Solomon Ratt and Miriam Körner at the Saskatchewan Book Awards. (Miriam Körner/Facebook)

By Derek Cornet

accomplishment

Northern authors winners at Saskatchewan Book Awards

May 8, 2024 | 2:00 PM

Two northerners have been declared winners at the Saskatchewan Book Awards.

Miriam Körner won in the Children’s Literature category for Fox and Bear (Red Deer Press/Fitzhenry & Whiteside), while Solomon Ratt’s book kâ-pî-isi-kiskisiyân ᑳ ᐲ ᐃᓯ ᑭᐢᑭᓯᔮᐣ The Way I Remember (University of Regina Press) won the City of Regina Award.

It also won the Publishing Award and was nominated in six categories.

“It was a real honour to be a winner,” Körner, who previously won three Saskatchewan Book Awards, said.

“To me, Fox and Bear is a story for all ages, so I was really happy to be in front of an adult audience and talk about my children’s book and how a children’s book can start a conversation with children about the environment, and the way we relate to the environment and the way we need to change the way we relate to the environment. I was really glad to be able to express that during the book awards and just see the reactions from the people and have good conversations about it.”

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Fox and Bear was released in November 2022 and it’s a story revolving around a fox and a bear who live together in the woods. The two live happily until Fox decides to make life more productive and efficient. When Fox’s inventions set off events that complicate life in unexpected ways, Bear is faced with a difficult decision.

Körner was also most recently involved with the publishing of Tanning Moosehides the Northern Saskatchewan Trapline Way alongside Tommy Bird of Southend, and Lawrence and Lena Adam from Fond du Lac.

She explained she is currently working on a memoir about a northern trapper, which will likely be published years from now.

“We’re just putting down the bare bones of the book and fleshing it out,” Körner said.

“It’s been a really great process. I am learning lots from the stories he is telling me. I don’t want to say too much yet, but I am really excited about this one.”

While larongeNOW was unable to reach Ratt for an interview, Körner mentioned his book was first written in Cree and then translated into English. The book was also translated into syllabics, which she said is quite an accomplishment.

“I think it is a really important book and I am really glad it received the attention and so many nominations and won two prizes, because it is a story that is not easy to tell and he not only told it, but he told it really well,” Körner said.

“It is just a really heart wrenching book that I hope is going to get widespread attention and is read in classrooms all over the country.”

The 2023 Saskatchewan Book Awards Gala and Awards Ceremony was held May 3 in Regina. The master of ceremonies was James Hope Howard, president of the Saskatchewan Library Association and the director of the Pahkisimon Nuyeʔáh Library System located in Air Ronge.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com