Hello! My name is Claire Taylor and I am in my third year at UBC in Vancouver as an English Literature major and family studies minor. After this, I hope to earn my Bachelors of Education and become an elementary school teacher. I’m from Kelowna, BC, and love exploring the beauty BC has to offer!

I took this photo on a day trip to a provincial park called Kentucky-Alleyne this past summer!

During my work towards an English Literature major, I have taken many English courses, however, English 222, or Canadian Literature was a course that I thoroughly enjoyed. I hadn’t read many novels by Canadian authors, more just by chance than anything else, but I realized how interesting some of the novelists’ topics are to me. Some of my favourite novels from Canadian authors are ‘Medicine Walk’ by Richard Wagamese, ‘The Boat People’ by Sharon Bala, and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood, but, of course, I have only surveyed a few and look forward to finding more favourites in Canadian Literature.

I took this photo at Big White Mountain! Canada is gorgeous!

This course is all about literature in Canada, so I’m very excited to delve into the course readings and topics this semester!

In this course I hope to read many more novels by Canadian authors in topics such as residential schools, of which I have particular interest in because my mother attended one (by choice), the clean water issue in some parts of rural Canada, stories of immigration, and historical and current perspectives or examples in regards to racism in Canada. The past course I took on Canadian literature encouraged me to explore other titles by Canadian authors that I have really enjoyed, and I’m hoping this course does the same, as well as introducing me to a number of Canadian authors or works about Canada through the course readings! Anyhow, I’m excited for this course!

Works Cited

“A History of Residential Schools in Canada,” CBC News, May 2008. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/a-history-of-residential-schools-in-canada-1.702280

Gerster and Hessey. “Why some First Nations still don’t have clean drinking water – despite Trudeau’s promise,” Global News, September 2019.