Aviaq Johnston

Aviaq Johnston is an Inuk author. Her first novel Those Who Run in the Sky, a coming-of-age story about a young shaman trapped in the spirit world, won the Indigenous Voices Award for most significant work of prose in English and was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — text. In 2019 the sequel, Those Who Dwell Below, was published. She is also the author of the best-selling picture book What's My Superpower?, illustrated by Tim Mack.

Her other works include the short stories Tarnikuluk, winner of the 2014 Aboriginal Arts and Stories Award, and The Haunted Blizzard featured in Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories. She lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut, with her dog, Sunny.

In 2018, Johnston was named one of 18 Canadian writers to watch by CBC Books.

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• The best Canadian YA and middle-grade books of 2019

Books by Aviaq Johnston

Interviews with Aviaq Johnston

Unreserved7:41'Indigenous youth don't get to see themselves as the hero': Author Aviaq Johnston has plans to change that

Aviaq Johnston freely admits the first book she ever wrote as a teen was terrible. But the author from Igloolik, Nunavut has moved on from a "Harry Potter rip-off" to a debut novel shortlisted for a Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature.

Qulliq (Inuktitut)5:40'Tarnikuluk' - A Conversation with Nunavut's Newest Award Winning Author

An Inuk woman is making waves with her story telling. We will hear from Aviaq Johston about her recent national award. The piece, called TARNIKULUK, recently won first price in national competition for Aboriginal Arts and Writing.

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