Prince George literary audiences get their first look at an already-acclaimed new book by a local author.
On Tuesday night, Books & Company hosts local writer Sarah De Leeuw, who is riding national attention for her new poetry book Skeena.
There will be readings, discussions, autographs and books for sale.
Skeena a book of poems, including long-form poetry, that she pulled from the strong currents of the Skeena River watershed where she grew up and spent so much personal time with her family. Her late father, in particular, is a central figure in the writing.
"It is not memoir-esque, it won't resonate with readers as a confessional biographical document, yet it is linked strongly to my father," said
De Leeuw. "My dad passed away recently, and he was a real lover of the Skeena watershed. He worked in that area almost all his professional life (he was a provincial government biologist specializing in bugs, fish and their habitats) and was also an artist. He painted the Skeena for many years. His ashes were scattered in the Skeena River. The book was started many years before he was diagnosed (with prostate cancer), but I can safely say it became a dedication to my father."
It has struck a mental vein with highly regarded writers. Northern B.C. publishing house Caitlin Press got preview copies into the hands of such luminaries as Wade Davis, Rene Saklikar, John Pass and Barry McKinnon.
"The Skeena, the 'river of mists,' has its muse in Sarah De Leeuw. This collection is her gift to all of us who know and love a river known to the Tsimshian people as 'Xsan, the 'waters that flow from the clouds,'" said Davis, who lives in that region.
McKinnon said, "Skeena is a poem/assemblage of intelligence and care that contains an epic sweep of northern history, geography, and the landscape of human experience therein. It is a large determined document in and of place 'that finds out.'"
The writer was blushing, when these words of praise came her way.
"I was super chuffed that Wade Davis read it and was complimentary about it, and Barry, who I continue to think the world of, because he has blazed trails for northern writers," she said.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation followed suit. Skeena was one of the books they placed this summer on the CBC Fall 2015 Book Preview list. That cast her title into nationwide light.
After all the buildup and all the anticipation, it is now time for the reader to dip their fingers and imaginations into De Leeuw's Skeena.
She launches Skeena with a public appearance (along with special guest writer Derrick Denholm, author of new book Ground Truthing) Tuesday at Books & Company.
She goes next to Smithers, Terrace and Prince Rupert for author events on Oct. 15, 16 and 17 respectively. She is sharing the spotlight on the northwest leg of the book launch tour with the SkeenaWild Conservation Trust.
The event at Books & Company begins at 7 p.m., free of charge to attend.
