After three seasons, we have come to our final episode! It's a bittersweet moment, but a celebratory one nonetheless. Thank you all very much for joining us since we launched in early 2021! For our last Storykeepers show, Jennifer suggested talking to Waubgeshig a bit about his most recent and forthcoming novels, Moon of the Crusted Snow and Moon of the Turning Leaves. After that, we wanted to recap our three seasons and talk about some highlights. We had fun reminiscing and revisiting some of the bigger themes in Indigenous literature we were fortunate to explore. Big thanks to all our guests ..read more

This month's episode is a big one! As usual, we have a in-depth discussion about a great book, but we also have a big announcement. This will be our second-last episode! You'll hear why in the first few minutes, and we'll be back next month to continue that conversation and wrap everything up. In the meantime, please enjoy our chat about The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. It's a wonderful novel about an Indigenous-owned bookstore in Minneapolis and the vibrant and complex Indigenous community around it. Because it's our last full chat with a guest host, we wanted to come full-circle and invite Da ..read more

We've got another novel for you this month! We read Probably Ruby by Lisa Bird-Wilson and asked acclaimed author and storyteller Michelle Good to join us to talk about it. Published in 2021, Probably Ruby tells the story of an Indigenous woman who was adopted out as an infant on her journey to find family and identity. The novel won the 2022 Saskatchewan Book Awards Book of the Year, and was shortlist for the Governor General's Literary Award and the Amazon Canada First Novel Award. More about Probably Ruby: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/669226/probably-ruby-by-lisa-bird-wilso ..read more

This month we're putting the spotlight on books for kids by Indigenous authors, so we invited award-winning author David A. Robertson to join us. He's received several accolades for his books for kids and young adults and his literacy advocacy, and was recently appointed Editorial Director at the Tundra Book Group. In this episode David shares his journey as a writer, his creative process, his thoughts on the growing list of kids' books by Indigenous authors, and why he wants to hear from more Indigenous storytellers. Here's a link to the Indigenous picture book resource Waubgeshig references ..read more

This month scholar and writer Geraldine King joins Jennifer and Waubgeshig to talk about Islands of Decolonial Love by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson. Originally published in 2013, the collection of short stories, poems, and songs is widely heralded in Indigenous storytelling circles. Simpson brilliantly explores the modern lives and realities of Indigenous peoples in cities and communities as they assert their rights and identities in the face of ongoing colonialism. More on Islands of Decolonial Love: https://arpbooks.org/product/islands-of-decolonial-love/ More on Geraldine King: https://w ..read more

Welcome to Season 3! To kick off 2023, we decided to talk about three books by Indigenous authors that made the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize long list: All the Quiet Places by Brian Thomas Isaac, A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt, and Avenue of Champions by Conor Kerr. We also discussed our plans for the new season, which will be a bit different than the first two. Big thanks for joining us on Storykeepers ..read more

That's a wrap on Season 2! To cap off 2022, Jennifer and Waubgeshig are joined by author, poet, and professor Joshua Whitehead to talk about NISHGA by Jordan Abel. NISHGA is a powerful autobiographical exploration of Indigenous identity and self-awareness in the ongoing devastation of intergenerational trauma. This collection of reflections, poems, artwork, and more is eclectic, candid, and heartfelt, and we felt honoured and privileged to be able to read and discuss it at the end of this season. More on NISHGA: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/610846/nishga-by-jordan-abel/97807710079 ..read more

We are honoured this month to feature one of the integral publishing houses supporting Indigenous stories and voices for decades: Kegedonce Press. Founder Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm joins Jennifer and Waubgeshig to talk about the origins of Kegedonce Press, its books and authors, the importance of Indigenous publishers, and her own body of work as an author and poet. She also recommends some great recent Kegedonce titles to read. For more on Kegedonce Press, visit www.kegedonce.com ..read more

We're taking a different approach to this month's episode and releasing it a day early to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. We've informally curated a list of books that focus on the residential school experience and the resilience of survivors. We encourage listeners to seek out novels, memoirs, poetry, plays, and more beyond what we've discussed in this episode, and to support survivors however possible. Miigwech/thanks for listening. Some of the books and works discussed in Season 2 Episode 10: Burning in this Midnight Dream by Louise Bernice Halfe Five Little ..read more

Waubgeshig is back in the regular co-host chair this month after his Giller Prize jury duties to join Jennifer and poet/playwright Shalan Joudry as they feature Gregory Scofield's poetry collection Witness, I Am. The award-winning poet's 2016 book is divided into three compelling sections that deftly explore contemporary Indigenous themes, from identity to ceremony to the ongoing tragedy of missing and murdered women and girls. More on Witness, I Am: https://harbourpublishing.com/products/9780889713239 More on Shalan Joudry: https://www.shalanjoudry.com/bio ..read more