: Rina is an experienced librarian, drawing from public library leadership roles and a passion for accessible library services, collaboration, inclusion, and collections. She's worked atthe Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) and the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA). In her role with the GVPL, Rina led the indigenization of the library catalogue and integration of new technologies, e-resources, and digital collections. Recently with CELA she advanced partnerships and programming integral to facilitating equitable access for patrons with print disabilities. Rina holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria and a Master of Library and Information Studies from the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, The Puritan, Untethered, Invisible publishing's invisiblog, This Magazine and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book titled Head Over Feet: The Lasting Heartache of First Loves. 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. Danny's memoir, Crooked Teeth: A Queer Syrian Refugee Memoir, was a finalist for the 2025 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. In their conversation, Danny talks about truth in memoir. He also talks about writing memoir as art and writing yourself as a character in your own memoir. For more about Crooked Teeth: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/crooked-teeth/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT DANNY RAMADAN: Danny Ramadan (he/him) is a Syrian-Canadian author, public speaker, and advocate for LGBTQ+ refugees. His debut novel, The Clothesline Swing, was longlisted for Canada Reads and named a Best Book of the Year by The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star. His second novel, The Foghorn Echoes, won a Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction and was shortlisted for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and the Vancouver Book Award. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC and currently lives in Vancouver with his husband. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Interim Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Bill Arnott. Bill's book, A Perfect Day for a Walk: The History, Cultures, and Communities of Vancouver, on Foot, a finalist for the 2025 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In this conversation, Bill talks about what first drew him to travel writing, and how mixed media helped him add new layers to how he saw Vancouver. For more about A Perfect Day for a Walk: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/a-perfect-day-for-a-walk/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT Bill Arnott: Bill Arnott (he/him) is the bestselling author of A Perfect Day for a Walk (Arsenal Pulp Press), A Season in the Okanagan (Rocky Mountain Books), and the Gone Viking travelogues (Rocky Mountain Books). A fellow of London's Royal Geographical Society, he's a frequent presenter and guest on podcasts, TV, and radio. When not roaming the globe, Bill can be found on Canada's West Coast. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Interim Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 suppor

This, after a few weeks of colds, flus, and food poisoning, host Megan Cole revisits a favourite episode with Jazmin Welch. Jaz Welch is the founder and book designer of fleck creative studio. In her conversation with host Megan Cole, Jaz talks about how she got into book design, what she thinks about the trends in book covers, and answers the age-old question, "should we judge a book by its cover?" Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: http://www.bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About fleck creative studio: https://fleckcreativestudio.com/ About Luke Bird: https://www.lukebird.co.uk/ About Holly Ovenden: https://www.hollyovenden.com/ ABOUT JAZ: Fleck is owned by creative director Jazmin Welch (call her Jaz). She has a love for the details and revels in the problem solving challenge that each new book poses. Her goal is always to create a compelling and page-turning design that stands out on the bookshelf, suits the target audience and respects each author's own unique desires. She loves creating artful and meaningful solutions while fostering strong connections with authors. Jaz is a book lover who is here to advocate for your story and impress your readers! She holds an Honours Bachelor of Design (Ryerson University) and Master of Publishing (Simon Fraser University). Jaz is a dog mom with a love of fresh ocean air. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the 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 Shashi Bhat. Shashi's short story collection, Death by a Thousand Cuts, won the 2025 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In her conversation, Shashi and Megan talk about their mutual dislike for the term "women's fiction," and Shashi talks about why she loves writing short fiction. For more about Death by a Thousand Cuts: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/death-by-a-thousand-cuts-stories/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT SHASHI BHAT: Shashi Bhat is the author of the story collection Death by a Thousand Cuts, and the novels The Most Precious Substance on Earth, a finalist for the Governor General's Award for fiction, and The Family Took Shape, a finalist for the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award. Her fiction has won the Writers' Trust/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize and been shortlisted for a National Magazine Award and the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers, and appeared in such publications as The Fiddlehead, The Malahat Review, Best Canadian Stories, and The Journey Prize Stories. Shashi holds an MFA from the Johns Hopkins University and a BA from Cornell University. She lives in New Westminster, B.C., where she is the editor-in-chief of EVENT magazine and teaches creative writing at Douglas College. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Interim Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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.

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery interview debut Toronto author, Nadia Ragbar, about her novel, The Pugilist and the Sailor (Invisible Publishing, 2025).  The Pugilist and the Sailor follows conjoined twins, Bruce and Dougie. Dougie is an ambitious amateur boxer, having dragged his brother into the ring since childhood. Bruce is a bookkeeper who has become smitten with Anka. Unaware of the facts of the twins' physicality an epistolary relationship unfolds between Anka and Bruce, as he wrestles with broaching the topic of separation with Dougie. Dougie's sole focus is the Heavyweight Amateur Boxing title as one half of "The Reuben Beast," though he is trying to ignore his mysterious blackouts and severe headaches. Anka is, specifically, navigating through her grief over her parents' deaths, but also, generally, reconciling her understanding of being a first-generation Canadian without her Guyanese parents as an anchor. A character-driven story with an ensemble cast, told across multiple points of view and time periods, examines the unique relationships between conjoined brothers, parents, crushes, and unexpected mentors. A story about the intertwined nature of longing and belonging, compromise and connection, this is ultimately a consideration of family and finding your unique place in it, and in the world. Nadia Ragbar lives in Toronto with her partner and son. Her short fiction has appeared in Broken Pencil and This Magazine, among other outlets. Her flash fiction appeared in The Unpublished City, an anthology curated by Dionne Brand, which was shortlisted for the 2018 Toronto Book Award. The Pugilist and the Sailor is her first novel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery interview debut Toronto author, Nadia Ragbar, about her novel, The Pugilist and the Sailor (Invisible Publishing, 2025).  The Pugilist and the Sailor follows conjoined twins, Bruce and Dougie. Dougie is an ambitious amateur boxer, having dragged his brother into the ring since childhood. Bruce is a bookkeeper who has become smitten with Anka. Unaware of the facts of the twins' physicality an epistolary relationship unfolds between Anka and Bruce, as he wrestles with broaching the topic of separation with Dougie. Dougie's sole focus is the Heavyweight Amateur Boxing title as one half of "The Reuben Beast," though he is trying to ignore his mysterious blackouts and severe headaches. Anka is, specifically, navigating through her grief over her parents' deaths, but also, generally, reconciling her understanding of being a first-generation Canadian without her Guyanese parents as an anchor. A character-driven story with an ensemble cast, told across multiple points of view and time periods, examines the unique relationships between conjoined brothers, parents, crushes, and unexpected mentors. A story about the intertwined nature of longing and belonging, compromise and connection, this is ultimately a consideration of family and finding your unique place in it, and in the world. Nadia Ragbar lives in Toronto with her partner and son. Her short fiction has appeared in Broken Pencil and This Magazine, among other outlets. Her flash fiction appeared in The Unpublished City, an anthology curated by Dionne Brand, which was shortlisted for the 2018 Toronto Book Award. The Pugilist and the Sailor is her first novel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Scott Alexander Howard. Scott's book The Other Valley is a finalist for the 2025 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. On the episode Scott talks about why we're so drawn to the idea of time travel. He also talks about the real life experiences that inspired his take on time travel For more about The Other Valley: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-other-valley/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT SCOTT ALEXANDER HOWARD: Scott Alexander Howard lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has a PhD in philosophy from the University of Toronto and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard, where his work focused on the relationship between memory, emotion, and literature. The Other Valley is his first novel. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Interim Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Zehra Naqvi. Zehra's book The Knot of my Tongue is a finalist for the 2025 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. On the episode Zehra how listening helps learn language. She talks about capturing silence in poetry. For more about The Knot of my Tongue: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-knot-of-my-tongue/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT ZEHRA NAQVI: Zehra Naqvi is a Karachi-born writer raised on unceded Coast Salish Territories (Vancouver, BC). She is a winner of the 2021 RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers awarded by the Writers' Trust of Canada. Her poem “forgetting urdu” was the winner of Room's 2016 Poetry Contest. Zehra has written and edited for various publications internationally. She holds two MSc degrees in migration studies and social anthropology from Oxford University where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar. The Knot of My Tongue is her debut poetry collection. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Interim Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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 Shari Green. Shari is the author of Song of Freedom Song of Dreams, which is a finalist for the 2025 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. On the episode Shari talks about why she loves writing novels-in-verse. She also talks about the way protest music inspired her book. To find out more about Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/song-of-freedom-song-of-dreams/ Find the classical playlist to pair with Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams here: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://sharigreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/playlist-1.pdf Find the modern playlist to pair with Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams here: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://sharigreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/playlist-2.pdf To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT SHARI GREEN: Shari Green is the author of several novels in verse, including the ALA Schneider Family Book Award winner, Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess. Her books have been included on international “best of” lists and nominated for multiple state and provincial readers'-choice programs. Shari is also a poet, musician, and former nurse. She can often be found wandering the beaches or forest trails near her home on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Interim Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. 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.

What happens when Christian faith gets filtered through purity rings, YA fiction, and pop-punk soundtracks? In this episode, co-host Martha Tatarnic welcomes writer and journalist Joelle Kidd to discuss her new book, Jesusland. Joelle shares her experiences growing up in a conservative Christian school and how the teachings she received influenced her understanding of faith, identity, and culture. This candid conversation explores the complexities of navigating a religious upbringing marked by purity culture, shame, and the impact of Christian pop culture on personal and political landscapes. Joelle reflects on the positives and negatives of her faith journey, the importance of self-ownership, and the need for a more inclusive and compassionate Christianity. Whether you were steeped in youth group culture or always felt on the outside looking in, this episode invites reflection on the messages that shaped us, and what kind of faith might lead us forward.   Topics Covered: What “Christian pop culture” really means and how it shaped Joelle's youth The collision of capitalism, conservatism, and evangelical media How shame, purity culture, and literalist theology distort identity and faith The rise of Christian influencers, tradwives, and mega-pastor empires What the church can do differently—especially for young people today   Joelle Kidd is a writer, award-winning journalist, and editor who lives in a book-filled basement apartment in Tkaronto/Toronto. Her work has appeared in outlets such as The Walrus, This Magazine, Lit Hub, The Rumpus, and Xtra Magazine. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Guelph. Jesusland is her first book.        Mentioned Resources:

Join NBN host Hollay Ghadery for a thought-provoking conversation with Linda Trihn about her memoir, Seeking Spirit: A Vietnamese (Non)Buddhist Memoir (Miroland, 2025). Linda Trinh had everything she thought an immigrant woman should want: motherhood, career, and security. Yet, she felt empty. Growing up in Winnipeg, Linda helped her mom make offerings to their ancestors and cleaned her late dad's altar. These were her mother's beliefs, but was Buddhism Linda's belief? In her late-twenties, Linda sought answers in Egypt and China and prayed during corporate downsizing, seeking meaning in contemporary life. Via a collection of essays, she plays with form and structure to show the interconnection of life events, trauma, and spiritual practice, to move from being a passive believer to an active seeker. About Linda Trinh: Linda Trinh is a Vietnamese Canadian author who writes nonfiction and fiction for adults and children. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in literary magazines such as The Fiddlehead, Room, Prairie Fire, and This Magazine. Her short fiction has appeared in anthologies such as Black Cat anthology and Alternate Plains: Stories of Prairie Speculative Fiction. She has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards. Her award-winning early chapter book series, The Nguyen Kids, explores Vietnamese culture and identity with elements of the supernatural, spirituality, and social justice woven in. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Join NBN host Hollay Ghadery for a thought-provoking conversation with Linda Trihn about her memoir, Seeking Spirit: A Vietnamese (Non)Buddhist Memoir (Miroland, 2025). Linda Trinh had everything she thought an immigrant woman should want: motherhood, career, and security. Yet, she felt empty. Growing up in Winnipeg, Linda helped her mom make offerings to their ancestors and cleaned her late dad's altar. These were her mother's beliefs, but was Buddhism Linda's belief? In her late-twenties, Linda sought answers in Egypt and China and prayed during corporate downsizing, seeking meaning in contemporary life. Via a collection of essays, she plays with form and structure to show the interconnection of life events, trauma, and spiritual practice, to move from being a passive believer to an active seeker. About Linda Trinh: Linda Trinh is a Vietnamese Canadian author who writes nonfiction and fiction for adults and children. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in literary magazines such as The Fiddlehead, Room, Prairie Fire, and This Magazine. Her short fiction has appeared in anthologies such as Black Cat anthology and Alternate Plains: Stories of Prairie Speculative Fiction. She has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards. Her award-winning early chapter book series, The Nguyen Kids, explores Vietnamese culture and identity with elements of the supernatural, spirituality, and social justice woven in. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-american-studies

Join NBN host Hollay Ghadery for a thought-provoking conversation with Linda Trihn about her memoir, Seeking Spirit: A Vietnamese (Non)Buddhist Memoir (Miroland, 2025). Linda Trinh had everything she thought an immigrant woman should want: motherhood, career, and security. Yet, she felt empty. Growing up in Winnipeg, Linda helped her mom make offerings to their ancestors and cleaned her late dad's altar. These were her mother's beliefs, but was Buddhism Linda's belief? In her late-twenties, Linda sought answers in Egypt and China and prayed during corporate downsizing, seeking meaning in contemporary life. Via a collection of essays, she plays with form and structure to show the interconnection of life events, trauma, and spiritual practice, to move from being a passive believer to an active seeker. About Linda Trinh: Linda Trinh is a Vietnamese Canadian author who writes nonfiction and fiction for adults and children. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in literary magazines such as The Fiddlehead, Room, Prairie Fire, and This Magazine. Her short fiction has appeared in anthologies such as Black Cat anthology and Alternate Plains: Stories of Prairie Speculative Fiction. She has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards. Her award-winning early chapter book series, The Nguyen Kids, explores Vietnamese culture and identity with elements of the supernatural, spirituality, and social justice woven in. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Join NBN host Hollay Ghadery for a thought-provoking conversation with Linda Trihn about her memoir, Seeking Spirit: A Vietnamese (Non)Buddhist Memoir (Miroland, 2025). Linda Trinh had everything she thought an immigrant woman should want: motherhood, career, and security. Yet, she felt empty. Growing up in Winnipeg, Linda helped her mom make offerings to their ancestors and cleaned her late dad's altar. These were her mother's beliefs, but was Buddhism Linda's belief? In her late-twenties, Linda sought answers in Egypt and China and prayed during corporate downsizing, seeking meaning in contemporary life. Via a collection of essays, she plays with form and structure to show the interconnection of life events, trauma, and spiritual practice, to move from being a passive believer to an active seeker. About Linda Trinh: Linda Trinh is a Vietnamese Canadian author who writes nonfiction and fiction for adults and children. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in literary magazines such as The Fiddlehead, Room, Prairie Fire, and This Magazine. Her short fiction has appeared in anthologies such as Black Cat anthology and Alternate Plains: Stories of Prairie Speculative Fiction. She has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards. Her award-winning early chapter book series, The Nguyen Kids, explores Vietnamese culture and identity with elements of the supernatural, spirituality, and social justice woven in. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/spiritual-practice-and-mindfulness

Jessie Boulard Episode 033: December 28, 2024 Jessie Boulard is an award-winning illustrator applying her skills to social issues. We will talk about passion projects plus art education and more. About Jessie Boulard: Jessie is a Canadian non-status Indigenous Mixed-Blood of the Anishinaabe First Nation Freelance Illustrator who received her Honours Bachelor of Applied Arts in Illustration from Sheridan College. She is known for her strong line work and love of textures. Believing that art is more than just a form of expression, Jessie uses her skills to convey important issues as well as personal growth. Jessie is currently living in Southern Ontario, Freelancing and building Lux Arts; A Nomadic Community Art Studio for all ages. Jessie previously worked at Niagara College for 8 years teaching Illustration in the Graphic Design program. Currently Jessie's passions have moved her towards exploring the symbiotic relationship humans and nature share. She is working on a series of pieces depicting this relationship and looking forward to showcasing her work. Clients include Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Book Group, eOne Entertainment, TBDoc Productions Inc., CRAVE, CANADALAND, LTBB of Odawa Indians, Superfriendly, The Writers' Union of Canada, Hour Detroit, CBC News, THIS Magazine, Studio M, Walmart, Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, Inc., The Walrus, CONTINUE MEDIA Inc., Canadian Geographic, Boathouse Brands In 2022, Jessie won The One Award (San Diego): Silver Medal for Social Impact for Anishinaabe Cooking Resources Initiative Jessie Boulard's Links: Website: https://www.jessieboulard.com Echo Chernik Links: Website: https://www.EchoChernik.com Illustration: https://www.echo-x.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/echoxartist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/echochernik Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/echochernik Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/echox/created

Will a mansion full of monsters and ghouls scare Falk Zildjian away from doing his duty? Will hearts be torn out or tamed? Is there anyone here besides us chickens? Listen to find out!It Was a Dark and Stormy Reading of the Will, episode 112 of This Gun in My Hand, was carried out according to the final instructions of Rob Northrup. This episode and all others are available on Youtube with automatically-generated closed captions of dialog. Visit http://ThisGuninMyHand.blogspot.com for credits, show notes, archives, and to buy my books, such as Little Heist in the Big Woods and Other Revisionist Atrocities. What ensures that I get good deals at thrift stores? This Gun in My Hand!Show Notes:1. Watching The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966), The Bat (1959) or House on Haunted Hill (1959) will not necessarily prepare you for this episode, but it'd be a good excuse to put off listening to this episode.The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UyPC24qfI4The Bat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td3OM8jbBJQHouse on Haunted Hill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsnw-RNGKFY2. This Gun in My Hand is perpetually set in 1939. Patsy Kelly's next movie after 1939 was released in October 1940, The Hit Parade of 1941, also known as Romance and Rhythm. Her reputation was enough to get her listed on the posters for this film, and pictured on some of them.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hit_Parade_of_1941#/media/File:Hit_Parade_of_1941.jpg3. The audio and text of This Gun in My Hand are works of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, real organizations, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, organizations, places and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.4. Clacton-on-Sea is east and a little north of London, but it's not in what they consider East London.Credits:The opening and middle transitional music clips were from The Sun Sets at Dawn (1950), and the closing music was from Killer Bait (1949), both films in the public domain. Most of the music and sound effects used in the episode are modified or incomplete versions of the originals.Music Title: Let Me Call You Sweetheart (I'm in Love With You)Music by Leo Friedman, lyrics by Beth Slater Whitson, 1910.Performed by Carter's Orchestra, 1924.License: Public Domainhttps://archive.org/details/carters-orchestra-let-me-call-you-sweetheart-brunswick-3541-bSound Effect Title: R30-28-Classic Thunder Clap.wavLicense: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/s/486273/ Sound Effect Title: S23-19 Thunder claps; variation edit of Universal's “Castle Thunder”.wavLicense: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/s/675991/ Sound Effect Title: G46-06-Treble-Heavy Thunder Crack.wav License: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/s/438743/ Sound Effect Title: G28-27-Crowd Fast Walla Applause.wavLicense: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/438387/Sound Effect Title: chugging diesel (bus) and rev.MP3License: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/people/CraftyIndividual/sounds/418436/Sound Effect Title: bus coach ext pull up brake air release idle.wavLicense: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/people/kyles/sounds/454420/Sound Effect Title: Bus Closing DoorLicense: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/people/am7/sounds/520753/Sound Effect Title: DoorKnockerVarious.wav License: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/s/136544/Sound Effect Title: Creaking door License: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/s/333929/ Sound Effect Title: Creaking Door License: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/s/709418/ Sound Effect Title: Slam door.MP3License: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/people/SoundsForHim/sounds/395653/Sound Effect Title: Footsteps Dress Shoes Wood Floor.wavLicense: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/people/allrealsound/sounds/161756/Sound Effect Title: Cutlery drawerLicense: Public Domainhttp://soundbible.com/591-Cutlery-Drawer.htmlSound Effect Title: Glass Bottle Breaking License: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/people/IENBA/sounds/607910/Sound Effect Title: S10-19 Falling wooden beam; big interior crash; house collapses; long.wav by craigsmithLicense: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/s/675967/ Sound Effect Title: Foley_Footsteps_ShedWoodenFloor.wavLicense: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/s/523273/ Sound Effect Title: 175bpm_classical_running_freak.wavBy giacomelliLicense: Creative Commons Sampling+https://freesound.org/s/95763/ Sound Effect Title: TUBE POP.wavBy sandyrbLicense: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0https://freesound.org/s/102540/Sound Effect Title: R27-20-Small Crowd Gasps.wavLicense: Public Domainhttps://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/480774/The image accompanying this episode is a modified detail of the cover of the public domain comic book This Magazine is Haunted, Number 9, February 1953. Artist might be Sheldon Moldoff.

In this episode, Dr. T hosts an interview between author Rita Bozi and guest interviewer Matt Russell, as Truth Fairy is unfortunately absent. Rita Bozi is a highly experienced trauma-informed facilitator, psychedelic therapist, author, and director of Brilliant Healing, In. Matt Russell is a private practice psychotherapist and scholar with a background in Spanish Literature and intergenerational trauma studies. Matt interviews Rita about her novel “When I Was Better” which is based on her parents' experiences during and after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, blending personal and historical narratives to explore themes of trauma, survival, and healing.Rita shares her journey in writing the novel, describing it as a complex and healing process that took nine years and ten drafts to complete. Initially, she was loyal to the real-life events of her family's history, struggling to fictionalize the story, but eventually embraced creative freedom which allowed her to deepen her characters and more fully explore their experiences. The process also involved confronting and processing her own anger and trauma, facilitated by psychedelic therapies with ayahuasca and ketamine. Through these experiences, Rita was able to soften her portrayal of her parents, bringing a more nuanced and empathetic view to their characters in her novel.Matt, Rita, and Dr. T delve into the significance of the Hungarian Revolution and Rita explains the profound impact of these events on her family and her need to understand and portray this historical and emotional landscape accurately. The interview touches on broader themes of intergenerational trauma and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of oppression, highlighting the importance of kindness and empathy in healing. Through the novel, Rita aims to honor her parents' struggles while exploring the broader human capacity for both cruelty and compassion.“But it wasn't until I sat with ketamine that I felt into my essential nature and that my essential nature was kindness. And from there I started to build a practice around kindness and I started to decolonize. I started to understand what does it mean to decolonize this brutality, so that then I could, instead of commanding people or … demanding change and demanding that people heal or demand that people behave a certain way, I started to understand more deeply that we behave the way we do because of what's happened to us. In understanding that and understanding, you know, what really happened to my parents, what really happened to my brother, what really happened to my ancestors, and embodying that… then I could start developing a sense of kindness, you know?” - Rita Bozi__About Rita Bozi:Raised by Hungarian refugees, Rita is a Somatic Relational trauma and psychedelic-informed Facilitator, a multidisciplinary creator, playwright, and retired professional actor and dancer. For 25 years, her co-written play ‘52 Pick Up' was staged in Canada, the US, England, Australia, France, Iceland and New Zealand and translated into French and Icelandic. Rita has been published in The New Quarterly, FFWD Weekly, WritingRaw.com, and Unlikely 2.0. THIS Magazine awarded her 3rd Prize in their Great Canadian Literary Hunt in 2012. Her travel stories have been broadcast on CBC Radio Calgary. She is an Alumna of The Humber School for Writers and a graduate of The National Ballet School. Her life practice is kindness and her life partner is Ken Cameron.Website: BrilliantHealingSystems.comBook: “When I Was Better” by Rita Bozi About Matt Russell:Matt Russell is a graduate of the MAPS MDMA Assisted Therapy Training. As a certified Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner, he trained with world renowned addiction and trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté. He is also part of the facilitation team supporting Dr. Maté in the year-long Compassionate Inquiry training for therapists.Matt has trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), and Buddhist Chaplaincy. He teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and his therapeutic work incorporates mindfulness and somatic/body-based methods of inquiry. Prior to becoming certified as a psychotherapist, Matt earned a PhD in Spanish Literature from UC Davis, where he researched intergenerational trauma, and taught at various universities.Contact Matt Russell__ Contact Punk Therapy:Patreon: Patreon.com/PunkTherapyWebsite: PunkTherapy.comEmail: info@punktherapy.com

In our latest, we talk with Prof. Greg Shupak (@gregshupak) about the media's coverage of Israel's bloody assault in Gaza. He's one of the best-informed and important scholars of the media and Israel, and he here discussed the way the media treats Israel-Palestine issues, how it perpetuates Israel's stories and lies, how journalists are being targeted by the IDF in Gaza, and how we can fight back. bio// Greg Shupak teaches Media Studies at the University of Guelph in Toronto. He's the author of "The Wrong Story: Palestine, Israel & the Media." His fiction has appeared in a wide range of literary journals and he regularly writes analysis of politics and media for a variety of outlets including Electronic Intifada, In These Times, Jacobin, Literary Review of Canada, Middle East Eye, TeleSUR, This Magazine, and Warscapes. --------------------------------------------------- Outro- "Lives in the Balance" by Jackson Browne Links// ** The Wrong Story: Palestine, Israel & the Media (https://bit.ly/3usXyK8) Follow Green and Red// +G&R Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast⁠ +Our rad website: ⁠https://greenandredpodcast.org/⁠ +We're part of the Labor Podcast Network: ⁠https://www.laborradionetwork.org/ Support the Green and Red Podcast// +Become a Patron at ⁠ patreaon.com/greenredpodcast⁠ +Or make a one time donation here: ⁠https://bit.ly/DonateGandR⁠ This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott (@sparki1969). “Green and Red Blues" by Moody. Editing by Isaac.

This week on Reframeables, we spoke with author Lisa Whittington-Hill about her new book Girls, Interrupted: How Pop Culture is Failing Women. With Lisa, we jumped right in with a discussion about female rage, considered the failings of media for middle age women and teenage girls, and shared some nostalgic memories of Courtney Love — who Lisa has defended loudly enough to get her thrown out of parties. We are unhappy with the misogyny that is baked into pop culture and social media, but we are happy to have conversations with someone like Lisa who is doing work to interrupt it.Lisa Whittington-Hill is a writer based in Toronto, Canada. Her work has appeared in Longreads, The Walrus, Hazlitt, Catapult, and more. She is also the publisher of This Magazine, a progressive magazine of politics, ideas, and culture, and teaches in the publishing program at Centennial College.Links:Girls, Interrupted: How Pop Culture is Failing WomenFor more from Lisa, follow her on Twitter and InstagramWe love hearing from our listeners! Leave us a voice message, write to the show email, or send us a DM on any of our socials.If our conversations support you in your own reframing practice, please consider a donation on our Patreon, where you can also hear bonus episodes, or tipping us on Ko-fi. Subscribe to the Reframeables Newsletter. Follow us on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube too.