The Artsy Raven Podcast about Writing and Art with host JF Garrard

Brent van Staalduinen explores his career as a writer and educator, the complex roles of Canadian peacekeepers, and why writers should refuse to sit still.

Brent van Staalduinen is the award-winning and bestselling author of the novels Unthinkable, Nothing But Life, and Boy, and the forthcoming novels The Peace Thieves and Do Not Count the Days. His stories have appeared in journals on both sides of the Atlantic, and have won the Bristol Short Story Prize, the Fiddlehead Best Fiction Award, the Lush Triumphant Literary Award, and numerous other accolades. He lives, writes, and teaches in Hamilton.

In this episode, Brent reads from The Peace Thieves.
For more information about Brent and his writing, visit www.brentvans.com and follow him on social media (@brentvans).

Book link: https://thistledownpress.com/product/the-peace-thieves/

Artsy Raven links:
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: ⁠https://artsyraven.com/⁠
You can support the podcast by:
1) Liking us on Youtube or following on Spotify/Apple Podcasts
2) Wearing fan merchandise: ⁠https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/⁠
3) Sending a one-time digital tip: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard⁠
4) Support as a Patreon and gain access to over 150+bonus episodes: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Fartumo Kusow discusses her journey from Somalia to Canada, the importance of giving women and children a voice through storytelling, and why writers should make writing a daily habit.

Trigger warning: This episode contains discussionabout violence against women.

Fartumo Kusow is a Somali Canadian novelist, educator,and public advocate on gender-based violence. She is the author of Tale of a Boon’s Wife and the forthcoming novel Winter of My Spring, a literary exploration of girls kidnapped and forced into child marriage and what happens after they return home. Through We Speak Media and the Sahra Bulle Foundation, Kusow leads public education initiatives on survivor justice and social silence. She also hosts two podcasts — Break the Silence, Build a Future and My Mother: The Person and the Patient — using storytelling as a tool for public accountability and repair.

In this episode, Fartumo reads from Winter of My Spring.

Book link: https://www.amazon.com/Winter-My-Spring-Fartumo-Kusow/dp/1684633508

Artsy Raven links:
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: ⁠https://artsyraven.com/⁠

You can support the podcast by:
1) Liking us on Youtube or following on Spotify/Apple Podcasts
2) Wearing fan merchandise: ⁠https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/⁠
3) Sending a one-time digital tip: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard⁠
4) Support as a Patreon and gain access to over 150+bonus episodes: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Natalie Southworth explores her transition from journalism to literary fiction, explains why awards can be valuable stepping stones for emerging writers, and reveals why the best stories come from following creative energy.

Natalie Southworth's short stories have appeared in literary journals in Canada, the US, and the UK. They have won The Brighton Prize, placed third in The Moth Short Story Prize, and were finalists for The Fish Prize, The New Quarterly's Peter Hinchcliffe Award, and Prairie Fire's McNally Robinson Booksellers Short Fiction Contest. Originally fromEngland, she lives in Montreal with her husband and children. Her debut short story collection, There's Always More to Say, was published by Linda Leith Publishing in March 2026.

In this episode, Natalie reads from There's Always More to Say.
Link to book page: https://www.lindaleith.com/en/Pages/bookDetail/Theres_Always_More_to_Say
Author website: https://nataliesouthworth.ca/

Artsy Raven links:
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: ⁠https://artsyraven.com/⁠
You can support the podcast by:
1) Liking us on Youtube or following on Spotify/Apple Podcasts
2) Wearing fan merchandise: ⁠https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/⁠
3) Sending a one-time digital tip: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard⁠
4) Support as a Patreon and gain access to over 150+bonus episodes: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Kyle Bentley talks about life as an indie publisher, his character-first approach to storytelling, and the publishing scams aspiring authors should avoid.

Kyle Bentley has spent most of his life in Ottawa, Canada, though some of his formative years were spent in the United States. He fell in love with creating fictional worlds and tellingstories from a young age, and decided he wanted to be an author while he was in high school. His favorite genres are science fiction, fantasy, horror, and the dark alleyways where the three intertwine. He went to university to study English and Psychology, to learn how to write better stories and more realistic characters. He is currently working on The Age of Entropy series, a series that blends science-fiction, fantasy, and horror with our modern world. The first two books, TheNightmare Schematic and The Price of Progress, have been published and both have won awards from Author Shout. Besides novels, Kyle also writes short stories and material for tabletop roleplaying games, which are published by Faceless Publishing, his small publishing house. When he isn’t writing, Kyle likes reading, playing games of all kinds, and building models. He lives with his wife Kelsey in a house that never seems to have enough room for books.

You can learn more about Kyle’s books at his official website, https://kylerbentley.com/, or at the Faceless Publishing website, https://facelesspublishing.com/.

Artsy Raven links:
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/

You can support the podcast by:
1) Liking us on Youtube or following on Spotify/Apple Podcasts
2) Wearing fan merchandise: https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/
3) Sending a one-time digital tip: https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard
4) Support as a Patreon and gain access to over 150+bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Anita Rau Badami talks about growing up in a family of gifted storytellers, how a mysterious white-haired woman from her childhood inspired Asha in Her Garden, and why persistence is one of a writer's greatest strengths.

Anita Rau Badami’s first novel was the bestseller TamarindMem.  Her novels The Hero’s Walk, Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? and Tell It to The Trees were all national bestsellers and were nominated for numerous awards, including being longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Prize. Anita Rau Badami lives in Montreal.

In this episode, Anita reads from Asha in Her Garden.

Book link: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/565882/asha-in-her-garden-by-anita-rau-badami/9780735274341

Artsy Raven links:
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/

You can support the podcast by:
1)  Liking us on Youtube or following on Spotify/Apple Podcasts
2) Wearing fan merchandise: https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/
3) Sending a one-time digital tip: https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard
4) Support as a Patreon and gain access to over 150+ bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard