NorthWords Writers Festival is making a stop in Hay River this year, and the event will feature book readings from two extremely influential NWT residents: Marie Wilson and Stephen Kakfwi.
Wilson, a former CBC journalist and the lone non-Indigenous member Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), will be reading a passage from her forthcoming book North of Nowhere: Song of a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner. Kakfwi, Wilson's husband, was the ninth premier of the NWT, and is still the longest-serving cabinet member in the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 history. HeSA国际影视传媒檒l be reading a segment of his book, Stoneface: Memoir of a Defiant Dene, which came out last year.
Both readings are set for 7:00 pm on May 30 at the Hay River Centennial Library.
SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e attended the NorthWords Festival before as a participant, but never as an author,SA国际影视传媒� Wilson said. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 very excited about that, and going to Hay River is great because I always love going to any of the communities and getting out beyond Yellowknife.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淢arie and I have done some presentations together in the past, and itSA国际影视传媒檚 always worked out really well,SA国际影视传媒� added Kakfwi. SA国际影视传媒淚 look forward to doing this little trip, together with her, presenting together as well.SA国际影视传媒�
WilsonSA国际影视传媒檚 book is an account of her work on the TRC. She began writing the book as a means of SA国际影视传媒減ersonal care,SA国际影视传媒� and also to document her life for her children and grandchildren.
SA国际影视传媒淚 didnSA国际影视传媒檛 start off thinking I was writing a book,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淥ne of the ways for me to kind of get whateverSA国际影视传媒檚 inside of me out has been through writing.
SA国际影视传媒淥nce the constant day-to-day demands of the commission was over, [I thought] how do I pause and really process what ISA国际影视传媒檝e lived through and what ISA国际影视传媒檝e experienced and what ISA国际影视传媒檝e heard? I started writing that way, and I also wanted to leave a record for my family because this work took me on the road a lot. I was gone easily 80 per cent of the time, and my grandchildren in particular were very small at the time, and saw me coming and going, probably wondering where the heck was I going and why was it important. I really wanted there to be some records so that they would know that.SA国际影视传媒�
She is SA国际影视传媒渟atisfiedSA国际影视传媒� with the final product, which will be available in June.
SA国际影视传媒淚t wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 always easy, the writing of it, but ISA国际影视传媒檓 glad I saw it through,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 glad that there will be another tool in the toolkit for informing people going forward.SA国际影视传媒�
KakfwiSA国际影视传媒檚 book recounts his experiences as a residential school survivor SA国际影视传媒� experiences he hesitated to speak about during his time in public office.
SA国际影视传媒淵ears ago when I was still a minister in the government, I didnSA国际影视传媒檛 want to talk about my residential school experiences,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲hen it was published, itSA国际影视传媒檚 done. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 your own words, your own experience, and so no one is ever going to duplicate that.
SA国际影视传媒淣obody will ever write a book like that.SA国际影视传媒�
Much like his wife, he felt a lot of satisfaction when the project was finished.
SA国际影视传媒淚 would say itSA国际影视传媒檚 like writing a song and then hearing it over the radio for the very first time,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚t kind of makes you want to jump up and holler and skip down the road and back. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 an exhilarating kind of feeling.SA国际影视传媒�
NorthWords 2024 runs from May 30 to June 2. This year marks the festivalSA国际影视传媒檚 19th annual edition. The bulk of the festivalSA国际影视传媒檚 events will occur in Yellowknife, with a lineup of readings, panel discussions, writing workshops and more on the schedule.
