Story of Noskeye Family Heartbreaking and Hopeful

I became aware of this story by CBC Edmonton reporter, Roberta Bell, about the 14 children of Wapiti crash vicitim, Elaine Noskeye, some time ago, but wanted to ensure it didn’t slip from public memory so am posting it here. It is a testament to the resilience and strength of character of Elaine Noskeye’s children. Roberta writes a compelling story of how this family came together to help one another other cope with the loss of a mother and to rebuild compassionate and successful lives in her memory.

The Marriott Cell Longlisted for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize

The Marriott Cell was one of 10 books longlisted for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize from among a record breaking 153 non-fiction books submitted by 110 Canadian and international publishers. The RBC Taylor Prize, now in its 17th year, recognizes excellence in the field of literary nonfiction and is awarded annually to "the author whose book best combines a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception..."

Thanks to jury members Christine Elliott, Anne Giardini, and James Polk, who noted that they had "never seen such overall excellence as in the one hundred and fifty-three RBC Taylor Prize submissions read this year" for including The Marriott Cell among the impressive longlist.

Congrats, too, to all the authors whose books were longlisted and shortlisted for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize, and especially to this year's winner, Tanya Talaga for Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City published by House of Anansi Press.


 

The Marriott Cell Wins Huguenot Society of Canada Award for 2016

On June 10, 2017, the Honours and Awards Committee of the Huguenot Society of Canada honoured The Marriott Cell: An Epic Journey from Cairo's Scorpion Prison to Freedom with its annual award for the best book or substantial article published in Ontario in 2016 that has brought public awareness to the principles of freedom of conscience and freedom of thought. I'm delighted to share this award with Mohamed Fahmy, fearless journalist, fellow author and friend, and with our indomitable editor, Louise Dennys, and our publisher, Random House Canada.
 
In its citation, the awards committee noted: "Mohamed Fahmy, a distinguished journalist, tells the deeply disturbing story that began in December 2013 of his long struggle for freedom following his wrongful incarceration in Scorpion, Egypt’s maximum-security prison for terrorists and political activists. Fahmy and Shaben, in gripping prose, make clear that crucial to Fahmy’s survival and eventual release were the outcries of supporters from around the world, the support of his loving partner, and the determination of his outstanding international human rights lawyer, Amal Clooney. Moreover, The Marriott Cell gives readers insight into a region of the world troubled by jihadism, not only because of the authors’ expertise on the subject but also because Fahmy explains his own, up-close encounters with the prisoners in his cell block. The Marriott Cell makes an eloquent case for the profound importance of independent journalism today."

The Marriott Cell a 2017 BC Book Prize Finalist

The BC Book Prizes announced their 2017 shortlist today and I'm thrilled that The Marriott Cell is a finalist for the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Award. I'm also honoured to be among an incredibly strong and accomplished field of writers including Deborah Campbell (A Disappearance in Damascus), Joy Kogawa (Gently to Nagasaki), Carmen Aguire (Mexican Hooker #1: And My Other Roles Since the Revolution) and Mark Leiren-Young (The Killer Whale Who Changed the World). The winner will be announced on April 29, 2017.

Vancouver Launch for "The Marriott Cell"

Please join us for the Vancouver launch of “The Marriott Cell” on Monday, November 21, 2016 at 7:30 pm. I am extremely proud of this intensive collaborative effort with journalist Mohamed Fahmy detailing the remarkable story of his incarceration and inspiring efforts to gain his freedom. You can purchase tickets online here. Books are on sale at the event, or bring yours to be signed. Hope to see you there!

The Gift of a Great Bookstore

I recently spent a weekend in Seattle, a preholiday getaway to celebrate the end of demanding work schedules for my husband and me, and to encourage some quality bonding time for our family. We arrived late Friday night to a city bedecked in holiday lights and abuzz with festive energy. The next day my teenage son and I headed to Capitol Hill—I, drawn to its reputation as a young, edgy neighbourhood that is home to Seattle’s music, art and alternative culture scenes, he to the hip stores selling skate and street clothing.

 

As we strolled along East Pike Street, popping in and out of stores, I soon had that slightly nauseous feeling I always get when I experience too much material excess and witness the slavish devotion we often have to the cult of consumption. My discomfort reached its zenith when my son and I encountered a long lineup in front of a clothing store. The store itself was open and largely empty, yet dozens of shoppers stood complacently in the pouring rain awaiting their turn to be admitted. All were hoping to be one of a lucky few to purchase a pair of new Air Jordan running shoes that were being released or “dropped” at noon that day. As I stood watching one young man count a fat wad of cash, I simultaneously noticed two men of a similar age across the street. Presumably homeless, they lay sodden and half-sheltered beneath a recessed entryway.

While my son was happy to be part of the buzz and wait around in the rain chatting with the locals until he could get inside the store, I had an almost visceral need to get away so left in search of a quiet coffeehouse nearby. What I found instead, to my delight, was the venerable Elliot Bay Book Company.

While I freely admit my bias for a good bookstore, on this particular pre-Christmas shopping day, the stately independent book seller felt like a sanctuary. Walking through its lofty, wood-adorned aisles filled with avid readers instantly reconnected me to all that I cherish: literature, art, ideas, knowledge, dreams and possibility. In a world that sometimes seems to have gone mad with what we wear and how we publicly promote ourselves, this quiet contemplative space dedicated to expanding the unpublished interiors of our minds felt priceless.

Wandering the incredible expanse of books would have been gift enough for me that day, but the bookstore had another treat in store. As I perused the “Outdoors” section for something for my avid wilderness-loving hubby, I discovered copies of Into the Abyss on the shelf. What’s more, as I worked my way to the back of the spacious and stately space, I found the coffeehouse I’d been searching for.

 

So for the gift of its robust existence, I give thanks to The Elliott Bay Book Company and to all independent bookstores everywhere. I also echo the sentiment of bestselling author and bookstore owner, Ann Patchett:

“If what a bookstore offers matters to you, then shop at a bookstore. If you feel that the experience of reading a book is valuable, then read the book. This is how we change the world: we grab hold of it. We change ourselves.”

PS. I bought two books for my hubby that day. Both are amazing gems I’d never before heard of.