Brian Thomas Isaac in Conversation with Margaret Gallagher

Brian Thomas Isaac’s debut novel, All the Quiet Places, is an emotional coming-of-age novel that was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, and a winner of an Indigenous Voices Award. The book’s publication and all the accolades didn’t happen until Thomas was 71 years old. He’ll talk with the CBC’s Margaret Gallagher about his career and what’s next for him as a writer.

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Brian Thomas Isaac was born in 1950 on the Okanagan Indian Reserve near Vernon, BC. After completing grade eight, he found work in the oil fields and in construction, and eventually retired as a bricklayer. At the age of fifty, without any formal training, he began to write and fifteen years later, he completed his first novel, All the Quiet Places. His bestselling debut won the 2022 Indigenous Voices Award, was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award and the Amazon Canada First Novel Award, and was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and CBC’s Canada Reads. He was also a member of the jury for the 2023 Scotia Bank Giller prize. This fall he signed a two-book deal with Penguin Random House and his second book entitled Bones of a Giant will be released in the Spring of 2025. Brian and his wife live in West Kelowna where he enjoys time with his three grandchildren and is currently working on his third book.

Margaret Gallagher is the host of North by Northwest, BC’s highest-rated weekend show.

Margaret was the host of CBC Radio One's Hot Air, CBC's longest running radio program, and has been a regular part of CBC Radio One's The Early Edition since 2001, as well as serving as the BC host of CBC Radio 2's Canada Live.

Actively involved in community outreach, Margaret has tirelessly donated her time and efforts to many Vancouver events. She has hosted dozens of events for a variety of arts and community groups, including UBC & SFU Alumni Associations, Vancouver East Cultural Centre, West Vancouver Public Library and Vancouver International Folk Music Festival. She also loves books.

About the Festival

The North Shore Writers Festival is presented in partnership by North Vancouver City Library, North Vancouver District Public Library, and West Vancouver Memorial Library.

The Festival would not be made possible without support from the Friends of the Library groups from all three North Shore Libraries, North Shore Writers’ Association, KidsBooks, and the North Shore News.

The Festival takes place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) , and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations. The Coast Salish Peoples have long used oral storytelling to pass on and preserve their cultural teachings. This powerful tradition highlights the important role that stories play in our lives. We are grateful to host the North Shore Writers Festival on the lands of these Nations and honour the art of storytelling.

Host or Publisher North Shore Writers Festival