ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Shashi Bhat. Shashi's short story collection, Death by a Thousand Cuts, won the 2025 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In her conversation, Shashi and Megan talk about their mutual dislike for the term "women's fiction," and Shashi talks about why she loves writing short fiction.

For more about Death by a Thousand Cuts: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/death-by-a-thousand-cuts-stories/

To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/

ABOUT SHASHI BHAT:
Shashi Bhat is the author of the story collection Death by a Thousand Cuts, and the novels The Most Precious Substance on Earth, a finalist for the Governor General’s Award for fiction, and The Family Took Shape, a finalist for the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award. Her fiction has won the Writers’ Trust/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize and been shortlisted for a National Magazine Award and the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers, and appeared in such publications as The Fiddlehead, The Malahat Review, Best Canadian Stories, and The Journey Prize Stories. Shashi holds an MFA from the Johns Hopkins University and a BA from Cornell University. She lives in New Westminster, B.C., where she is the editor-in-chief of EVENT magazine and teaches creative writing at Douglas College.

ABOUT MEGAN COLE:
Megan Cole the Interim Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com

ABOUT THE PODCAST:
Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen.

Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

Shashi Bhat talks why she worried about writing a collection focused on women's stories

a cheating spouse

Audio stories created for the social media dissemination of the 3 day event on Neuroscience at the Champalimaud Foundation

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In her second volume of short stories, which follows the hugely successful 'Encounters', Barbara Erskine has created a compelling world of love, betrayal, suspense and grief. 

 A biographer investigating a tragic death hears voices from the past drawing her towards the truth…

A nineteenth century parson’s daughter is caught up in the excitement and romance of a smuggling intrigue…

A young boy from a deprived background finds his own haven in the wastelands of the inner city…

Contemporary, historical, spooky, and humorous – there are over thirty delightful stories, each one guaranteed to capture the reader’s imagination, and all demonstrating Barbara Erskine’s unique powers as a storyteller.

Readers LOVE Barbara Erskine:
‘Atmospheric’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Enthralling’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Spellbinding’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Another fabulous read from the mistress of the genre’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Immensely and deeply immersive fiction’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I loved every minute’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘An exceptional writer of great books’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘You can rely on this author to keep you wanting more’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A joy to read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Captivating and engrossing’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Distant Voices, By Barbara Erskine, Read by Penelope Rawlins, Heather Long and Tim Frances

I was born in East Belfast in 1956. After losing my sight in 1980, I turned to writing as a way of navigating and expressing my world. I am a long-time member of Ards Writers, and have written over 300 poems, lyrics, and short pieces, with several being published into print. Known by my friends as “The Romantic Poet,” I continues to write from my home by the sea in Portavogie.

Publishers of award-winning fiction and non-fiction audiobooks for adults and children. Listen to exclusive clips from our books and free audioook extracts here on Soundcloud.

Welcome to Writing the Coast! This is the weekly podcast where we chat with the authors and illustrators of the books who make up the shortlist of the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. On the episodes you'll hear host and podcast coordinator Megan Cole chat with the folks who are creating some of BC and Yukon's best books. We'll also check in with the literary community in our region. For more information about the BC and Yukon Book Prizes visit: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/

I am a recording engineer, a sound designer and a field recorder, an electronic musician and audiovisual technician. I compose, record, mix and master. I work with electronic generated soundscapes using synthesizers and field recordings. 

As an engineer I focus on modern recording and mixing techniques, audio formats, analog, digital and web audio, A/D & D/A conversions, analogue tape restoration, storage, archival & digitization.

I provide audiovisual and multimedia support in the fields of science, education and culture. Here you can find some examples of my work in sound design, composition and field recording.

New tracks tagged #Short Stories