ABOUT THIS EPISODE: On this episode of Writing the Coast, we remember writer, music lover and all around wonderful person Andrea Warner. Andrea died recently after a battle with cancer. This podcast episode was recorded in July 2024 when Rise Up and Sing! Protest, and Activism in Music was shortlisted for the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. Andrea was known by many readers for her love of music, her wit, and her careful insights. Her books include We Oughta Know: How Celine, Shania, Alanis, and Sarah ruled the '90s, The Time of My Life: Dirty Dancing, and Rise Up and Sing! ABOUT ANDREA WARNER: Andrea Warner was born and raised in East Vancouver, a settler on the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Her pronouns WERE she/her/hers. She spent childhood Sundays in her father’s secondhand shop and weeknights penning soapy teen novels by the light of streetlamps when she should have been sleeping. She was a writer, critic, broadcaster, and podcaster focusing on music, arts, pop culture, and feminism. She was the author of the bestselling book Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography (Sept. 25, 2018, Greystone) as well as the acclaimed 2015 book, We Oughta Know: How Four Women Ruled the '90s and Changed Canadian Music (Eternal Cavalier Press). Andrea was an associate producer at CBC Music and co-hosted the weekly podcast, Pop This! Her radio work included weekly music columns on CBC's Radio One's All Points West and Radio West, and she was also part of CBC Radio's Day 6 music panel. Andrea served on the jury for the Polaris Music Prize and freelanced for six years as a theatre critic for the Georgia Straight. Her writing appeared in Pitchfork, Bitch, Exclaim!, the Literary Review of Canada, Maclean’s, and the Globe and Mail, among others. She was a co-programmer of the Vancouver Podcast Festival. Some of Andrea’s previous work lives include three years as the horoscopes columnist for Soap Opera Weekly, a year doing quality control for chat lines, teaching journalism and writing to youth who were victims and/or perpetrators of violence, call centre management, and a year as the music editor of an alternative weekly. Pop culture, art, and feminism made her happy. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole is the 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.
