Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes Podcast

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.

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.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Li Charmaine Anne. Charmaine is the author of Crash landing, which is a finalist for the 2025 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. On the episode, Charmaine talks about how a late bloomers skate club helped inspire parts of the book, and how she approached writing about Vancouver. To find out more about Crash Landing: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/crash-landing/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT LI CHARMAINE ANNE: Li Charmaine Anne (she/they) grew up in the unceded Coast Salish territories (a.k.a. Vancouver, British Columbia), where she skates, writes, and makes music. Crash Landing is her 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 Anthony Nerada. Anthony is the author of Skater Boy, which is a finalist for the 2025 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. On the episode, Anthony talks about how his own experiences as a teen inspired his main character Wes, he also talks the evolution of queer romance, and why we should all be reading queer romances. To find out more about Skater Boy: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/skater-boy/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT ANTHONY NERADA: Anthony Nerada became a writer after his fifth-grade teacher told him it was his destiny. Since then, he’s read too many books (if there is such a thing) and explored worlds far outside the reaches of his own. Anthony holds a BA in psychology and two diplomas (one in public relations, the other in publishing), which allow him to write the day away while simultaneously psychoanalyzing his friends. Anthony lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the Coast Salish Peoples. Skater Boy is his debut 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 Minelle Mahtani. Minelle is the author of May it Have a Happy Ending, which is a finalist for the 2025 Hubert Evans Nonfiction Prize. On the episode, Minelle talks about how she found comfort in her non-linear story structure. And how she captured her mom's voice on the page. To find out more about May it Have a Happy Ending: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/may-it-have-a-happy-ending/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT MINELLE MAHTANI: Minelle Mahtani is an author, scholar who studies mixed race identity and a former radio host. She has won several prizes for her work, including a Digital Publishing Award for an essay in The Walrus that became the basis for May It Have a Happy Ending, her debut memoir. She is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia and lives in Vancouver. Publisher's Website 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 Kayla Czaga. Kayal is the author of Midway. Midway is a finalist for the 2025 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. In this epiosde, Kayla talks about the challenges of writing grief poems, and the squishiness of time. To find out more about Midway visit: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/midway/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT KAYLA CZAGA: Kayla Czaga is the author of two previous poetry collections—For Your Safety Please Hold On (Nightwood Editions, 2014), and Dunk Tank (House of Anansi, 2019). Her work has been shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for poetry and the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. Frequently anthologized in the Best Canadian Poetry in English series, her writing also appears in The Walrus, Grain, Event, The Fiddlehead, and elsewhere. She lives with her wife on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen people, the Songhees and Esquimalt nations. Publisher's Website 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 Loghan Paylor. Loghan is the author of The Cure for Drowning. The Cure for Drowning is a finalist for the 2025 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. In this epiosde, Loghan talks about how they approached the research for their book. They also talk about the folklore in the novel. To find out more about The Cure for Drowning visit: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-cure-for-drowning/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT LOGHAN PAYLOR: Loghan Paylor is a queer, trans author who lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Their short fiction and essays have previously appeared in Room and Prairie Fire, among others. Paylor has a Master’s in creative writing from the University of British Columbia, and a day job as a professional geek. The Cure for Drowning is their 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 Deirdre Simon Dore. Deirdre is the author of A Reluctant Mother. A Reluctant Mother is a finalist for the 2025 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In this epiosde, Deirdre how she came up with her protagonist, Frida. She also talks about why she wrote about memory and the perception of reality through Frida's story. To find out more about A Reluctant Mother visit: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/a-reluctant-mother/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT DEIRDRE SIMON DORE: Deirdre Simon Dore is a Canadian writer. Her short fiction has won, among other awards, The Journey Prize and has been published in numerous journals and translated into Italian. Her plays have been produced in Vancouver and Calgary. Originally from New York and a graduate of Boston University, she has an MFA in creative writing from UBC. After homesteading on a remote island in BC, she moved inland where she acquired a woodlot license on which she planted trees and learned to use a chainsaw. She lives near a large lake in the interior of British Columbia with her husband, black lab and assorted livestock. She has two children. 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 Mei Yu. Mei is the author of Lost & Found: Based on a True Story. Lost & Found is a finalist for the 2025 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. In this conversation, Mei talks about how art became a shared language when her family first immigrated to Canada. She talked about the important role libraries played in her art when she was growing up. To find out more about Lost & Foundvisit: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/lost-found/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT MEI YU: Mei Yu is a multitalented artist, working and living in Vancouver, British Columbia. Mei’s art channel on YouTube has 1.7 million subscribers, 900 videos, and 380 million views. Mei’s success stories have been featured in Vancouver’s major newspapers in English and Chinese, as well as on TV programs for CBC, Global News, and Breakfast Television, since 2004. With her positive attitude, strong work ethic, and unshakeable confidence, Mei continues to inform, entertain, and inspire millions with her art. Her creative artwork and cheerful personality are loved by kids and parents around the world. 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 Julie Wilkins. Julie is the author of We're Happy You're Here. We're Happy You're Here is a finalist for the 2025 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. In this conversation, Julie talks about the story that inspired her book, and how books create opportunities to gather and build community. To find out more about We're Happy You're Here visit: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/were-happy-youre-here/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT JULIE WILKINS: Julie Wilkins is a storyteller and entrepreneur. The owner of Gather Bookshop, an independent bookstore where her passion for inclusive and diverse literature comes alive on the shelves, Julie is excited to be finding her own voice as an author. We’re Happy You’re Here is her first book. Julie lives in Squamish, 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: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Leslie Gentile. Leslie is the author of Elvis, Me and the Postcard Winter. Elvis, Me and the Postcard Winter is a finalist for the 2025 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. In this conversation, Leslie talks about the importance of representing the complexity and messiness of families in books for young readers. She also talks about how her music helped her write her books. To find out more about Elvis Me, and the Postcard Winter visit: bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/always-on-call/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT LESLIE GENTILE: Leslie Gentile is a singer/songwriter of Northern Salish, Tuscarora and Scottish heritage. She performs with her children in The Leslie Gentile Band, and with one of her sisters in The Half White Band. Her debut novel, Elvis, Me, and the Lemonade Stand Summer, won the City of Victoria Children’s Book Prize and the Jean Little First Novel Award and was short-listed for the Forest of Reading Silver Birch Award, the MYRCA Sundogs Award, the SYRCA Diamond Willow Award, and many more. Gentile currently lives on Vancouver Island with her 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 Marion McKinnon Crook. Marion is the author of Always On Call: Adventures in Nursing, Ranching, and Rural Living. Always on Call is a finalist for the 2025 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In this conversation, Marion talks about why she chose to write memoir after a long career of nursing, teaching and writing over 25 books that include non-fiction for teens, mysteries, and biographies. She also talked about the research she did to examine her own memories. To find out more about Always on Call visit: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/always-on-call/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-and-yukon-book-prizes-2025-shortlists-announced/ ABOUT MARION MCKINNON CROOK: Marion McKinnon Crook is a nurse, an educator, and the author of more than twenty-five books, including the bestselling Always Pack a Candle, which won the BC Historical Federation’s Community History Book Award. In addition to her nursing degree, McKinnon Crook holds a master’s in liberal studies and a PhD in education. Now a full-time writer, she also writes the British Book Tour mystery series under the name of Emma Dakin. She lives on the Sunshine Coast in BC. 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 revisits one of the most popular episodes of Writing the Coast. It features Roy Henry Vickers and Lucky Budd. The talked about their book Voices from the Skeena: An Illustrated Oral History, nominated for the Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In this conversation Roy and Lucky talked about how they began collaborating, the impact these stories had had on those around them and the power of storytelling in preserving knowledge and history. To find out more about Voices of the Skeena and to here more recordings by Imbert Orchard visit: memoriestomemoirs.ca/portfolio/voic…portorder=menu ABOUT LUCKY BUDD AND ROY HENRY VICKERS: Robert (Lucky) Budd is the co-author of the Northwest Coast Legends series and the author of Voices of British Columbia (Douglas & McIntyre, 2010), which was shortlisted for the 2011 Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award, and its sequel, Echoes of British Columbia (Harbour Publishing, 2014), which won second prize in the BC Historical Federation’s writing competition in 2014. He lives in Victoria, BC. Roy Henry Vickers is a Canadian Master Artist best known around the world for his limited edition prints. He is also an accomplished carver, design advisor of prestigious public spaces, a sought-after keynote speaker, and publisher and author of several successful books.In addition, he is a recognized leader in the First Nations community, and a tireless spokesperson for recovery from addictions and abuse. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of 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 revisits one of the most popular episodes of Writing the Coast. It features Michelle Good, author of Five Little Indians which was a finalist for the 2021 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and the 2021 Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. Michelle talks about what it means to be an emerging writer and how she developed the characters in her novel. ABOUT MICHELLE GOOD: Michelle Good is a writer of Cree ancestry and a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. Her debut novel, Five Little Indians, won a Governor General’s Literary Award, the Amazon Canada First Novel Award, the Kobo Emerging Author Prize, and CBC’s Canada Reads in 2022. She was a finalist for the 2023 Balsillie Prize for Public Policy for Truth Telling: Seven Conversations about Indigenous Life in Canada. Good lives in southern Saskatchewan. 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, Sam George and Jill Yonit Goldberg talk about the book The Fire Still Burns: Life In and After Residential School. The Fire Still Burns was a finalist for the 2024 Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. In his conversation with host Megan Cole, Sam and Jill talk about how they started working together on the book, and Sam talks about the significance of telling his own story. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: www.bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About The Fire Still Burns: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-fire-still-burns/ ABOUT SAM GEORGE AND JILL YONIT GOLDBERG: Sam George is a Squamish Elder and a survivor of the Canadian Indian Residential School system. A retired longshoreman and semi-retired drug and alcohol counsellor, Sam now works as an educator with the Indian Residential School Survivors Society and speaks with students and community groups about his experiences. Jill Yonit Goldberg is a writer, and a literature and creative writing instructor at Langara College in Vancouver, BC, where she teaches the Writing Lives course in which students collaborate with Indian Residential School survivors who are writing their memoirs. She worked with Sam George to bring his story to the page. Liam Belson, Dylan MacPhee, and Tanis Wilson are students who participated in the Writing Lives class where they worked with Sam George to write his story. 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 revisits a past episode featuring a conversation with the Honourable Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. In their conversation, Her Honour talks about the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence and its past recipients, as well as what excites her about books written and published in British Columbia. Wendy Cocchia, was recently sworn in as the 31st Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. ABOUT THE GUEST: The Honourable Janet Austin was sworn-in as the 30th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia on April 24, 2018. Prior to this appointment, she spent 15 years as Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Metro Vancouver, one of the province’s largest and most diversified non-profits. There she oversaw operations delivering services to tens of thousands of people annually at more than 40 locations. Raised in Alberta, Her Honour spent her early career in public sector roles in Calgary, working in regional planning and public consultation and communications for the provincial government. She eventually moved to British Columbia, where she began working with BC Housing and discovered her passion and aptitude for public office. Prior to joining the YWCA, Her Honour served as Executive Director of Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland, and actively volunteered for many organizations in commitment to helping improve the lives of others, as well as serving on various boards ranging from Translink to the Women’s Health Research Institute. Her Honour is Chancellor of the Order of British Columbia and was invested as a Member of the Order in 2016. As Lieutenant Governor, she has identified three key themes for her mandate: the promotion of diversity and inclusion, democracy and civic engagement, and Reconciliation. 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, Maya McKibbin and Ellen Rooney share their thoughts and reflections the magic of illustration in picture books. Maya is the illustrator of The Song that Calls Them Home and Ellen Rooney is the illustrator of What to Bring, both were finalists for the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: bcyukonbookprizes.com/ To watch the full Storied video: https://vimeo.com/1046872971 About The Song that Called Them Home: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-song-that-called-them-home/ About What to Bring: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/what-to-bring/ ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Maya McKibbin is a Two-Spirited Ojibwe, Yoeme and Irish filmmaker, illustrator and storyteller. Using their education in computer graphics and interactive media, Maya’s work is rooted in the natural world and our relations to it. Maya’s previous picture book, Swift Fox All Along written by Rebecca Thomas, was nominated for numerous awards including a Governor General’s Literary Award. Ellen Rooney is a children’s book illustrator whose books include the critically acclaimed Her Fearless Run and Grandmother School. Ellen lives in the southern Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, where hot, dry summers bring tourists, peaches, swims in the lake, and the threat of wildfire. The uniquely beautiful landscape inspired the setting for this book. 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.

In this episode, Ian Kennedy talks about his book The Best Loved Boat: The Princess Maquinna. The Best Loved Boat won the 2024 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In his conversation with host Megan Cole, Ian talks about how he became interested in the Princess Maquinna and how it fits with British Columbia's complex maritime history. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: www.bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About The Best Loved Boat: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-best-loved-boat/ ABOUT IAN KENNEDY: Ian Kennedy is the author of several books about BC history including Sunny Sandy Savary (Kennell Publishing, 1992) and he co-authored Tofino and Clayoquot Sound (cloth edition, 2014; paperback edition available in fall 2023). For many years, he has also served as one of Canada’s few rugby journalists and has written for numerous magazines around the world. He currently lives in Comox, BC. 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.