10 hours Ago By Ben Sigurdson
A new imprint from Tundra Book Group, the children’s literature arm of Penguin Random House Canada, will focus on books by Indigenous writers and illustrators, and will be spearheaded by Winnipeg Swampy Cree author . Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * A new imprint from Tundra Book Group, the children’s literature arm of Penguin Random House Canada, will focus on books by Indigenous writers and illustrators, and will be spearheaded by Winnipeg Swampy Cree author . Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? A new imprint from Tundra Book Group, the children’s literature arm of Penguin Random House Canada, will focus on books by Indigenous writers and illustrators, and will be spearheaded by Winnipeg Swampy Cree author .
Swift Water Books will feature emerging and established Indigenous authors, with books geared towards kids of all ages, including picture books, graphic novels, young-adult (YA) fiction and more. The first titles from Swift Water Books will land on shelves in 2026, and two have already been announced — the YA novel , by , and , a picture book based on a poem by the late poet and illustrated by . Other authors with forthcoming books with Swift Water include , , and .
For more about Swift Water Books, see wfp.to/WYD. Pawis-Steckley is also a finalist for the 2024 Canadian Picture Book Award, which was established in 1985 after the death of the titular illustrator and author and presented to “a Canadian illustrator in recognition of outstanding artistic talent.
” He’s a finalist for his work on his book , along with nine other illustrators including for , for (written by ) and for . The award, presented by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY Canada), will be presented on April 26 at the organization’s annual meeting. ● ● ● The City of Winnipeg is looking for its next (and fourth) poet laureate for a two-year stint, and you could help in the search — or throw your proverbial hat in the proverbial ring.
The successful nominee will hold the position for 2025 and 2026, and will be chosen in April by a panel pulled together by the Winnipeg Arts Council. The poet laureate must have lived in Winnipeg contiguously since 2020, be at least 18 years of age and undertake some public appearances. Anyone can make a nomination or be nominated; the poet laureate receives a $5,000 honorarium per year, with the opportunity to receive funding for related projects and travel.
Previous Winnipeg poet laureates have been, from most recent to earliest, (who is now the parliamentary poet laureate), and . For more information see wfp.to/WYG.
● ● ● Winnipeg author (and book reviewer) has nabbed the 2024 Longhorn Prize for western short stories from . Armstrong’s story, , can be seen in the latest issue of at wfp.to/WYz.
According to Armstrong’s blog, the story “was inspired by a visit to Dodge City, and particularly by the section in the Wild West town’s museum about the life of the women who worked in its brothels.” Armstrong was the co-winner of the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction at the 2022 Manitoba Book Awards for his novel , which also garnered a spot on the list of finalists for the Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction that year. ● ● ● Freedom to Read Week kicks off tomorrow and runs through to Saturday, March 1, and features a range of events including a national day of digital action, which takes place on Monday starting at 11 a.
m.. Libraries and avid readers are encouraged to participate by posting to social media about books and reading with the hashtags #FTRW25 and#FreedomToRead.
For more on the day of digital action and other Freedom to Read Week activities, presented by the Book and Periodical Council, the Canadian Urban Libraries Council, Library and Archives Canada and the Ontario Library Association, see freedomtoread.ca. books@freepress.
mb.ca Ben Sigurdson is the ‘s literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly drinks column.
He joined the full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. . In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the ’s editing team before being posted online or published in print.
It’s part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism.
If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Ben Sigurdson is the ‘s literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly drinks column. He joined the full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014.
. In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the ’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism.
Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider .
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Advertisement Advertisement.
