BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
In Our Own Aboriginal Voice 2 is a powerful collection of short fiction, non-fiction, personal essay, poetry, and original Indigenous artwork by Indigenous authors and artists from across Canada. Featuring the work of established authors such as the late Connie Fife, and up-and-coming Aboriginal authors to watch out for (according to CBC Books) Joanne Arnott, Michelle Sylliboy, and Dennis Saddleman, as well as emerging writers from across Canada who shine a light on the lives of Indigenous Peoples living in Canada. The Indigenous selection committee was headed by author Richard Van Camp. Foreword by former Chief Edmund Metatawabin-appointed to the Order of Canada and author of Up Ghost River: A Chief's Journey Through the Turbulent Waters of Native History, a finalist for the 2014 Governor General's Award.
Editor Michael Calvert's publishing credits include the anthology, In Our Own Aboriginal Voice volumes one and two, and Portal literary magazine. He is the editor of Kiskajeyi- I AM READY. A graduate of VIU's Creative Writing and Journalism program and SFU's Masters of Publishing, Michael lives in Nanaimo, B.C. and teaches at Vancouver Island University.
Dr. Edmund Metatawabin is a former First Nations Chief and writer, whose 2014 memoir Up Ghost River: A Chief's Journey Through the Turbulent Waters of Native History was a 2014 finalist for the Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction. Edmund received the Order of Canada in 2018. He resides in Fort Albany, ON.
"I pray that the artwork, the sharing of these stories brings healing to both the artists and those who engage with this collection. It contains a tsunami of pain but does not leave you there. There is medicine in these stories, stories that could only be told by those who lived to tell. Some still seek restitution, long for healing, and to bring home the bones of their ancestors. All are courageous in the telling."-Jónina Kirton, Métis/Icelandic poet, author of An Honest Woman
"These voices are precious and beautiful. Mahsi cho to each of them singing the world to a brighter place. Mahsi cho to their families. Mahsi cho to their ancestors and mahsi cho to a richer world because of their courage and bravery. I am grateful and humbled and inspired."-Richard van Camp, author ofMay We Have Enough to Share
"This ongoing commitment to further the remarkable growth of Indigenous literature can only be applauded."-Alan Twigg, author ofAboriginality: The Literary Origins of British Columbia, Vol. 2
"The poets and short-story writers who contributed here for our enjoyment leave us with the message that you are known; someone knows you exist. We carry the gift of life. We share in that experience with the spirits of nature. With their singing words, painting pictures in your heart, they insist that your life is acknowledged. Your experience is being recorded. Let's all make the most of it!"-Edmund Metatawabin, author of Up Ghost River
"The time for our own stories has arrived, our own written words, our own voices. It is through our stories that we discover our roots."-Terri Mack, founder Indigenous Strong Nations Bookstore, BC