Manitoba Made-Highlighting Local Authors

 Although Manitoba may be a small province, it has produced many talented writers.  From David Banman to Armin Wiebe, we wanted to highlight some authors from around the province to help entice you to check out some of our local talent.  As always, you can click on the title of the book to place it on hold in our catalogue, or contact your local branch for more information.  Have you read any of these authors? Are there any authors we missed that you would recommend?  Let us know in the comments.

Jonathan Dyck

Shelterbelts

When a non-denominational megachurch opens on the edges of a rural Mennonite community, a quiet--but longstanding--battle begins to reveal itself. For years, the traditionalists in the community have held fast to the values and beliefs they grew up with, while other community members have begun raising important questions about LGBTQ+ inclusion, Indigenous land rights, and the Mennonite legacy of pacifism. Through a series of vignettes, Shelterbelts explores the perspectives, experiences and limitations of a wide range of characters who find themselves increasingly at odds with their surroundings. A pastor and his queer daughter learn that a family has left their church because of the "LGBT issue." Young activists butt heads with a farmer over the construction of a pipeline happening on his fields. A librarian leaves suggestive notes for readers inside popular library books. By pulling these threads together, artist Jonathan Dyck has woven a rich tapestry -- one that depicts a close-knit community in the midst of defining its future as it reckons with its past

"I’m an illustrator, designer and cartoonist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba — Treaty 1 territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation. Since graduating from design school, I've worked with a range of clients across various applications: from editorial illustration for magazines and book covers to logos and designs for coffee mugs, t-shirts and posters. My debut graphic novel Shelterbelts was published by Conundrum Press in May 2022 and won the Doug Wright Award for Emerging Talent." (jonathandyck.com)

Monica Friesen

And We All Fall Down

Graham and Joanna Kornelsons' life has all gone according to their plan. Graham a lawyer, and Joanna, a stay-at-home mom to her three children, live in the quaint town of Mountain City, Manitoba, enjoying a typical busy life together. Until one Sunday morning when Joanna finds their fourteen year old daughter, Ally, at the bottom of the staircase enduring an unexpected seizure. What happens to this family is as unpredictable as the diagnosis of epilepsy.

"Monica Friesen resides in Morden, Manitoba, the same community where she was born and raised. She lives with her husband Robert and dog, Truman. She has three grown children, Jessica, Alayna and Riley. And We All Fall Down; One Family's Struggle With Epilepsy, is based on her personal experiences of raising a daughter with epilepsy. This is her first novel."
(FriesenPress)

Sharla Kinsman

My Mother Always Tells Me

In a big world of grown-ups and their rules, a day in the life of a young girl can be challenging as she learns the ins and outs of getting along with other, and the reward of listening to her mother.

"Sharla Kinsman grew up as a small town prairie girl and is still true to her roots, living in Morden, Manitoba, with her husband and 17-year-old daughter. She enjoys drawing, painting with acrylic, daydreaming and going for walks with her dog, Maggie." (Peanut Butter Press)

Caleb Winterburn

Ruin Maker

It has been 28 thousand years since the world ended. Humanity has repopulated the earth, forming kingdoms, cults, and societies, blissfully ignorant of their origins, and of the secrets lurking beneath their feet. One sinister collective of individuals has unearthed the dark technologies of an ancient past, with plans to repeat the mistakes of their forefathers. If they succeed, humanity will once again cease to exist, this time permanently. Join Freyda, Amos, and Jasin as they work to overcome their own demons, unravelling the mysteries of the Dawn and Dusk Lands on their way to adulthood. Each will face a personal crucible as they walk paths set on a collision course with the greatest evil the world has ever known.

"Caleb is a fiction novelist who enjoys spending time outdoors. Before writing books, Caleb was a painter, but now he prefers to paint with words. He lives in the Canadian prairies with his beautiful wife, two adorable cats, and a dog named River." (amazon.ca)

Teya Friesen

No Longer Hysteria

This is a true story following the life of Teya and the journey she took to find help and healing. After being told “it’s all in your head,” “you have schizophrenia,” and “she just wants attention;” see how she finally got diagnosed and is now free of Endometriosis pain. This book was written to educate and inspire those who read it and fill you with hope. The journey includes the struggles of doing high school with a chronic pain condition, trying numerous treatments, pain killers, going to many doctors, and still trying to chase her dreams in the midst of it all!

"Teya is a 22 year old woman who battled chronic pain for many years before finally learning she had Endometriosis and Adenomyosis. Her love for writing came before high school as she loved writing kids stories. She won minor writing awards in the community for her fiction writings and after her struggle with chronic pain she was inspired to share her story in the form of a book. This is the first book she has ever written and feels that her love for writing and her passion for struggling women who are misunderstood by men and doctors will shine through her writing." (FriesenPress)

Wendi Friesen

Anna: A Grace Filled Life

Anna: A Grace-Filled Life portrays a moving tribute to Anna Giesbrecht--daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend and widow--roles which barely skim the surface of what her life has really meant. Following Anna's life from the very beginning in Mexico to her life-challenging move to Canada, where she grew deep roots spanning her entire adult life, Anna's story is one of sorrow, hope, victory, and love--her precious family and most of all, her Jesus. From early on, Anna came to know how Christ's love was shown, through the life and the love of her parents. As she faced her own personal battles, such as an unplanned pregnancy and life as a single parent, this familiar love continually shown through as she received support from her parents and family...Lovingly told, this biography brings to life the story of a remarkable woman, and the courage and tenacity she has portrayed throughout her life will no doubt offer encouragement and inspiration to all. Readers are invited to share not only the abundant wisdom that is evident throughout Anna's life, but to partake in her unique, down-to-earth home cooking.

"Wendi Friesen is a Mennonite writer who understands the value of family and faith and writes out of her desire to hold close the memory and love of those dear to her. She finds encouragement from family and is motivated to explore her own family’s history so that she can truly share their collective story. When she is not pursuing her writing, Wendi loves to read, a passion that has kept her working at the South Central Regional Library for the past fourteen years, a passion that also provided her with inspiration for her first book. Wendi enjoys music, photography, collecting old photographs, and frequenting flea markets.

Wendi Friesen lives in Altona, Manitoba, Canada, with her husband of twenty-six years. She is a mother and grandmother. Anna: A Grace Filled Life is her first book." (FriesenPress)

Miriam Toews

Women Talking

The sun rises on a quiet June morning in 2009. August Epp sits alone in the hayloft of a barn, anxiously bent over his notebook. He writes quickly, aware that his solitude will soon be broken. Eight women--ordinary grandmothers, mothers and teenagers; yet to August, each one extraordinary-- will climb the ladder into the loft, and the day's true task will begin. This task will be both simple and subversive: August, like the women, is a traditional Mennonite, and he has been asked to record a secret conversation. Thus begins Miriam Toews' spellbinding novel. Gradually, as we hear the women's vivid voices console, tease, admonish, regale and debate each other, we piece together the reason for the gathering: they have forty-eight hours to make a life-altering choice on behalf of all the women and children in the colony. And like a vast night sky coming into view behind the bright sparks of their voices, we learn of the devastating events that have led to this moment. Acerbic, funny, tender, sorrowful and wise, Women Talking is composed of equal parts humane love and deep anger. It is award-winning writer Miriam Toews' most astonishing novel to date, containing within its two short days and hayloft setting an expansive, timeless universe of thinking and feeling about women--and men--in our contemporary world.

"Miriam Toews is a Canadian writer of Mennonite descent. She grew up in Steinbach, Manitoba and has lived in Montreal and London, before settling in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Toews studied at the University of Manitoba and the University of King's College in Halifax, and has also worked as a freelance newspaper and radio journalist. Her non-fiction book "Swing Low: A Life" was a memoir of her father, a victim of lifelong depression. Her 2004 novel "A Complicated Kindness" was her breakthrough work, spending over a year on the Canadian bestseller lists and winning the Governor General's Award for English Fiction. The novel, about a teenage girl who longs to escape her small Russian Mennonite town and hang out with Lou Reed in the slums of New York City, was also nominated for the Giller Prize and was the winning title in the 2006 edition of Canada Reads." (Goodreads)

Andrew Unger

Once Removed

Timothy Heppner is a frustrated ghostwriter struggling to make ends meet in Edenfeld, a small Mennonite community bulldozing its way towards modernity--if it's old, it has to go! A member of the Preservation Society but desperate to keep his job with the mayor's Parks and "Wreck" department, Timothy finds himself in an awkward position when he is hired to write an updated version of the town's history book. Fueled by two warring agendas, the threat of personal bankruptcy, and a good deal of fried bologna, Timothy must find his own voice to tell the one story that could make--or break--him. Honest and laugh-out-loud funny, Once Removed explores the real costs of "progress" in this new Mennonite classic.

"Andrew Unger is an award-winning novelist and satirist, best known as the author of the satirical news website The Unger Review (new home of The Daily Bonnet). Since 2016, Andrew has written more than 3000 satirical articles, drawing the attention of The New Yorker and The New York Times and cited in debate in the Canadian House of Commons.

In addition to The Unger Review, Andrew has written for The Globe and Mail, CBC.ca, the Winnipeg Free Press, Geez, Rhubarb, Ballast, Preservings, Alberta Views, Friends Journal, and others. A graduate of the University of Manitoba, Andrew is also a public speaker and educator, and lives with his wife Erin in southern Manitoba. If you go back far enough, he is probably related to you." (andrewunger.com)

Armin Wiebe

Grandmother Laughing

Until she met Obrum Kehler, serious Sarah Sudermann had never laughed. Her mother said she always reached for the black things first. As a young girl, she was haunted by a vision of her grandmother bolt upright in her black trough coffin, laughing so hard her bonnet slipped off to the side and hung from one ear. But then Obrum looked at her with his Robin's egg eyes and red paint on his nose. And then there was the lawn swing . . . and the piano. Not practical. Not necessary. Especially for a young couple struggling through the Great Depression. When Beethoven Blatz enters to tune their piano everything is in place for the Kehler family to make great music together. Full of love, longing, and tenderness, Grandmother, laughing is a story about unconventional families and the lengths we will go to find fulfillment for ourselves and the ones we cherish.

"Armin Wiebe is a Canadian writer from Winnipeg, Manitoba, best known for his humorous novels about Mennonites. Wiebe is regarded as one of the pioneers of humorous Mennonite writing in English and is known for his incorporation of Plautdietsch words within his English texts." (wikipedia.com)

"In addition to living and teaching in various communities in Manitoba, he lived and taught for six years in Whati, Northwest Territories, before teaching creative writing for a dozen years at Red River College. Armin has served as writer-in-residence at Saskatoon Public Library, Parkland Regional Library in Dauphin, Manitoba, and University of Manitoba’s Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture. He proudly makes his home in downtown Winnipeg." (arminwiebe.ca)

David Banman

Don't Lick the Flag Pole

Does life often seem to be little more than a series of disappointments and frustrations? Are you exhausted by the relentless pursuit of happiness and fulfillment, always coming up just short? In those quiet times in the dark depths of night, do you allow yourself the question, “Why am I here?”

If these questions hit a nerve, crack open this book and discover what you’ve been seeking all this time. Stay the course, and you will find a full and abundant life founded on the truth of your identity and purpose, unfettered by the whims of circumstance. Suspend your prejudices, judgments, and allegiances for a moment and allow the light of God’s truth to enter your life. Be forever transformed as you learn to express the wonders and glories of God’s kingdom by simply being who God created you to be!

"Born in 1955 in the small prairie town of Winkler, MB., David Banman has a masters degree in philosophy and has been a primary grade teacher for 34 years." (49thshelf.com)

Eva Klassen

Fox in a Box

Socks and rocks and blocks and clocks, Fox loves everything in his box. But when he realizes he can no longer fit inside, Fox decides he must take action! Fox in a Box is a heartwarming story that reminds us happiness is not found in the accumulation of stuff, but in the people we love.

"Eva Klassen is a writer, educator, adventurer and lover of nature. When she isn’t writing, she can be found riding her bicycle, reading, renovating her 100 year old house and dreaming of her next foreign adventure. She lives in Winnipeg with her partner, step-daughter, the odd stray cat, and a two-toned squirrel named Harvey. Fox in a Box is one of many stories inspired by the incredible kids she met while teaching at FortWhyte Forest School, an outdoor preschool for kids. "

Katherena Vermette

The Strangers

Cedar has nearly forgotten what her family looks like. Phoenix has nearly forgotten what freedom feels like. And Elsie has nearly given up hope. Nearly. After time spent in foster homes, Cedar goes to live with her estranged father. Although she grapples with the pain of being separated from her mother, Elsie, and sister, Phoenix, she's hoping for a new chapter in her life, only to find herself once again in a strange house surrounded by strangers. From a youth detention centre, Phoenix gives birth to a baby she'll never get to raise and tries to forgive herself for all the harm she's caused (while wondering if she even should). Elsie, struggling with addiction and determined to turn her life around, is buoyed by the idea of being reunited with her daughters and strives to be someone they can depend on, unlike her own distant mother. These are the Strangers, each haunted in her own way. Between flickering moments of warmth and support, the women diverge and reconnect, fighting to survive in a fractured system that pretends to offer success but expects them to fail. Facing the distinct blade of racism from those they trusted most, they urge one another to move through the darkness, all the while wondering if they'll ever emerge safely on the other side.

"katherena vermette (she/her/hers) is  Red River Métis (Michif) writer from Treaty 1 territory, the heart of the Métis Nation, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, her Michif roots on re paternal side run deep in St. Boniface, St. Norbert and beyond.  Her maternal side is Mennonite from the Altona and Rosenfeld area.  She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of British Columbia and an honourary Doctor of Letters from the University of Manitoba.  katherena lives with her family in a cranky old house within skipping distance of teh temperamental Red River." (katherenavermette.com)

Joan Thomas

Five Wives

In 1956, a small group of evangelical Christian missionaries and their families journeyed to the rainforest in Ecuador intending to convert the Waorani, a people who had never had contact with the outside world. The plan was known as Operation Auca. After spending days dropping gifts from an aircraft, the five men in the party rashly entered the “intangible zone.” They were all killed, leaving their wives and children to fend for themselves. Five Wives is the fictionalized account of the real-life women who were left behind, and their struggles – with grief, with doubt, and with each other – as they continued to pursue their evangelical mission in the face of the explosion of fame that followed their husbands’ deaths.

"Joan Thomas is a Canadian novelist and book reviewer from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Thomas grew up in Carberry, Manitoba and later worked as a freelance journalist and book reviewer for The Globe and Mail, the Winnipeg Free Press and Prairie Fire, and as a book editor for Turnstone Press. She won a National Magazine Award in 1996 for her journalism." (wikipedia.org)

Gordon Goldsborough

More Abandoned Manitoba

Gordon Goldsborough returns with more compelling abandoned sites from across Manitoba. Armed with a drone and a deep curiosity about local history, Gordon had more stories to share than could fit into one book. Adventure into abandoned quarries, dance halls, hospitals and more!

"Gordon Goldsborough is an active member of the Manitoba Historical Society. He has written four books on Manitoba history including the national bestsellers Abandoned Manitoba and More Abandoned Manitoba, the latter receiving the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award in 2019. He has a weekly series on Manitoba history on CBC Radio 1, a weekly column on Manitoba history in the Manitoba Cooperator newspaper, and is secretary to the Board for the Manitoba Agricultural Museum. In recognition of his historical and scientific work, he was inducted into the Order of Manitoba in 2021." (amazon.ca)

Wab Kinew

Walking in Two Worlds

Bugz is caught between two worlds. In the real world, she's a shy and self-conscious Indigenous teen who faces the stresses of teenage angst and life on the Rez. But in the virtual world, her alter ego is not just confident but dominant in a massively multiplayer video game universe. Feng is a teen boy who has been sent from China to live with his aunt, a doctor on the Rez, after his online activity suggests he may be developing extremist sympathies. Meeting each other in real life, as well as in the virtual world, Bugz and Feng immediately relate to each other as outsiders and as avid gamers. And as their connection is strengthened through their virtual adventures, they find that they have much in common in the real world, too: both must decide what to do in the face of temptations and pitfalls, and both must grapple with the impacts of family challenges and community trauma. But betrayal threatens everything Bugz has built in the virtual world, as well as her relationships in the real world, and it will take all her newfound strength to restore her friendship with Feng and reconcile the parallel aspects of her life: the traditional and the mainstream, the east and the west, the real and the virtual.

"Wab Kinew is the Leader of the Manitoba NDP, Leader of the Official Opposition, and the MLA for Fort Rouge. He is a bestselling author, award-winning musician, former journalist and a former administrator with the University of Winnipeg." (mbndp.ca)