Interested in works by local authors, but don't want to wait in line for some of the more popular titles? EPL has several eBook databases and collections featuring Albertan authors including Read Local page on OverDrive, and Read Alberta Collection.
Some of the titles that you can access include:
Little Yellow House by Carissa Halton
Edmonton author and EPL's Capital City Press Featured Writer Carissa Halton shares her experiences living in an older Edmonton area, with stories featuring an eclectic cast of characters in the Alberta Avenue neighbourhood. Little Yellow House explores the meaning of community, with a mix of humour, compassion, and a critical eye towards the dangers of gentrification.
Several copies of Little Yellow House are available on Read Alberta Collection.
Homes by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah and Winnie Yeung
Abu Bakr al Rabeeah, with the help of Winnie Yeung, shares the story of his family's move from Iraq to Homs, Syria in 2010, and their subsequent move to Canada in 2014. Homes juxtaposes the horrors of growing up in a war zone with normal activities, like playing soccer and spending time with family. This story highlights the resilience of family, the importance of home as a concept and not a place, and the shared experiences of refugees and non-refugees alike.
Homes was the runner-up to Canada Reads 2019.
Several copies of Homes are also available on Read Alberta Collection.
This Wound Is A World by Billy-Ray Belcourt
Billy-Ray Belcourt is an Edmonton poet and author from the Driftpile Cree Nation, and This Wound Is A World is part poetry, part manifesto, part memoir, part prayer. Exploring his Indigeneity and queer identity, race relations, love, culture, and decolonization, Belcourt's first book has reached critical acclaim, winning the 2018 Griffin Poetry Prize, the 2018 Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize, and the award for the Most Significant Book of Poetry in English by an Emerging Indigenous Writer at the 2018 Indigenous Voices Awards.
Several copies of This Wound Is A World are available on Read Alberta Collection.
The Garneau Block by Todd Babiak
Originally published in serial instalments in the Edmonton Journal throughout 2005, The Garneau Block is Edmonton author Todd Babiak's second novel. A fictional story set in the Garneau neighbourhood next to the University of Alberta, Babiak's satire and the banter between his cast of humourous characters capture many Edmonton-isms. Nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize Longlist in 2006, The Garneau Block is being adapted into a stage production for the Citadel Theatre's 2019-2020 season.
The Garneau Block is available on OverDrive Read Local.
Ranching Women in Southern Alberta
As a fourth-generation rancher, Rachel Herbert has a first-hand understanding of women raising cattle and families in southern Alberta. Ranching Women in Southern Alberta explores the ingenuity and independence of ranching women, highlighting their crucial contributions to the emerging cattle industry from the late 1800s onwards, and shares the stories of strong women in the West that challenged Victorian norms and expectations of womanhood.
Several copies of Ranching Women in Southern Alberta are available on Read Alberta Collection.
The Apocalypse of Morgan Turner by Jennifer Quist
In Jennifer Quist's third novel The Apocalypse of Morgan Turner, the titular character wrestles with coming to terms with her sister's death, and her murderer's claim that he is not criminally responsible due to mental illness. Quist is the recipient of the 2014 Emerging Artists Award from the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards, and is one of EPL's Capital City Press Featured Writers for 2019, opens a new window.
The Apocalypse of Morgan Turner is available on OverDrive Read Local.
Art Lessons by Katherine Koller
Art Lessons is a coming-of-age story told by seven-year-old Cassie, spanning 11 years. Readers follow Cassie's art lessons, creative expression, and adolescent struggles as she matures from a child to a young adult.This is Edmonton author Katherine Koller's first novel, but Koller is no stranger to the Canadian arts scene-- she is also an accomplished radio, stage, and screen writer. Koller is also one of EPL's Capital City Press Featured Writers for 2019, opens a new window.
Art Lessons is available on OverDrive Read Local
So what are you waiting for? Check out some local authors now!
If you're interested in local writing, keep an eye out for classes and events hosted by Capital City Press!
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