 Literary gift guides, holiday music, and a lantern festival for the winter solsticeNXNW Dec. 16/17, 2023 | Happy Friday, and welcome to the latest edition of the NXNW newsletter!
Tons of holiday celebrations on the show this weekend: we're talking seasonal music with Laila Biali and Terri-Lynn Williams Davidson, advice for holiday cooking and baking, some (literary) gift recommendations, and more!
Looking for something from a previous show? Be sure to check out our archive, or stop by our CBC Listen page. | | | Coming up on the show this weekend: | | | Saturday |  | Marnie's Books owner Marnie Andrews joins us from Cortes Island, B.C., and shares some books that make for a lovely holiday gift. | | | | | Expert birder Claude Rioux swoops in to give us a sneak peek of the 124th Audubon Christmas Bird Count running Dec. 14 - Jan. 5, 2024. | | | | | Cooking teacher and author Claire Tansey takes the stress off of holiday dinner with her new e-cookbook, An Uncomplicated Holiday. | | | | | Artistic Director Naomi Singer gives us a tour of the Secret Lantern Society headquarters ahead of their 30th Annual Winter Solstice Lantern Festival. | | | | | While she tours B.C. with her winter songs and holiday classics, Juno-award-winning musician Laila Biali joined us for some seasonal Record Keeping. | | | | | Sunday | | | Something Undone co-creator Madison Walsh explores true-crime podcasts and Canadian mysteries in the new CBC Gem original series. | | | | | In Translation: Anna Ling Kaye shares three books for young readers originally written Anishinaabemowin, French and Welsh. | | | | | Holiday Baking: Kanadell Bakery owner and chef Keiko Nakanishi introduces us to buche de noel and other Japanese holiday treats. | | | | | Terri-Lynn Williams Davidson, together with Chilliwack's Bill Henderson and Claire Lawrence, talk about their collection of holiday classics, Haida Solstice. | | | | | | | | | | | Reinventing holiday classics with the Haida language | | | Terri-Lynn Williams Davidson is a Haida artist, activist, and lawyer. Her Haida name, Lalaxaaygans (LAH-lax-aye-gans) is best translated as "beautiful sound."
Davidson recorded a collection of seasonal classics in the Haida language as a gift for elders in her community. For Haida Solstice, she teamed up with longtime musical collaborators Bill Henderson and Claire Lawrence of the band Chilliwack — and earlier this week, the three of them joined NXNW to talk about the project. | | |  | Bill Henderson, Claire Lawrence and Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson | | | | | | | 30 years of the Annual Winter Solstice Lantern Festival | | | This year's winter solstice is approaching on Thursday, Dec. 21. And this week on NXNW, story producer Jeremy Ratt visited the Secret Lantern Society in East Vancouver to learn more about their 30th Annual Winter Solstice Lantern Festival. Artistic Director Naomi Singer told us about their workshops and Salon series — and we also met her cat, Omi! | | |  | Naomi Singer and Omi | | |  | | |  | The Secret Lantern Society headquarters in East Vancouver | | | | | | | Holiday Baking: Kanadell Bakery | | | In the latest entry to our Holiday Baking series, NXNW's Margaret Gallagher visited Kanadell Japanese Bakery in East Vancouver, where bakery owner and chef Keiko Nakanishi shared some of her holiday specials, including buche de noel, milk jam, and other Japanese holiday treats. | | |  | Keiko Nakanishi is pictured in the Kanadell storefront. | | |  | A selection of bakery treats at Kanadell Japanese Bakery in East Vancouver. | | | | | | | In Translation with Anna Ling Kaye | | | In Translation columnist Anna Ling Kaye shares some books for young readers originally written in languages other than English.
Here are her picks for the holiday season: - The Gift of Mnoomin by Brittany Luby, illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley and translated by Mary Ann Corbiere (Groundwood Books, Toronto 2023)
- Alone: The Journey of Three Young Refugees by Paul Tom, illustrated by Melanie Baillairge and translated by Arielle Aaronson (Groundwood Books, Toronto 2023)
- The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros (Firefly Books, Cardiff 2022)
| | | | | | | Bookstore Check-in: Marnie's Books | | | We also reached out to Marnie Andrews, owner of Marnie's Books — which has been providing great literature to residents and visitors in Cortes Island, B.C., for over 25 years — for some book recommendations. Here's what she shared! - Full Moon Lagoon by Monica Nawrocki
- Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson
- Gumboot Guys edited by Lou Allison
- Wet Dream by Erin Robinsong
- Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland
- Fire Weather by John Vaillant
| | | | | | | Record Keeping with Laila Biali | | | Laila Biali, Juno-award-winning singer, pianist and host of Saturday Night Jazz is back in B.C. for her Wintersongs & Holiday Classics tour. Between stops in Victoria, Biali joined us for a special holiday edition of Record Keeping!
Here's what you'll hear Biali spinning.
A song from your youth?
O Tannenbaum by Vince Guaraldi Trio.
A song, artist or album you keep coming back to?
Still, Still, Still by Peter Marschik and Vienna Boys' Choir.
Something you're listening to right now?
All I've Ever Known by Madison Cunningham. | | | | | | | In case you missed it... | | | Last week on NXNW, Rustica Woodfired Bakery owner Meg Roberts joined us to chat about a fundraising project she was working on. Cookies From The Archives has the Smithers, B.C., baker making cookies from old recipe books, with proceeds going to Bukley Valley Museum and other museums in the region.
Read more about Cookies From The Archives
Margaret Gallagher visited Canadian Memorial United Church to speak with organist John Mitchell about their Casavant pipe organ's 95th anniversary.
Stream the interview with John Mitchell via CBC Listen | | | | | Thanks for listening! | Have comments or suggestions you'd like to share? Email us!
Jeremy Ratt, editor | | | | | |
