Books that reference the Indigenous-Ukrainian connection

My Ukrainian grandparents homesteaded in Alberta in the early 1900s and they never would have survived had it not been for the friendship and kindness of the Indigenous peoples who were already there.

In WWI, Ukrainian immigrants and other new immigrants were scapegoated by our government and labeled as enemies of their adopted country. Thousands were interned in camps across the country and forced into back-breaking work.

My two novels set during the WWI internment operations both reference the interaction between Indigenous people and Ukrainian immigrants. Why? Because the internment camps were often built on the hunting grounds of an Indigenous community, so while Ukrainians and other immigrants were unjustly interned by the federal government, Indigenous communities lost their traditions and their source of food. A double slap of intolerance.

Here’s more about those two books:

Dance of the Banished is partly set in the Kapuskasing internment camp, a complex that destroyed a Cree hunting area. There is interaction between the internees and the Cree community.

Prisoners in the Promised Land is set in Spirit Lake Quebec with the internment camp on the destroyed hunting area of the Pikogan community. Anya encounters members of the community.

My WWII novel Stolen Girl also has a Ukrainian-Indigenous connection. That novel, about orphaned Nadia who settles into Brantford Ontario with her adoptive refugee parents after the war. The neighbourhood they move into is mostly refugees and Indigenous people because my research bore that out. Nadia’s best friend at school is an Indigenous girl.

Do you know of other books that explore this Ukrainian-Indigenous connection? Please let me know if you do and I will list them on this page.

Kokum’s Babushka is a picture book treatment.

Also, Larry Warwaruk’s novels:

Andrei and the Snow Walker

Brovko’s Amazing Journey.

Prisoners in the Promised Land

The heart-wrenching story of one girl’s experience at a Ukrainian internment camp in Quebec during World War I.

Anya’s family emigrates from Ukraine hoping for a fresh start and a new life in Canada. Soon after they cram into a tiny apartment in Montreal, WWI is declared. Because their district of Ukraine was annexed by Austria — now at war with the Commonwealth — many Ukrainians in Canada are declared “enemy aliens” and sent to internment camps. Anya and her family are shipped off to the Spirit Lake Internment Camp, in the remote wilderness of northern Quebec. Though conditions are brutal, at least Anya is at a camp that houses entire families together, and even in this barbed-wire world, she is able to make new friends and bring some happiness to the people around her.

Author Marsha Skrypuch, whose own grandfather was interned during WWI at  Jasper Internment Camp in Alberta, travelled to Spirit Lake during her research for the book. “When we got to the cemetery, I was overwhelmed with emotion. Imagine seeing a series of crosses, all grown over with brush and abandoned, and knowing that the real person you based a character on had a little sister buried there? That real little girl was Mary Manko. She was only six years old when she and her family were taken from their Montreal home and set to Spirit Lake Internment Camp. Her two-year old sister Carolka died at the camp. Mary Manko is in her nineties now and is the last known survivor of the Ukrainian internment operations.” explains Skrypuch.
Continue reading “Prisoners in the Promised Land”

Meet the Professionals — Tracey Dettman

Writers can be woefully unaware of what happens to their books behind the scenes. I have been interviewing publishing industry professionals to get insight into that other side of the story. Enjoy!

 

Tracey Dettman
Sales Representative for wholesalers and chains for Fitzhenry & Whiteside

I have known Tracey Dettman since 1998, when The Best Gifts, my first book with Fitzhenry & Whiteside came out. Back then, she was a publicist and I was a brand new author, with a single book under my belt (Silver Threads, Penguin, 1996). It seemed fitting to sit down with her over lunch recently while she had the new version of The Best Gifts on her iPad, ready to show to clients.

Tracey is no longer a publicist. For the past six years, she’s been a sales rep. Her customers now include wholesalers and chains for Fitzhenry & Whiteside. Tracey’s efforts are key to getting a creator’s book in front of buyers and I was curious to know what her job entailed.

You’ve been at Fitzhenry & Whiteside for a long time. What was your first job there?

I started with Fitzhenry & Whiteside in 1989 as an assistant to Mr. Fitzhenry. I would answer the phone, take messages and so on. He had a dictaphone and someone else to type for him, but I looked after everything else. While in that position, I became interested in the publicity side of things, so when I had time, I’d help out. After awhile I ended up over in publicity myself.

Even though you are the wholesale and chain rep, you still work on the publicity side of things too, don’t you?

Everyone at Fitzhenry & Whiteside tries to help each other. We all pitch in where we can.

Have you seen a big change in the way publicity is done now compared to how it was when you began?

There has been a sea-change. Back then, everything was paper-driven. Press kits, advance review copies. Any book review or news story we’d get would be in print. Now, everything is online. Blog reviewers have become a transformational force. Twitter, blog tours, facebook, pinterest. Completely different world.

Tell me about your current position. What do you do, exactly?

It is my job to promote Fitzhenry & Whiteside books to retailers.

But there aren’t that many bookstores left anymore, are there? Especially independents. Haven’t they almost entirely disappeared?

There are still some very vibrant independent bookstores out there. The ones that have been able to thrive in spite of e-books, online bookstores and big box chains are the ones who know their market and are passionate about books. These booksellers hand sell books. What they do can’t be replaced by a software program.

But selling books to them can’t take up a huge percentage of your time. Where else do you sell books?

There are the news groups, the chains, school and library supply companies. There are also school boards, library systems and conventions.

What do you mean, news groups?

News groups are merchandizing companies. They supply grocery stores, drug stores and department stores with books and magazines. Not every one of our books is right for this market, but this is an important market. I meet with various niche merchandizers to show them a selection of our books that are appropriate to the retailer that they represent, and then they decide which ones they’ll order.

It’s fairly immediate?

Not at all. I prepare a spreadsheet for them, so while I’m talking about our new books, they’ll mark right in on the spreadsheet the books they’re interested in, but the timing is unknown. Shelves in stores come available as other merchandise is bought, so there is no way to know if they’ll order a particular book in a couple of weeks or a couple of months. It makes the question of inventory a guessing game. It is wonderful placement for many of the books that are chosen for this.

Tell me about the chains.

There are primarily two chains: Costco and Indigo.

Costco sells huge amounts of books, don’t they?

I discovered that there is an interest in some of the regional titles we carry as well as cookbooks and some children’s books.

Has the popularity of e-books and online bookstores hurt Costco?

Perhaps. It’s also likely a space issue. They carry a lot of bestselling novels, but now they carry cookbooks, calendars, diet books – the kind of book that’s an impulse purchase.

They carry a lot of kids’ activity books as well, if my local Costco is any indication.

There are some Costco stores that go through mounds of activity books. Costco shoppers tend to be parents with young children and this particular demographic is more interested in work-book type activity books for their children, rather than story books.

How to you go about selling books to Indigo?

Indigo has buyers for each department. I put in a request for an appointment for several of them, and then I’ll spend half a day or so, talking to one, then the next, then the next.

Do you go to their office?

They have it set-up at the Indigo head office. We sit across from each other for the alloted time. I show my upcoming books and they ask questions.

What about online Indigo online?

That’s separate buyers as well, and I meet with them as well.

So everything is done by the buyers in the head office?

Mostly, although there are some very knowledgeable store managers who can have huge influence on what ends up being purchased.

Tell me about the school and library supply wholesalers.

They carry a vast range of books that are geared towards the school and library market. They also recommend to their clients which titles they think will be popular. They know their clients and it’s my job to let them know which of our new books will fill their needs.

Some libraries buy pre-selected packages of books from the wholesalers, don’t they?

Not every library has the staff to review all of their own book purchases, so they count on their wholesalers’ recommendations. And of course the wholesalers get their information from sales reps.

But some school boards and library systems make their own purchases, right?

I do presentations to systems like Toronto Public Library but the orders will go through the wholesalers they have designated. There are also opportunities like the Ontario Library Association Superconference and smaller wholesaler run displays to show books directly to librarians.

So they have a combination of ways to get books.

Yes.

Do authors or illustrators have any way to get involved in this process?

Authors and illustrators do not go to most of these events or meetings. But what they can do to help get their own books noticed is to hone their online presence. That makes them more attractive to merchandisers and retailers.

So do you show the same books to each group that you meet with?

Not at all. That would be a waste of my time and theirs. My clients count on me to use my judgement and select from our list the books that will fit in with their needs. I like to think of myself as their problem solver.

Tell me about conventions.

I go to the American Library Association Convention, the OLA Superconference, of course, and others like this. This year we had a booth at Ad Astra – a mecca for the fans of fantasy and steam punk. The steam punk, Star Trek and Star Wars costumes on the attendees made it an interesting show to be at!

What about the Bologna Book Fair?

I would love to have to go to Italy, but it would be a waste of money. Bologna is about selling international rights. I don’t do that. I sell the books. One of my co-workers goes to that show and does a great job.

Do you read a lot?

I don’t think you could be in this job without loving books. I read the books on our upcoming list on my iPad. It’s important for me to be knowledgeable about our books. I also read for pleasure.

What are you reading right now for pleasure?

The Children’s Book, by AS Byatt. It is wonderful.
What are ways that an individual author can help or hinder you?
If an author knows that they will be doing any sort of appearance or event please make sure the publisher’s publicity department knows. They can share that information with the sales reps. Even if you think it doesn’t have anything to do directly with your book the information can be helpful.

Another piece of advice: always remember the special attention you will get at your local independent for signings. They will do a great job for you.

Do you have any advice for a first time author?
Be patient. First time authors frequently need to build up a reputation with readers and buyers. It is a much easier decision to buy that book by the known quantity. Wait for the first reviews to appear and the buzz to build.

Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan’s Rescue from War By Marsha Skrypuch

Info

Last Airlift is the true story of the last Canadian airlift operation that left Saigon and arrived in Toronto on April 13, 1975. Son Thi Anh Tuyet was one of 57 babies and children on that flight. Based on personal interviews and enhanced with archive photos,Tuyet’s story of the Saigon orphanage and her flight to Canada is an emotional and suspenseful journey brought to life by the award-winning children’s author, Marsha Skrypuch.
Continue reading “Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan’s Rescue from War By Marsha Skrypuch”

Crystal Kite winners from around the world. First up: Claire Saxby

One of the best things about winning the Crystal Kite is that I have been initiated into an amazingly talented group of fellow winners. From around the world, there are 15 of us in all, and I would like to introduce each of them on my blog.

First is Claire Saxby, the Crystal Kite winner for Australia and New Zealand. Congratulations, Claire!!!

And here is her winning book:

Claire Saxby writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry for children. Her poetry appears in magazines, anthologies, on train walls and in museum education resources.

Claire’s picture book publications include Ebi’s Boat (Windy Hollow Books), illustrated by Anne Spudvilas, which was a CBCA Notable Book in 2007. Her most recent picture book is There Was an Old Sailor (Walker Books Australia), a nautical take on an old rhyme, illustrated by Cassandra Allen. It was shortlisted for the 2010 Speech Pathology Awards and for the 3rd Korean Picture Book Award, and won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Australia/New Zealand region. Her most recent book is Freaky Fact or Fiction: Human Body (Hinkler Books), the first of her books to combine her health-worker past and her writing present.