Join us on Thursday, November 23 from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Craft Council Gallery for the official launch of THREE brand-new books: Devilfish: When Giant Squid Ruled the Northern Sea by Jenny Higgins, Beaches of Newfoundland by Carla Smith Krachun, and Black Harbour: Slavery and the Forgotten Histories of Black People in Newfoundland and Labrador by Heather Barrett and Xaiver Campbell! Attendance is free and we’ll have complimentary snacks and refreshments on hand. Come down to meet the authors and picked up a signed copy of these three wonderful new books!
ABOUT THE BOOKS & AUTHORS:
It has been largely assumed that Black people are only recently settlers in Newfoundland and Labrador. In fact, the sordid history of Black slavery within the British colony—and the role of Newfoundland merchant families in promoting the trade in human beings—has been denied, obscured and forgotten.
With contributions from historians, folklorists and other experts, Xaiver Campbell and Heather Barrett discover a Black population was present in early Newfoundland and Labrador, and that some of this history is rooted in the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade.
Part personal commentary, part documentary, Black Harbour is an illuminating, important, and sometimes uncomfortable exploration of Newfoundland and Labrador’s colonial history—and what it means to those who live here today.
About the Authors:
Xaiver Campbell is a Jamaican-born writer who has been living in Newfoundland and Labrador for over a decade. These islands are quite different, but Xaiver feels that living in Jamaica prepared him for life on the Rock. Minus the snow, sleet and lack of sun – the people are equally warm and friendly. When not writing, doing childcare, baking, or playing or watching basketball, Xaiver loves the outdoors and can be found swimming in the ponds all across Newfoundland in the summer, camping and hiking the East Coast Trail.
Xaiver Campbell is a Jamaican-born writer who has been living in Newfoundland and Labrador for over a decade. These islands are quite different, but Xaiver feels that living in Jamaica prepared him for life on the Rock. Minus the snow, sleet and lack of sun – the people are equally warm and friendly. When not writing, doing childcare, baking, or playing or watching basketball, Xaiver loves the outdoors and can be found swimming in the ponds all across Newfoundland in the summer, camping and hiking the East Coast Trail.
His fiction has been published in The Malahat Review, Riddle Fence, and several anthologies. His second play, “One Name” is currently being workshopped by Halifax Theatre for Young People. Xaiver’s non-fiction work concerns the lives of enslaved and freed Black people in early Newfoundland settlements.
Heather Barrett was born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, where she still lives with her family. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a Master of Arts in Journalism from Western University in London, Ontario.
Heather is a journalist and storyteller, and an international award winning radio documentary producer. She is also a long-time producer and host with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, based in St. John’s. When she’s not telling stories, Heather is an avid knitter and runner, but not at the same time.
The world did not truly believe in giant squid until the 1870s, when record numbers of the mysterious creatures appeared in the waters and beaches around the island of Newfoundland. Photographs that appeared in international newspapers and physical specimens sent to ivy league laboratories accomplished what eye-witness accounts had been attempting for centuries: to prove beyond doubt that giant squid are real.
Thrilling tales and images of “devilfish” spread around the globe and shaped the animal’s public image as a delightfully terrifying enigma suspended at the boundary of fable and fact. As a newly acknowledged member of the animal kingdom, the giant squid was an object for scientific study. At the same time, though, the public imagination playfully cloaked the mollusc in mystery; a real-life sea monster who had acquired many of the attributes of the Kraken and sea serpent.
Devilfish contains more than 130 images and 10 pull-out facsimile documents. They are meant in equal parts to inform and delight—to explain the remarkable history of the giant squid while building a sense of wonderment and fun. Also included are dozens of bite-sized sidebars. Consider this a pop-up book for adults, grounded in research and reaching for the wondrous!
About the Author:
Jenny Higgins is a writer and researcher living in Flatrock, Newfoundland and Labrador. Her work has been published in newspapers and magazines, on Memorial University’s Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Website, and broadcast on CBC Radio and TV. In 2014, she released her first book, called Perished: The 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster. It won the Democracy 250 Atlantic Book Award for Historical Writing. Her second book, Newfoundland in the First World War, was published in 2016.
Jenny Higgins is a writer and researcher living in Flatrock, Newfoundland and Labrador. Her work has been published in newspapers and magazines, on Memorial University’s Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Website, and broadcast on CBC Radio and TV. In 2014, she released her first book, called Perished: The 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster. It won the Democracy 250 Atlantic Book Award for Historical Writing. Her second book, Newfoundland in the First World War, was published in 2016.
With almost 10,000 kilometres of coastline, Newfoundland has beaches in abundance. Whether you’re looking for sun and sand, wind and waves, or cobblestones and caplin, you’ll find it here.
This comprehensive guide takes you across the island to a wide range of beaches, from small rocky coves to vast stretches of fine white sand. Detailed descriptions, colour photographs, and lists of amenities and nearby attractions will help you plan your trip. Using the GPS coordinates and clear directions, you will find your way to destinations both well-known and off the beaten track. From Grand Bay West to Middle Cove and everywhere in between, Beaches of Newfoundland is an indispensable resource for locals and tourists alike.
About the Author:
Growing up in Newfoundland and Hawaii, Carla Smith Krachun developed a deep attachment to the ocean. She is especially fascinated with the widely varying coastline around Newfoundland and has spent countless hours exploring the island’s beaches. In addition to doing freelance writing and photography, Carla worked as a photographer with the Evening Telegram and writer with the Encyclopedia of Newfoundland. She taught Psychology at Memorial University and the University of Saskatchewan for many years.
Growing up in Newfoundland and Hawaii, Carla Smith Krachun developed a deep attachment to the ocean. She is especially fascinated with the widely varying coastline around Newfoundland and has spent countless hours exploring the island’s beaches. In addition to doing freelance writing and photography, Carla worked as a photographer with the Evening Telegram and writer with the Encyclopedia of Newfoundland. She taught Psychology at Memorial University and the University of Saskatchewan for many years.
On returning home from the prairies, she has been happy to reacquaint herself with the ocean by creating Beaches of Newfoundland, which she hopes will help others discover and enjoy Newfoundland’s many amazing beaches