BC books for the nonfiction lover on your gift list
Jody Wilson-Raybould provides vital steps for meaningful change; Adriana Barton tunes into the benefits of music on the brain; Derek Hayes sees bridges as works of art; and then some
Derek Hayes, Incredible Crossings.
IF THE BOOKWORM on your gift list leans more toward fact than fantasy, there are several strong titles by local authors to select from this year. Here’s a glimpse at a mere handful.
Where the Power Is (Figure 1 Publishing)
Karen Duffek, curator of contemporary visual arts and Pacific Northwest at MOA; the late Bill McLennan; and Musqueam curator and writer Jordan Wilson won the 2022 Vancouver Book Award for Where the Power Is: Indigenous Perspectives on Northwest Coast Art, which is also a finalist for BC and Yukon Book Awards’ Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. It shares insights and thoughts of more 80 contemporary Indigenous artists, elders, activists, and knowledge keepers on historical Northwest Coast artworks, objects and belongings made by their ancestors 100 to 200 years ago and that are often part of museum collections. The conversations on the page cover everything from culture to colonization. (On November 23, at 7 pm Duffek and Wilson will be joined by artists Ian Reid and Tsēmā Igharas for Storied, a free online talk presented by BC and Yukon Book Prizes. More info is here.)
True Reconciliation: How to Be a Force for Change (Penguin Random House Canada)
Learn, Understand, and Act: these are the three key steps that individuals, groups, communities, and governments can and need to take when it comes to advancing Truth and Reconciliation in practical, day-to-day ways, according to Jody Wilson-Raybould. A member of the We Wai Kai Nation whose traditional name, Puglaas, means “woman born to noble people”, the lawyer and former member of Parliament is a descendant of the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk and Laich-Kwil-Tach peoples, which are part of the Kwakwaka’wakw, also known as the Kwak’wala-speaking peoples. An accurate understanding of the Indigenous experience in Canada, past and present, is crucial to move forward and make a meaningful difference; JWR’s follow-up to the best-selling 'Indian' in the Cabinet provides that vital context.
Bill Arnott, Sunrise Through Driftwood, Qualicum Beach.
A Season on Vancouver Island (RMB)
Travel writer Bill Arnott (Gone Viking: A Travel Saga, Gone Viking II: Beyond Boundaries) is a past recipient of a Fellowship at London’s Royal Geographical Society for his expeditions; he also has a column that appears in magazines around the globe. In his new book, Arnott turns his focus to the characters, creatures, and vistas of the largest Island on the West Coast of North America. Featuring original colour artwork throughout, A Season on Vancouver Island is part memoir, part travelogue, with vignettes highlighting the people and places who make the lands of Indigenous nations since time immemorial such a draw for tourists and mainlanders alike.
Derek Hayes, Incredible Crossings.
Incredible Crossings (Harbour Publishing)
The book’s subtitle may not necessarily excite, but get past The History and Art of the Bridges, Tunnels and Ferries That Connect British Columbia and you’ll quickly realize that B.C.-based historian Derek Hayes sees bridges not only as feats of engineering but also as incredible works of art—masterpieces that he has been photographing for years. This is not a technical tome but rather a (perhaps surprisingly) fascinating look at the province’s most iconic bridges of the 3,000 or so in existence today. Hayes’s photos range from detailed shots of graffiti on the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge to the imposing underside of the Lions Gate Bridge to the elegant arch of the Vedder Bridge captured with a fish-eye lens. Along with Hayes’s photos are archival images, including some from the 1937 and 1938 construction of the Lions Gate and the aftermath of the fatal 1958 collapse of the Ironworkers’. Hayes, the author of the bestselling Historical Atlas Series, writes in a conversational style that adds to the book’s appeal. The next time you’re stuck in bridge traffic, maybe consider you’re crawling along a piece of art.
The Myth of Normal (Penguin Random House)
Dr. Gabor Maté has more than four decades of clinical experience and several books to his name, including In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction. For The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture, he teams up with his son, Daniel, to probe root causes of illness; the role that stress and trauma play in people’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being; and ways to move toward healing and wholeness.
E. J. Hughes: Canadian War Artist (TouchWood Editions)
Victoria author and painter Robert Amos showcases paintings and drawings that E. J. Hughes created during his World War II service in Ottawa, England, Wales, and Alaska. Hughes was Canada’s first service artist (appointed in 1941) and also its last and longest-running (finishing in 1946). The third volume in an award-winning series, the book features 70 artworks from the Canadian War Museum’s holdings—many of them depicting convoys, artillery, and camp life—as well as personal photos and sketches from the Hughes’s records.
Wired for Music (Greystone)
Writer Adriana Barton turned her painful experiences studying cello into groundwork for this book, subtitled A Search for Health and Joy Through the Science of Sound. With a balanced mix of fascinating scientific facts and intimate personal details, it makes for an absorbing read. Ultimately, Barton convinces that there’s ample reason to make space for more music in our lives; after all, its power to heal and uplift is rooted in our very brains.
Bloom Where You Are Planted (Heritage House Publishing)
Beka Shane Denter connected with individuals (49 women and one nonbinary person) working in fields of visual art, dance, photography, music, design, comedy, storytelling, food, fashion, beauty, wellness, advocacy, and beyond for her hardcover book subtitled 50 Conversations with Inspiring British Columbians. Denter, who has been writing since 2010, set out to share profiles of women who are pursuing their passion—and she wanted to include the “real stuff”, the stories that are often left untold, to get at the many complex and imperfect layers to their journeys. Among those featured are dance artist Livona Ellis, Haida and Cree artist-entrepreneur Erin Brillon, sculptor Marie Khourie, pastry chef Kiko Nakata, hip-hop/R&B recording artist Kia Kadiri, knitwear designer Emily Scholes, comedian Erica Sigurdson, author Myriam Steinberg, contemporary dancer Justine Chambers, and ceramic artist Gabrielle Burke. (Disclosure: the author of this article is included in the book.)
Beer Hiking Pacific Northwest 2nd Edition: The Tastiest Way to Discover Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia (Helvetiq)
What you read is what you get, with authors Rachel Wood and Brandon Fralic sharing their love for the great outdoors and of craft beer in this breezy guide. Each of the 52 routes from across the Pacific Northwest ends near a brewery or brewpub. We’ll hike to that.
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