Today we honour and celebrate the life and esteemed works of Harold R. Johnson. A member of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation, Harold was born and raised in northern Saskatchewan and served in the Canadian Navy and throughout his life was a miner, logger, mechanic, trapper, fisherman, tree planter, and heavy-equipment operator. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he managed a private practice for several years before becoming a Crown prosecutor. Many know him best for his literary achievements, he is the author of five works of fiction and five works of non-fiction. His most recent books include his sci-fi genre fusion novel, The Björkan Sagas, and his best-selling nonfiction books, Peace and Good Order: The Case for Indigenous Justice in Canada and Firewater: How Alcohol Is Killing My People (and Yours), which was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction. Harold’s new book The Power of Story is forthcoming from Biblioasis in Fall 2022. The full book announcement follows below. Harold is survived by his wife, Joan Johnson, his six children and two step-children, and his beloved dog Buddy. We will deeply miss Harold and all of us at the Transatlantic Agency feel grateful to have worked with him and represent his books, most especially his agent Samantha Haywood.
THE POWER OF STORY by Harold R. Johnson, Biblioasis, Fall 2022
Award-winning Indigenous author Harold R. Johnson discusses the promise and potential of storytelling.
Approached by an ecumenical society representing many faiths, from Judeo-Christians to fellow members of First Nations, Harold R. Johnson agreed to host a group who wanted to hear him speak about the power of storytelling. This book is the outcome of that gathering. In The Power of Story, Johnson explains the role of storytelling in every aspect of human life, from personal identity to history and the social contracts that structure our societies, and illustrates how we can direct its potential to re-create and reform not only our own lives, but the life we share. Companionable, clear-eyed, and, above all, optimistic, Johnson’s message is both a dire warning and a direct invitation to each of us to imagine and create, together, the world we want to live in.