As residents of the Pacific Northwest, we have the profound fortune to be at the crossroads of so many different cultures and lived experiences. The abundant diversity of this province’s land, history, peoples and cultures is only further reflected in the voices of its authors. This holiday season, celebrate these diverse and powerful voices with some truly fantastic local books!
Indigenous Worlds
- In Our Own Aboriginal Voice 2, edited by Michael Calvert (Rebel Mountain Press)
- Mitêwâcimowina: Indigenous Science Fiction and Speculative Storytelling, edited by Neal McLeod (Theytus Books)
- The Bear’s Medicine by Clayton Gauthier, Translated by Danny Alexis & Theresa Austin (Theytus Books)
Storytelling has the power to transport. In Our Own Aboriginal Voice 2 relates the varied experiences of Indigenous life in short fiction, poetry, and non-fiction essays. Mitêwâcimowina, on the other hand, transports readers to the farthest reaches of the future and galaxy with gorgeous short-form fiction. Finally, The Bear’s Medicine offers young children a dual-language telling of a mother bear teaching her cubs how to survive in the woods.
- The best of Funny you don’t look like one by Drew Hayden Taylor (Theytus Books)
- it was never going to be okay by jaye simpson (Harbour Publishing)
- Inconvenient Skin by Shane L. Koyczan (Theytus Books)
The Indigenous experience within the settler state is a fraught one, and the essays, prose, and poetry that come out of this relationship give readers insight into its complicated, ongoing history. In The best of Funny you don’t look like one, Taylor humorously unpacks the stereotypes settlers often have about Indigenous Peoples. it was never going to be ok navigates an entire map of intersectional Indigenous experience in beautiful poetry and prose. Finally, Inconvenient Skin looks at the failures and disastrous consequences of federal policies as they relate to Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Feminist Views
- Balancing Bountiful: What I Learned about Feminism from My Polygamist Grandmothers by Mary Jayne Blackmore (Caitlin Press)
- BIG: Stories about Life in Plus-Sized Bodies, edited by Christina Myers (Caitlin Press)
- Radiant Voices: 21 Feminist Essays for Rising Up Inspired by EMMA Talks, compiled by Carla Bergman (TouchWood Editions)
It goes without saying that, in this day and age, feminist perspectives should be intersectional. Balancing Bountiful is a memoir that gets to the heart of the debate and schisms within the feminist movement: what constitutes “good” womanhood, and who should decide it? In a similar vein, BIG compiles several essays from women, trans, and non-binary authors on the subject of inhabiting a plus-sized body in a society that idealizes thin forms. Radiant Voices brings together several writers at the forefront of intersectional feminist thought, inspired by the EMMA Talks, based in Vancouver.
Stories from Across the Pacific
- The Diary of Dukesang Wong by Dukesang Wong; edited by David McIlwraith; translated by Wanda Joy Hoe (Talonbooks)
- Once Upon an Hour written by Ann Yu-Kyung Choi; illustrated by Soyeon Kim (Orca Book Publishers)
- Ghost’s Journey: A Refugee Story by Robin Stevenson (Rebel Mountain Press)
British Columbia is home to a great diversity of Asian-Canadians who bring a rich collection of histories and culture to this province. The Diary of Dukesang Wong explores the darker side of Asian-Canadian history in a first-hand account of a Chinese immigrant constructing the Canadian Pacific Railway. Ghost’s Journey tells the story of a family coming to Canada to escape LGBTQ persecution in Indonesia — from the point of view of the family’s cat. Finally, Once Upon an Hour introduces children to Korean folklore in a charming fable about helping others through difficult times.
2020 has shown why it is more important than ever that we cultivate empathy. Reading widely, and seeking to understand diverse experiences goes a long way toward this goal. Keep expanding the worlds and minds of those on your holiday list this year with the gift of a storied reading experience.