‘I love working with aspiring writers’

The upcoming Whistler Writers Festival’s (WWF) writer in residence program will feature the award-winning Jennifer Manuel.

Manuel secured the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize in 2017 for her debut novel The Heaviness of Things That Float: a story about a nurse in a West Coast Indigenous community. After serving for 40 years, the protagonist and others in her community must grapple with the effects of a local man’s disappearance and the weight of secrets kept over time. 

“There was a nurse in my community that I very much admired, so my first novel is very, very loosely based on her,” Manuel explains. “Obviously, I was thrilled to win the Ethel Wilson Award. I was surprised and relieved at how many First Nations people not only loved the book, but endorsed the fact that I had written from a white perspective about what it's like to be in their communities. 

“What I appreciate the most is how many readers have told me—in a positive way—how much the book impacted them.” 

Opening up emotionally

Manuel’s first exposure to writing came early, as her mother Lynn penned numerous children’s books. She dabbled and experimented throughout young adulthood, but did not begin to write with substantial vigour until her mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. 

The White Rock, B.C. native resolved to publish something in the three months Lynn had to live. She did “everything she could” to get quality words down and brought her first short story to Delta Hospice. Lynn was proud, to say the least, and after she passed away, Manuel kept going. 

“We underestimate how stories, because of their emotional aspect, get absorbed by our subconscious more than anything else,” she says. “I think that’s why the Bible is written in stories and not written as an essay. That's how we, as human beings, learn about ourselves. We open up emotionally and take it all in.” 

Nowadays, Manuel teaches English at Shawnigan Lake School south of Duncan, B.C. Her second novel, The Morning Bell Brings the Broken Hearted, was released last April and casts light upon how Canadian education systems may struggle to meet the needs of remote reserves.

Why is Manuel often inspired to create Indigenous stories? She has worked with various tribes as a treaty archivist for more than 30 years and has two grandchildren with First Nations blood. She’s also taught in isolated villages like Dease Lake in northern British Columbia and Kyuquot on Vancouver Island’s northwest shore—the latter of which inspired Tawakin, the main fictional settlement in her books. 

Manuel didn’t want to produce a memoir despite her background as a white educator amongst Indigenous communities. Instead, she feels fiction can resonate more deeply with her audience. 

‘Cultures and personalities’

As this year’s writer in residence, Manuel will mentor other authors via one-on-one sessions and group lectures at the Alta Lake Artist’s Cabin. She’s been to Whistler many times before and looks forward to returning because she “loves” the community. 

“I love working with aspiring writers or even accomplished writers, and I learn so much from reading other people's works,” Manuel says. “I’ve worked so hard to understand how to write fiction and I enjoy passing on [my knowledge]. And … I love seeing what other stories people are wanting to put out into the world, regardless of what the format or the genre is.” 

Having previously filled a similar role at the McLoughlin Gardens in Comox, Manuel knows being a writer in residence isn’t typically just an exercise in teaching. One gets to immerse oneself in their own writing, which in her opinion feeds positively into workshops and seminars for others. It’s also a valuable opportunity to connect with other authors on a personal level.

“I find that every writing community in a particular physical location is very different. They all have their own cultures and personalities,” remarks Manuel. “I’ve been to [the WWF] twice and it’s incredibly well-organized. There's a vibrancy that I haven't always felt at other festivals I've gone to, so I've always been really excited coming to Whistler.” 

The 2024 Writer in Residence program runs from Sept. 17 to Nov. 16. Learn more at https://whistlerwritersfest.com/programs/whistler-writer-in-residence-ii/.