Category: Interviews

Join us for Talking Climate

Posted on by Mel

Talking about climate change is a challenge in a world of political polarization and increasing anxiety. Four authors discuss their approach to the question: How do we talk about climate change?

We hear about the growing threat of climate change regularly in our day-to-day lives, be it forest fires, flooding, or oddly warm winters. At the same time, our systems are slow to change, with political polarization adding tension to an already complicated topic. For many, the situation can seem hopeless. 

Artists are using their craft and creativity to tackle this challenging topic. On Wednesday, June 5th, four notable writers of various backgrounds and styles met online to engage in a conversation with each other and their audience to answer today’s pressing question: How do we talk about climate change?

Talking Climate is a free event open to all. Audience members need to register to receive the webinar login details. A recording of the event will be posted following the event. 

Full Video Recording HERE

Talking Climate will feature:

  • Opening remarks from Bethany Damen, Communications Manager for Manitoba’s Climate Action Team, on Communicating about Climate in a Polarized World.
  • A discussion between JR (James) Burgmann, author of Children of Tomorrow; poet Ariel Gordon, author of Siteseeing; Katłı̨̀ą, author of Firekeeper; and Jason Pchajek, author of Bounty. 
  • Audience members will then be invited to ask their questions.

TALKING CLIMATE 

June 5, 2024 at 7PM Central Time

Full video on YouTube

*This event will take place as a zoom webinar, which will be streamed following the event.

Arielle Aaronson – Women in Translation Month

Posted on by Keith

August is Women in Translation Month, an annual celebration of women writers from around the world writing in languages other than English. It’s also a chance to recognize the women who work to translate works from other languages into English in order to share those voices. This month, we want to share some words from Arielle Aaronson, translator of the recent translation of Marie-Renée Lavoie’s middle grade novel, The Curious Misadventures of Kitty the Cat. Here she explains a little bit of what it’s like to bring a story from one language into another.

“This is the fourth title by Marie-Renée Lavoie that I’ve translated. Every time I sit down with one of her books, it feels like I’m continuing a conversation with an old friend. I get to laugh at her humor and wit, but I’m also able to watch her characters and themes develop as her writing evolves. It’s a lot like sitting in the passenger seat for a very scenic drive. Often you can tell where the car is headed, sometimes you want to reach over and take the wheel, but mostly you act as a second pair of eyes and ears (or paws, in this case).

For this book, it was such fun to imagine the universe of a family pet. My task was threefold: I had to translate Marie-Renée’s words into English, create an English voice for Kitty himself, and develop a style that was accessible yet goofy enough to draw in younger readers. Some of my biggest challenges involved striking the right tone for a pun (would you believe it took me months to come up with”poo-tunia”?) or landing on a name like “Spitball.” If I’ve done my job right, you’ll fall in love with Kitty just as I did.”

Have you heard?

Posted on by marketing

Our authors have gotten some great radio play this week!

Curious about why Angie Abdou asks “why isn’t Thomas Trofimuk a household name?” Listen to her audio review of This Is All A Lie on CBC Alberta! Following Angie’s rave review, Daybreak Alberta hosted Thomas for an interview, which you can listen to here.

Anne Mahon has committed her life making a difference. Let’s Give A Damn interviewed her about her volunteer work, and how that led to her commitment to share the stories of people in marginalized communities in her books The Lucky Ones and Redemption. Get ready to be inspired and check it out.

Spring Books are off!

Posted on by gpadmin

GP_Gracelessland_cover_NEWThe sun is shining, the plants are blooming, and our authors are launching! Yes, spring is officially here.

Jodi Carmichael kicked off the release of Forever Julia with a standing-room-only launch event in McNally Robinson’s Atrium. Since then, she’s received an excellent review from The Winnipeg Free Press (“This is a young writer to watch”), and is garnering glowing feedback on her current blog tour (follow her adventures on her website).

Richard Cumyn also had a successful launch in Kingston for his collection of novellas, Famous Last Meals. Kathleen Winter calls this collection “a cross between Maurice Dekobra and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.”

This week will see the launch of Gracelessland, our first Enfield & Wizenty novel since Méira Cook’s stunning The House On Sugarbush Road.  Adam Lindsay Honsinger’s coming of age, anti-hero mental hospital adventure had us glued to the page and we can’t wait to see what the rest of Canada thinks about this outstanding young writer!

Additional May launches include A Daytripper’s Guide to Manitoba, a completely revised edition from Bartley Kives, and On The Air: The Golden Age of Manitoba Radio by Garry Moir.  Both authors are booking media interviews and author signings already!

Teen Fiction Authors in the news

Posted on by gpadmin

Our Great Plains Teen Fiction authors are keeping busy!

Colleen NelsonColleen Nelson was interviewed by Shaw TV here in Winnipeg about her new novel, The Fall. The clip will be airing on the station shortly, but you can get a sneak-peek here!

The Silent Summer of Kyle McGinley continues to garner great reviews.  The latest praise comes from Canadian Children’s Book News: “With his well-placed sarcasm and keen observations, Kyle is an authentic teen character that we immediately identify with.”  

Gail Sidonie Sobat’s Chance to Dance for You was part of Heather Milne’s review essay Isolation, Exploration, Affirmation: Dominant Patterns in Four Books for Gay Teens in the latest edition of Jeunesse.  She states “Chance to Dance for You is a timely book in its focus on social media and technology as sites of bullying for gay teens, a topic that has been in the news of late due to a proliferation of highly publicized teen suicides and the popularity of the “It Gets Better” campaign, which attempts to offer a sense of hope to depressed and isolated teenagers.”

Visit a bookstore near you to pick up copies of these titles today!

Richard Van Camp on The Next Chapter

Posted on by gpadmin

Richard Van Camp was interviewed by Shelagh Roger’s on CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter.

Listen to the interview now to hear about Richard’s writing process and how his Dogrib (Tlicho) background and his love for the north influence his writing. Also hear how he describes Enfield & Wizenty editor Maurice Mierau as a “warrior poet!”

The Lesser Blessed, based on Richard’s novel, is now playing at The Globe theatre in Winnipeg. Read the glowing review from the Winnipeg Free Press here!