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  • Writer's pictureGoran Yerkovich
    • Apr 18
    • 2 min read

Podcast Interview with Joseph Kakwinokanasum, Award-Winning Indigenous Author: On Life & Why Everyone Should Write & Learning The Importance of Cree Time

Updated: Apr 19



The act of writing - the act of sharing a story that needs to be told - is like the creation of your very own Rosetta stone. Writing distills and translates - through language, memories, feelings - ideas which may seem, at initial onset, impossible to communicate or understand.


But sometimes, the world gives us storytellers who have mastered the art of communicating their experiences—those who can bridge the gap between the anchors that lift us up and those which can drag us down. Joseph Kakwinokanasum is one such man. Joseph says everyone should write...and in our Podcast interview, he explains why....



This is my podcast interview with award-winning author Joseph Kakwinokanasum. In this episode, Joseph talks about the anchors of life, the worst jobs he's ever had, writing tips for new or emerging authors, and why everyone on this planet should write. We also get into Cree Time, how to overcome past traumas, ways to avoid past mistakes, the difference between a job and a career, and why both matter. For links to learn more about Joseph and his book club and his upcoming events visit https://starblanketstoryteller.ca or scroll below to learn more.



Joseph Kakwinokanasum’s award-winning novel, My Indian Summer, is published by Tidewater Press.

Who is Joseph Kakwinokanasum?

Joseph Kakwinokanasum is a member of James Smith Cree Nation. He is a graduate from Simon Fraser University’s “The Writer’s Studio.” Kakwinokanasum’s manuscript Woodland Creatures was shortlisted for the 2020 CBC Nonfiction Prize. In 2022, he was selected by Darrel J. McLeod as a Writers’ Trust ‘Rising Star’, and his debut novel, My Indian Summer, was the winner of the 2023-2024 First Nations Communities READ Awards, and it was shortlisted for the 2023 ReLit Award for fiction. Kakwinokanasum was the 2024 Storyteller in Residence at the Vancouver Public Library and the 2024 Writer’s Trust Fiction Mentor. He lives and works on Vancouver Island.



 

VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY: UPCOMING EVENTS

 

Titles TBD

Thursday, April 25  |  6:30-8pm   |   Central Library

Have you ever wanted to hear a completely unscripted discussion with no agenda or structure between writers? To listen in on a less than serious conversation of a day in the life of an artist? Join us at VPL for an entertaining night with artists Darrel J. McLeod, Jónína Kirton, Christina Myers, and hosted by Joseph Kakwinokanasum for a discussion that might move from drug stealing raccoons, wrestling matches with a vacuum, the call of nature at unnatural times, and being a fledgling comedian to offset the often too seriousness of life as a writer.

At the end of the event, the guests will choose a title for the event inspired by the preceding discussion.

 

My Indian Summer Book Club

Tuesday, May 7  |  6:30-7:30pm  |  Mount Pleasant Branch

Get to know other book lovers and explore Joseph Kakwinokanasum's 2022 novel, My Indian Summer, at this book club to celebrate the 2024 Indigenous Storyteller in Residence, with an appearance by the author himself!

 

CBC–The Early Edition with Stephen Quinn

Meet the Vancouver Public Library's latest Indigenous Storyteller in Residence


Website:

Instagram

@kakwinokanasum

Facebook

@JosephKakwinokanasum

Starblanket Storyteller YouTube



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