Last year we welcomed Sarah James to the BC and Yukon Book Prizes board. In the coming months, we’re going to introduce you to some of the wonderful people who help guide the organization.
Q: What’s your name, role on the board, and one word that describes why you love books?
A: Sarah James, Director.
“Refuge”
Q: Where’s your favourite reading spot — and what does it look like?
A: I’m not ashamed to admit that my absolute favourite spot to read is in bed. My bedside window faces Elephant Mountain across Nelson’s Kootenay Lake. By moonlight or sunrise, I will linger there reading for as long as my day will let me.
Q: What book did you read as a child that you still think about today?
A: The innocent answer is Robert Munsch’s Paper Bag Princess, which was put in my hands by my elementary school librarian, Mrs.Campbell. The not-so-innocent answer is Stephen King’s Firestarter, which I read for a book report in grade 7 after stealing it from my mom’s nightstand. Both shaped me equally.
Q: What are you currently reading, and would you recommend it?
A: I just finished the brilliant Maggie Helwig’s Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community. I highly recommend it.
Q: Do you dog-ear pages or use a bookmark? (And be honest — we won’t judge!)
A: Indie bookstores often offer free branded bookmarks that just happen to have blank space on the back, ideal for taking notes as you read. I’m that kind of reader.
Q: What’s a book you’ve gifted more than once, and why do you keep giving it away?
A: Prophet Song, the 2023 Booker Prize winner by Irish author Paul Lynch. It is unsettling, dystopian, and brings a beautifully crafted literary context to the world we’ve currently found ourselves in.
Q: What’s a genre or style of book you’d never normally pick up — but secretly enjoyed?
A: I’ve found myself reading a lot of autobiographies in recent years, especially by artists and musicians. The generosity of vulnerability really draws me in.
Q: What’s one BC or Yukon book you think everyone in the region should read, and why?
A: Michael Christie’s 2020 novel, Greenwood is a beautiful read and deserves your attention. I took it into the woods with me on a camping trip in Fernie and barely got any sleep for three days from staying up reading it with my headlamp. It’s that good.
Q: Is there a local author whose work you’ve followed for years? What keeps drawing you back?
A: The novels of Eden Robinson of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations, and the graphic non-fiction of Gord Hill of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation have been crucial for reconciling and humbling my perspective as a settler on these lands.
Q: What made you want to get involved with the BC and Yukon Book Prizes?
A: In my role as a librarian, I already had the prizes on my radar and loved what they did to uplift our literary culture. I first submitted my name as a juror for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, as I really loved the idea of reading through piles of submissions from BC and Yukon authors. After that experience, I wanted to solidify my involvement with the organization for a longer commitment. It feels really important to elevate the role of literature (and all art in general, really) to help us navigate these times.
Q: What’s the most surprising or memorable part of serving on the board?
A: As someone who lives in the Kootenays, it’s been exciting to connect with the broader BC and Yukon literary community.
Q: If you could add one new prize category to the awards, what would it be and why?
A: Teen Choice award! There is a very real pushback against digital dissonance amongst Gen Z right now. It could be coordinated in partnership with high school English teachers, who are some of the best people I know.
Q: You’re stranded on a remote BC or Yukon lake with only one book — what do you bring?
A: Lonely City, by Olivia Laing
Q: If your life were a book, what genre would it be, and what would the title be?
A: Speculative Fiction: Go Your Own Way