Who’s Who
Alexandra Flynn
A is for Alexandra
Associate professor at UBC’s Allard School of Law, Alexandra Flynn shows how cities use bylaws “as powerful and often violent legal instruments,” she says, when it comes to dealing with unhoused people in The Bylaw State: Encampment Evictions and the Struggle for Public Space (Fernwood $25), coauthored with Joe Hermer. The authors use case studies from Prince George (Moccasin Flats and Millennium Park) and Vancouver (Crab Park) to demonstrate that bylaws are the primary response of governments to unhoused people living and surviving in public spaces when they have nowhere else to go. They also argue for a more inclusive approach that protects people not just spaces. 9781773638027
Louise Bradford (at left) and Maya McKibbin
B is for Bradford
Sage and the Snowshoe Express (Kids Can Press $21.99) follows a young girl who joins her father on a dogsled mail run between remote communities, only to face wolves, harsh weather and an approaching storm. Written by Louise Bradford and illustrated by Maya McKibbin, the picture book is intended for readers ages 4–8. A member of Batchewana First Nation, Louise Bradford was born and raised in Baawaating and now lives in Vancouver. Along with writing children’s books, she works as a speechwriter for the Government of Canada and her stories have also been produced by CBC Radio and CBC Television. Inspired by winter travel and northern landscapes, Sage and the Snowshoe Express celebrates courage, family and community while introducing young readers to an adventure rooted in Indigenous experiences and traditions. 9781525312960
Christian White
C is for Christian
He began carving as a teenager and five decades later, Haida artist, Kihl’yahda Christian White is acknowledged as a master carver. He is known for cedar works such as totem poles and canoes, and also sculptural works in a special argillite, or “black shale,” found only on Haida Gwaii. These argillite carvings, often with inlays of abalone shell and mastodon ivory, are sought after by White’s patrons around the world. As such, most of these artworks have rarely been seen by the public—until now. Raven Transforms: The Haida Argillite Art of Kihl’yahda Christian White (Fig. 1 $55) is the first-ever monograph of his argillite sculptures, featuring nearly 200 of his artworks in private collections. 9781773272771
David J. Dogterom
D is for Dogterom
Kamloops plumber, poet and kidlit aspirant David J. Dogterom has plunged into the murky waterworks of memory, retrieving a set of children’s rhymes misplaced 36 years ago during a move from Lethbridge. They turned up in his late mother’s attic. Dogterom showed them to his nephew, Greg Ferguson, who took a whack at illustrating them. Together, they produced the beguiling My Friends in the Alphabet Zoo (self-published $32.99). Its playful verses introduce young readers to an alphabet’s worth of outlandish animals, while Ferguson’s illustrations give Dogterom’s long-lost menagerie new life. 9798996579808
Elizabeth Bachinsky
E is for Elizabeth
Plain-spoken poet, Elizabeth Bachinsky has released her sixth collection, Real Grownup (Nightwood $19.95) after a 13-year absence from the publishing. Motherhood, the Covid pandemic and chairing the creative writing department at Douglas College have kept her busy although Bachinsky never stopped writing. The new poems, a mixture of formal lyrics, blank verse and prose poetry include reflections on her family, especially her daughter, adolescence and references to other poets such as Dylan Thomas. Bachinsky has been nominated for the Bronwen Wallace Award for Poetry, the Pat Lowther Award and a Governor-General’s Award. She lives in New Westminster. 9780889714960
David Levy
F is for Fish
When it comes to fish stories, few trump David Levy. The North Vancouverite fisheries biologist, environmental consultant and lifelong angler has authored more than 100 scientific reports. To these he now adds Swimming Upstream: A Fish Biologist’s Journey (BookBaby $35.07). Swimming is an independently published memoir, engaging the reader with fisheries science, conservation battles, fishing tales and international fieldwork. Notably, Levy the McGill and UBC-educated scientist was, among other things, director of the 2009-2012 Cohen Commission Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River. 9798317812454
Elee Kraljii Gardiner
G is for Gardiner
Vancouver’s Poet Laureate, Elee Kraljii Gardiner meditates on the forest as a place of refuge as well as harm in her new book of poems, sometimes, forest (Talonbooks $19.95). The title, Gardiner told Margaret Gallagher, host of CBC radio’s North by Northwest, relates to her idea of addressing a beloved, which is “the forest, sometimes or sometimes I’m talking to myself, to a friend, my mom, my daughter, a lover, a memory, the best sense of myself in the future … I’m addressing a wide ecology of selves.” 9781772017113
Crystal Hurdle
H is for Hurdle
With Billie Eilish starring in Sarah Polley’s forthcoming adaptation of The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath is returning to popular prominence. Vancouver poet Crystal Hurdle, however, never really left her. In Syl-Lo-Therapy (Guernica $22.95), she pairs the oft-bedevilled author with Nabokov’s troublesome fictional adolescent, Lolita Haze. The two “react, redact, reclaim” their stories through poetry, biography, art, sexuality, fashion, food and bibliotherapy (the use of books to help people work through emotional or psychological difficulties). Syl-Lo-Therapy is also a literary jape: Hurdle commits Plath and Haze to therapy so they can examine and reclaim the narratives imposed upon them. 9781778490422
Ian Hampton
I is for Ian
A quodlibet is a musical composition that combines several different melodies in counterpoint, often in a humourous, fun manner. The word has found its way into the title of hard-working cellist and founder of the Purcell String Quartet (among many other career achievements), Ian Hampton’s second book, Jan’s Quodlibet: A Musician’s Diary (Ronsdale $24.95), written with Barbara Nickel. The Jan of the title is the main character of Hampton’s critically-acclaimed debut bestseller, Jan in 35 Pieces (The Porcupine’s Quill, 2018). Hampton entertains readers with his tales of a working musician, including stories of little-known composers and characters in music history. Includes Hampton’s drawings, poems, recipes and advice for young musicians. 9781553807452
James Dybikowski
J is for James
What do Doukhobors, the comedian Lenny Bruce (1925 – 1966), The Tropic of Cancer, The Georgia Straight and the historic, much-loved Fraser Book Bin have in common? They were communities, books, magazines, stores and individuals that the BC Civil Liberties Association and its forerunner, the Vancouver Civil Liberties Union (1938 – 1958) legally supported when governments trampled on their rights or deemed them morally obscene. These stories and more are covered in James Dybikowski’s Challenge and Persist: The Origins of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (self-published, unpriced). Dybikowski, one of the early founders of the BCCLA, is professor emeritus at UBC and former head of the department of philosophy. 9781069767905
Ken Wyder
K is for Ken
His mother’s family shaped Vancouver’s skyline through their company, Dominion Construction with buildings from pre- WW 1 such as the Sun Building (finished in 1910 and still standing) to the modern-day structures Rogers Arena and the Bentall Centre (that carries the family name). His father was known for starting the innovative Wyder Electric in 1960. Yet for all the privilege he was born into, Ken Wyder endured an abusive destructive childhood as he describes in his memoir Kill Not the Butterfly (Vespera/Tidewater $29.95). The family businesses disintegrated under the pressures of bitter infighting and, after hitting a low point, Ken Wyder sought to dismantle inherited character traits and develop a masculine identity free of toxicity. 9781067457600
JJ Lee
L is for Lee
Hark to the cherished CBC Radio As It Happens ritual of rebroadcasting Alan “Fireside Al” Maitland’s 1979 reading of Frederick Forsyth’s supernatural aviation story, “The Shepherd,” on its final program before Christmas, past and present. Enter Montreal-raised and New Westminster-based writer, broadcaster and former CBC Radio producer JJ Lee, who re-wraps this Canadian tradition in Shivers: Christmas Ghost Stories to Read Aloud (Tidewater $22.95). The collection showcases a dozen new, broadcast-bred ghost stories, turning radio listeners into fireside readers invited to become storytellers in the comfort of their own homes. 9781990160714
Mark Waddell
M is for Mark
Corporate satire, queer romance and dark fantasy collide in the work of Edgar Award-nominated Canadian author Mark Waddell. His upcoming novel, Messy as Hell (Viking $26.95), follows Sam, an underpaid janitor at a hellish multinational corporation who uncovers an infernal biohazard and a dangerous deal threatening humanity. Blending absurd workplace humour, apocalyptic stakes and a heartfelt romance, Waddell delivers a darkly comic take on corporate culture, office burnout and the chaos lurking behind closed doors. 9780735250345
Billeh Nickerson
N is for Nickerson
Known for his use of satire and humour, Billeh Nickerson famously blended Canadian hockey culture with queer desire in his poem, “Why I Love Wayne Gretzky—an Erotic Fantasy” published in his first collection The Asthmatic Glassblower (Arsenal Pulp, 2000). The title of Nickerson’s fifth collection, Blood Clot Banana Bag (Anvil $20), about two weeks he spent in St. Paul’s Hospital in 2022 when he was diagnosed with blood clots, refers to the nickname medical workers give to IV bags (banana bags), which are tinged yellow from electrolytes and hang above patients like banana bunches. 9781772142624
Ruth Ozeki
O is for Ozeki
Raised in Connecticut by a Japanese mother and American father, dual Canadian-American citizen Ruth Ozeki divides her time among Cortes Island, New York City and western Massachusetts. A novelist, filmmaker, Zen Buddhist priest and Smith College professor emerita, Ozeki has published her first short story collection, The Typing Lady and Other Fictions (Penguin Canada $38), and it is a hoot. Mixing realism, satire, metafiction, autofiction and the surreal, its eleven stories explore ambition, desire, ageing, memory and lives not lived. Writing—and its tools, from typewriters and letters to disappearing ink—provides a shared motif. The laughs come courtesy of characters such as an online-snooping grandmother and a dead Beat poet who possesses a publishing assistant. 9780735249813
Pippa Scott
P is for Pippa
The literary world is awash with woeful tales of British boys sliced, diced and otherwise mangled by the public-school system. Girls, not so much. Vancouver-based writer, singer and award-winning documentary photographer Pippa Scott strives to rebalance the ledger with Paper Girls Burn: A Borderline Personality Disorder Memoir (Caitlin $26). Born in Canada but schooled in the U.K., Scott chronicles the years before her borderline personality disorder diagnosis and her search for love, understanding and identity. Her story takes in a rigid British boarding school, a London rock star, Broadway training, Hollywood film offices and Vancouver’s drag world. 9781773861944
Christine Quintana
Q is for Quintana
Set in a Mexican resort, the lives of Sarah, a cynical Canadian wedding guest, and Adriana, a perfectionist hotel floor manager, intersect in unexpected ways in Christine Quintana’s latest play, Espejos: Clean (Playwrights Canada Press $19.99). Sarah’s pessimism and Adriana’s quest for order mask deeper anxieties, which come to light as their parallel realities collide. Through poignant and often humorous monologues, the bilingual play delves into themes of female strength, solidarity, and the struggles each woman faces in navigating her world. Speaking directly to the audience, their stories reveal both contrasts and commonalities, magnifying their shared pain and resilience. The play was adapted and translated into Spanish by Paula Zelaya-Cervantes. 9780369104588
Deborah Ross-Grayman
R is for Ross-Grayman
In Voices of Resilience: An Anthology of Stories Written by Children of Holocaust Survivors (Amsterdam Publishers $24.95), edited by Deborah Ross-Grayman, the personal stories of twelve second-generation descendants of Holocaust survivors are brought together, many of whom are connected to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre (VHEC). The events told are set across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America and explore intergenerational memory and trauma. Contributors recount childhoods shaped by war, migration, political upheaval and rediscovered family histories, while also reflecting on resilience, compassion and renewal across generations. Includes a foreword by Robert Krell (psychiatrist and founder of VHEC) and an historical overview by Chris Friedrichs. 9789493418615
Neil Surkan
S is for Surkan
In the titular poem of Neil Surkan’s new collection of lyrical poems, Empties (MQUP $19.95) his playful wording is on display: “And who / isn’t my neighbour / now? We alley / bottles // mouthing / ooooo / when gusts prowl, empties / blown // into / a chorus – wind, / song what – difference / if air // grazes / or emits / from our lips?” The author of two other books of poetry, Unbecoming (MQUP, 2021) and On High (MQUP, 2018) as well as four chapbooks, Surkan is the poet laureate of Nanaimo and a professor in the Department of English at Vancouver Island University. 9780228027317
Glenna Turnbull
T is for Turnbull
In her debut novel, The Art of Getting Lost and Found (Breakwater Books $24.95), Kelowna-based Glenna Turnbull tells of the lives of two women over one week in August, but 130 years apart—1887 and 2017. Both women struggle with difficult lives and violent partners. Turnbull explores the effects of domestic violence on mental health and the “importance of getting out while you still can,” she says. Turnbull is already working on a second novel about a young girl who wants to play hockey and a former NHL player who takes her under his wing. 9781778530814
Udayana Lugo
U is for Udayana
Richmond-based illustrator, Udayana Lugo is self-taught. She worked as a designer (jewelry, auto parts, furniture and interiors) and then discovered children’s books, which became her passion. Previous books Lugo has illustrated with Orca Book Publishers include Jungle Cat (2023), Pink is for Everybody (2023), When You Meet a Dragon (2024) and No Huddles for Heloise (2025). Lugo has now illustrated Gotcha Day (Orca, 2026) for ages 3 to 5 by Deborah Kerbel, the story of a stray dog on its path to being adopted into its “fur-ever home.” Not knowing its birthday, the family celebrates “Gotcha Day,” which is when a pet is adopted. 9781459839663
Roy Henry Vickers
V is for Vickers
On the occasion of his 80th birthday, Pacific Northwest coast artist Roy Henry Vickers has released an affordably-priced retrospective commemorating 80 of his greatest works. The Best of Roy Henry Vickers (Harbour $24.95) traces his artwork over the fifty-year period,1974 to 2024. Vickers spent his early childhood in the Indigenous village of Kitkatla surrounded by stories and storytellers, setting him on his journey of carving, painting and printmaking. This celebratory book showcases the evolution of Vickers’ vibrantly-coloured landscapes and iconic Northwest Coast imagery. Vickers also provides a short but informative biography in his introduction. 9781998526635
Loreth Anne White
W is for White
Crime-inspired thrillers, mysteries and suspense novels have earned Loreth Anne White international acclaim, with more than four million books sold in over 22 languages. A former journalist who worked in South Africa and Canada, White draws on her experience to craft intricate plots and psychological suspense. Her latest novel, The Black Orchid (Montlake, $25.99), is a true crime-inspired locked-room thriller set aboard a luxury cruise ship, where nine guests face a catastrophic storm and secrets that lead to a deadly reckoning. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, dividing her time between Vancouver Island, the Coast Mountains and the Cariboo. 9781662518935
Maxwell Cameron
X is for Max
UBC political science prof, Max Cameron, is known for his work on the dangers to democratization, one of which is polarization. “We are nowhere near as polarized as countries that have lost—or seriously damaged—their democracies,” he writes in Divided we fall: how we can resist polarizing pressures and strengthen our identity as citizens (James Lorimer $27.95). “But Canadians can ill afford to be complacent.” COVID-19 deepened divisions here, the Freedom Convoy showed how angry some people were, and the Conservative Party lurched further to the angry right. Cameron sets out how Canadians can resist toxic discussion, rebuild trust and renew our shared civic culture. 9781459420656
Charmaine Yu
Y is for Yu
Vancouver-based Charmaine Yu illustrated More Than Books: Why the World Needs Libraries (Orca $29.95) by Margriet Ruurs, a book that celebrates libraries and the many beneficial activities these institutions provide. The back page blurb notes: “While libraries began as places to protect and preserve knowledge, they have grown into community hubs where everyone can access diverse books, pick up a new hobby and fall in love with learning.” More Than Books includes a history of written records (from clay tablets to e-readers), historical libraries such as the fabled Library of Alexandria and describes the work of librarians. For middle-grade readers. 9781459844001
Richard Zokol
Z is for Zokol
Richard Zokol started his rise as a Canadian golf legend when he won the 1981 NCAA Championship. On tour he initially struggled but discovered that listening to music on his Walkman improved his game tremendously. The first pro golfer to ever try this, he became known as “Disco Dick.” Zokol played in over 450 Tour events, winning twice. Zokol was also twice named Canada’s male professional golfer of the year. He explains how he did it in Zokology: Change Your Perspective Not Your Swing—How I Competed and Won on the PGA Tour by Changing the Way I Thought (ECW $24.95). He currently resides in Kelowna, BC. 9781770418738
