Slick Water author Andrew Nikiforuk in Vancouver, World-altering challenges explored by three authors

Books event: World-altering challenges explored by authors by The Vancouver Sun, April 8, 2016

Resource extraction, shrinking water supplies and the future of democracy — these are world altering challenges that face humanity.

Writers Andrew Nikiforuk (Slick Water), Micah White (The End of Protest) and Carrie Saxifrage (The Big Swim – Coming Ashore in a World at Risk) weave compelling tales to investigate these themes in their crucial works of non-fiction. These authors will be appearing as part of Vancouver Writers Fest’s Incite on April 13.

Andrew Nikiforuk

Q. Tell us about your book.

A. My book is not just about the disruptive and unpredictable technology of hydraulic fracturing but the courage of women when confronting brute force. The book documents the ordeal of Jessica Ernst, a longtime member of the oilpatch. When Encana fracked the local aquifers near her home and turned her well water into a flammable mess, Ernst began an eight-year odyssey to hold regulators and government accountable. It is an inspirational tale about the importance of fighting back and it documents how one woman, concerned about the fate of a public resource, groundwater, can shake the corrupt foundations of modern industry.

Q. How can storytelling help us to build a better future? In your experience, how does narrative help to inform the public about key issues facing society — and our environment?

A. Good storytelling can’t make a better future but it can meet immediate moral needs. Like a light in the darkness, a well told story can guide us to the truth, and in the end, we may find comfort in that. [Emphasis added]

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