In November 2001, 91.3FM CJTR went on the air in Regina. The fledgeling radio station, Regina’s Community Radio, featured a number of spoken word programs. One of these was Saskatchewan Books Go Public, hosted by SPG Marketing & Technology Officer Jillian Bell. We pitched the show as a fifteen-minute feature between programs, in which our Weekly Book Picks were read on air. From the beginning, the station had bigger things in mind for us.

Jillian, who soon came to be known as simply “The Bookchick”, was invited to do a half-hour program featuring authors, publishers, librarians, printers, readers, illustrators, book designers, booksellers, and anyone else involved in the book world. Three months after the station went on the air, Saskatchewan Books Go Publicwas given a full hour of book talk. Since then, the show has moved from a live evening broadcast to a live noon broadcast on Wednesdays, and a recorded rebroadcast on Thursday mornings. Unfortunately, in 2004, SPG could no longer fund this project, but the Bookchick soldiers on, doing her own half-hour show on Thursday evenings at 6pm and rebroadcast on Wednesdays at noon.

91.3FM CJTR has been instrumental in helping us spread the great news about books in Saskatchewan. The program has featured elementary school reading contest winners, award winning authors, and books from all over Canada. There is no page left unturned by the SPG in our quest for fun and lively ways to promote books. Keep your eyes and ears open for upcoming book teasers on local television stations, as well. For now, though, have a listen to some of the things our authors have to say, in their own voices, and in the voices of others:

Covers	Authors and Publishers Book Chat	Covers	The Bookchick Reads
	Arlette Laird, author and publisher of “The Joy of Planting: A Step-by-Step Guide for Creative Container Gardening” and “The Joy of Planting 2: Growing from Scratch” talks about the use of humour in her books Listen		The Bookchick reads Anne Szumigalski’s “It Wasn’t a Major Operation” from the Wascana Poetry Anthology. Listen
			The Bookchick reads “Out of Habit” by Gary Hyland Listen
	Saskatchewan’s “Mr. Place Names” discusses the upcoming Fallen Heroes Memorial, and why it is important to our history Listen		The Bookchick reads Robert Currie’s “A Day No Pigs Would Die” from the Wascana Poetry Anthology. Listen
	David Carpenter reads from his newest fiction novella, The Ketzer Listen Here are some of David’s thoughts on writing in Saskatchewan		The Bookchick reads “Editing the Prairies” by Don Kerr, from Wascana Poetry Anthology Listen
	Author Duncan Thornton talks about why he created the setting he did for the Kalifax series. Listen		The Bookchick reads from Duncan Thornton’s latest book in the Kalifax series, The Star-Glass. Listen
	Professor of Soil Science, Farmer, Author, and Publisher Les Henry describes his latest book, Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water. Listen		The Bookchick tackles “A Seat in the Garden” by Thomas King, from the Wascana Anthology of Short Fiction. Listen
	Author Wayne Arthurson talks about his first book. Listen		Listen to the Bookchick read from Cora Taylor’s The Deadly Dance
	Judith Silverthorne reads from her Saskatchewan Book Award winning Dinosaur Hideout. Listen		Listen to an excerpt from Joy Desjarlais’ non-fiction book The Right to Remain Silent: A Night to Remember
	Judith describes her historical non-fiction title which she has recently brought back into publication, Made in Saskatchewan, about Peter Rupchan, a Ukrainian pioneer and potter. Listen		Here is the Bookchick reading from TopHat Publishing’s first book, The Grand Muster
	Judith’s latest self-published title, Ingrained Legacy is highlighted by the author. Listen
	Jim Toth, of the Leader Post Carrier Foundation, talks about Regina: The First 100 Years. Listen
	One of Saskatchewan’s best known writers of young adult fiction, Rod McIntrye discusses his latest book, Revved, which was short-listed for a Saskatchewan Book Award in Children’s Literature. Listen

Other BookBytes

 

Author/Speaker: Gerald Hill
Talking about what Saskatchewan means to him
Listen

Author/Speaker: Katherine Lawrence / Judith Krause
“Please And” from
Listening With the Ear of the Heart
Listen

Author/Speaker: Judith Krause
“Wolverine Creek” from Listening With the Ear of the Heart.
Listen

Author/Speaker: Judith Krause
Book/Subject: Listening With the Ear of the Heart
Judith talks about writing as a form of prayer
Listen

Author/Speaker: Janette Lynes / Judith Krause
“Silence at St. Peter’s Abbey’s Night” from Listening With the Ear of the Heart.
Listen

Author/Speaker: Sue Gouette / Shelly Sopher
Author’s introduction from Listening With the Ear of the Heart
Listen

Author Trevor Herriott
“On Mount Carmel” from Listening With the Ear of the Heart
Listen

Author Ed Willet
Book: Spirit Singer
Ed is describes the premise of the book
Listen

Aaron Wells
Talks about the importance of reading
Listen