Every December since 2009, Lise Schonewille, manager of Mac’s Fireweed Books, celebrates Winterval, the start of the holiday season, with local authors in the store.

Over the years the event has showcased a diverse collection of Yukon literature, subjects and writers as our literary talent grows. This year is no different with a mix of new authors and returning ones who have branched out into new genres.

Joining her this year on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. is:

Artist Jim Robb with Their Own Yukon, a collection of photos and stories of Yukon elders produced by Robb and researcher Julie Cruikshank in the 1970s. Out of print for over 40 years, the book originally “made a big impact,” Robb told the CBC. He hopes the re-release, with high quality photo reproduction and print production, creates a new impact of inspired creative activity within our artistic community.

Mother-daughter team Rachel and Ursula Westfall return to the literary scene with One Faceted Eye. This is the third instalment of their collaborative Sasquatch series and sees runaway teen Emma and her friends embark on a crusade to save “one of the last great secrets of the wild.”

books by yukon authors like Jim Robb

Maureen Senecal will be there with her new-age novel Angels and Aliens. Set on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, which is a pilgrimage route and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Chilkoot Trail, it’s the story of two people who lose their way along the path in this dimension only to find themselves in another dimension and on the path to human understanding.

A-ya CB Arte, also known as Calle Artemenko, presents her first science fiction fantasy which follows Ariane Arte and the mysterious hooded youth Riku into Shadows: The beginning. Check it out online for a glimpse under the striking anime cover.

Better known for the illustrated stories of her adventurous St. Bernard, T. Ruth McCullough has turned from prose to poetry. Her book Paws to Consider: A poetry collection and something more is her first book of verse.

kjmunro and I are attending on behalf of eight Yukon writers who contributed to poem.a, a one-of-a-kind multi-lingual circumpolar anthology. A product of the ArtArctica festival in Finland, the book of poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction, is written in several languages of the north, including English and French.

Rounding out the group is Bob Hayes with his new release Zhou: The Clan of the Wolf. Hot off the press, the story drawn from Hayes’ knowledge as a wolf biologist is “just a fantastic read,” says Schonewille. This is Hayes’ first work of long fiction.

To celebrate these and other truly unique northern stories, stop by Mac’s on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Leave a Comment

Scroll to Top