BC Libraries Present is a series of compelling author talks presented virtually by BC’s Public Library Community! On this page you will find the recordings of past BC Libraries Present author talks. For upcoming authors, please see our Online Programs.

You can follow the series on CrowdCast at: www.crowdcast.io/@bclibraries-present

Do you want to see even more authors? Check out our Library Speakers Consortium Archive Page.

BC Libraries Present is a new virtual author series that brings new insights and voices to people in every corner of British Columbia. BC public libraries, both big and small, host these events and provide access to award-winning authors to library users across the province.

For the inaugural season for this series, the topic was Conversations on Climate. Climate touches everyone’s lives, homes, jobs, and even their reading choices, it was a natural place to start. This series, brought 3 compelling voices to present their recent climate-related works to a broad BC audience.

You are still welcome to watch the replay of each of the discussions, found below.

Watch the talk (Recorded November 12, 2024)

Jessica Johns’s debut novel, Bad Cree, is a gripping story about intergenerational trauma that follows a Cree millennial who has haunting dreams about her dead sister and Kokum. This ground breaking horror novel that grapples with the effects of grief and the power of kinship, got a country-wide spotlight on CBC Canada Reads 2024. For the third event of this lineup, join Jessica Johns in conversation with award-winning writer Selina Boan.

Watch the talk (recorded October 15, 2024)

The issue of false claims to Indigenous identity has gotten headlines across the country in recent years, with famous writers, academics, and artists uncovered as “pretendians.”

Bestselling author katherena vermette’s new novel, real ones, tells the story of sisters who must face their past trauma when their mother is called out for false claims to Indigenous identity. It’s a novel that explores the impact that pretendianism has on Indigenous peoples, and pays homage to the long-fought, hard-won battles of Michif (Métis) people to regain ownership of their identity.

** the lowercase spelling of katherena vermette is by her preference

Watch the talk (Recorded September 9, 2024)

Following the success of her groundbreaking memoir A Mind Spread Out on the Ground, Alicia Elliot’s new novel And Then She Fell has quickly become an award-winning national bestseller. It’s a story about Native life, motherhood, and mental health that follows a young Mohawk woman who discovers that the picture-perfect life she always hoped for may have horrifying consequences.

Watch the talk (Recorded December 7, 2023)

Indigenous communities are on the frontlines of the most devastating climate catastrophes across the world. And they are also leading the most powerful movements to stop the expansion of the fossil fuel industry, major culprits of these disasters.

Brandi Morin risks her freedom to report on these protest movements, and brings us the most critical stories of how people are pushing back against the economic status quo. She will discuss her memoir, Our Voice of Fire, about overcoming adversity to find her purpose as a journalist—and share her experiences reporting on Indigenous activism that is pushing towards a brighter climate future.

Watch the talk (Recorded November 8, 2023)  

Fire has changed communities across BC this year. After the most devastating wildfire season in recorded history, many are wondering how these fires got so big, what we can learn from our current responses, and whether we are prepared for an ever warming future. 

John Vaillant’s book Fire Weather has become a de-facto guide on the new dangers posed by these fires supercharged by a warming planet. He’ll discuss his findings on the Fort McMurray fire of 2016, to help us understand what’s at stake for our cities, towns, and ecosystems.

Watch the talk (Recorded October 3, 2023)

Amidst the urgency and anxiety of the climate crisis, speculative fiction can help us find hope by showing what an alternative, better future could look like. In The Ministry for the Future, Kim Stanley Robinson imagines a world ravaged by climate disaster, where humans find ways to change politics, technology, and the economy to win the fight against climate change.

For our first event of this series, join a hopeful conversation about solutions to our most existential dilemma, and how imagining new futures can help us get there.