This episode features Leona Theis reading from the intro of her new, award-winning novel If Sylvie Had Nine Lives.

Leona writes novels, short stories, and personal essays. She hopes to craft work that is funny, serious, and absorbing all in the same package.

Her story collection, Sightlines (Coteau, 2000) won two Saskatchewan Book Awards. Leona's work has been shortlisted four times for the CBC Literary Award, which she won in 2007 for creative nonfiction.

Her novel-in-progress, If Sylvie Had Nine Lives, won the John V Hicks manuscript award in 2016. Her short fiction has appeared most recently in Journey Prize Stories 26, and in American Short Fiction, where it won the short story prize. Her personal essays have appeared in Canada and the United States in such venues as Brick, The New Quarterly, Numero Cinq, and Best Canadian Essays.

Leona has worked in the literary community as an editor, mentor, workshop leader, and writer-in-residence. She divides her time between her home in Saskatoon and a cabin in the boreal forest.

This podcast features Western Canadian authors reading from their novels, short fiction, poetry, memoirs, or non-fiction. It is created and hosted by Saskatchewan novelist Lisa Guenther. Reading West is open to featuring published authors from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. For the most part, the podcast focuses on literature, but writers working in other genres are welcome to inquire. For more information on submitting, visit lisaguenther.com/reading-west-podcast/  You can also check out the show on Facebook at www.facebook.com/readingwest/

Theme music is Flax Flower Blue by Best Kept Secret Girlfriend.