Episode Summary:

The tenth annual New Brunswick Book Awards were handed out in May 2025, celebrating writing excellence in poetry, fiction, nonfiction and books for young readers. In this episode, we hear from two of the four award winners about the impact of the awards. Featured in this episode are Michael Pacey, whose Van Gogh’s Grasshopper won the Fiddlehead Poetry Book Prize, and Keith Helmuth, part of the writing team behind Tappan Adney: From Birchbark Canoes to Indigenous Rights, winner of the Writer’s Federation of New Brunswick’s Non-fiction Award.

Credits:

Host: Jenna Morton
Guest(s): Michael Pacey, Keith Helmuth
Technical Production: Tosh Taylor

WordCraft is a project of the non-profit Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick, which acknowledges that the land on which we live, work, and gather is the traditional unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq Peoples.

The tenth annual New Brunswick Book Awards were handed out in May 2025, celebrating writing excellence in poetry, fiction, nonfiction and books for young readers. In our next two episodes, we hear from the winners about the impact of being recognized for their work. Featured in this episode are Nelson Keane, whose debut novel, Nachzehrer (published by Galleon), won the 2025 Mrs. Dunster’s Award for Fiction, sponsored by Mrs. Dunster’s Bakery, and Valerie Sherrard, who won the inaugural Books for Young Readers Award, sponsored by JD Irving Ltd., for her novel, An Unbalanced Force (published by DCB Cormorant).

Credits:

Host: Jenna Morton
Guest(s): Nelson Keane, Valerie Sherrard
Technical Production: Tosh Taylor

WordCraft is a project of the non-profit Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick, which acknowledges that the land on which we live, work, and gather is the traditional unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq Peoples.

Episode Summary:

To mark the 10th anniversary of its creation, WFNB is proud to shine a light on the history and future of the New Brunswick Book Awards. Host Jenna Morton brings together original committee members Ross Leckie, Ian LeTourneau, Rosalyn Hyslop, and Rayanne Brennan to reminisce, sharing a behind-the-scenes look at how the awards first came together, how they’ve evolved, and what they hope New Brunswick writers are gaining from the celebration of their works.

Credits:

Host: Jenna Morton

Guest(s): Rayanne Brennan, Rosalyn Hyslop, Ross Leckie, Ian LeTourneau

Technical Production: Tosh Taylor

WordCraft is a project of the non-profit Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick, which acknowledges that the land on which we live, work, and gather is the traditional unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq Peoples.

Episode Summary:

Emerging writers in New Brunswick might at first be wary of the word competition – but

previous participants in the WFNB’s annual Writing Competition say the experience helped

them find community and confidence while opening doors for future opportunities. Listen as

Jenna Morton talks with Thomas Chamberlain, who turned an Honourable Mention into a 2 nd

place and a book deal for his debut novel, Happenstance, followed by Teresa Wu, the 2024

winner of the Sheree Fitch Prize, who credits the WFNB for kickstarting a love of sharing her

writing with the world.

Credits:

Host: Jenna Morton

Guest(s): Thomas Chamberlain, Teresa Wu

Technical Production: Tosh Taylor

WordCraft is a project of the non-profit Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick, which

acknowledges that the land on which we live, work, and gather is the traditional unceded

territory of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq Peoples.

Episode Summary:

One of the best ways to encourage writing and illustrating in the next generation is to put those

professionals in classrooms with students. That’s just what the Writers in the Schools Program

(WiSP) has been doing in New Brunswick for nearly 50 years! WiSP is funded through the

provincial Department of Education and spans read aloud sessions, writing workshops,

publishing discussions, and more.

Host Jenna Morton speaks with WiSP coordinator, Ginny Hill, and WFNB members, Valerie

Sherrard & Kelly Cooper, who share their experiences participating in the program and its

importance in creating a community that supports writing.

Credits:

Host: Jenna Morton

Guest(s): Ginny Hill, Valerie Sherrard, Kelly Cooper

Technical Production: Tosh Taylor

WordCraft is a project of the non-profit Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick, which

acknowledges that the land on which we live, work, and gather is the traditional unceded

territory of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq Peoples.

“It thrilled me to realize you could write about where you lived.” Ann Brennan

Imagine a room filled with New Brunswick’s literary masters – teenage Sheree Fitch and David

Adams Richards sitting alongside Alden Nowlan. Nancy Bauer takes us back to that reality in her

living room, hosting Maritime Writers’ Workshops in the 1970s and paving the way for the

creation of the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick in 1985. She’s joined by Ann Brennan and

Allan Cooper, who both played a role in the WFNB’s founding and early days. The trio reflect on

the creation and legacy of the WFNB with host Jenna Morton.

“A sense of community began to grow … [the Federation] was the perfect vehicle to do what I

believed in so strongly -- that we need our stories, our local stories, to be told.”

Credits:

Host: Jenna Morton

Guest(s): Nancy Bauer, Ann Brennan, Allan Cooper

Technical Production: Tosh Taylor

WordCraft is a project of the non-profit Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick, which

acknowledges that the land on which we live, work, and gather is the traditional unceded

territory of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq Peoples.