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In the Neighbourhood: Five UBC Press Books that Celebrate the Local

Posted: Tuesday, November 13, 2018

This is part two in a three-part series of posts celebrating University Press Week 2018. For more posts from our university press friends, visit the AAUP's blog tour page.

This year’s #UPWeek theme, #TurnItUP, asks us to reflect on how university presses amplify voices that might otherwise not be heard. One way university presses help to amplify voices is by publishing local stories. Many UBC Press books are grounded in place and tell stories that might not otherwise be heard by a larger audience. Today we’re highlighting five books that tell local stories and allow regional voices to be heard.

To amplify this story, we strongly encourage you to listen to the soundtrack, courtesy of our friends on Sesame Street.


 

Breaching the Peace
The Site C Dam and a Valley's Stand against Big Hydro

Sarah Cox

Breaching the Peace is not only the story of the Site C Dam, the controversial megaproject in BC’s Peace Valley, but also the story of the people who live in the region. Journalist Sarah Cox weaves the personal stories of expropriated farmers such as Ken and Arlene Boon and First Nations leaders such as Roland Willson into a stunning exposé of Big Hydro and its power to erode our land, our rights, and our ability to embrace (and afford) alternative clean energy sources.


 

Forthcoming: May 2019

Vancouverism

Larry Beasley

Larry Beasley, former chief planner of the City of Vancouver, tells the remarkable story of Vancouver’s dramatic transformation from a typical mid-sized North American city into a world-class metropolis celebrated for its liveability, sustainability, and vibrancy.


 

Live at the Cellar
Vancouver's Iconic Jazz Club and the Canadian Co-operative Jazz Scene in the 1950s and '60s

Marian Jago

Through meticulous research and interviews with many musicians, Live at the Cellar shows us how regional jazz co-ops, including the Cellar club in Vancouver, contributed to the pan-Canadian jazz scene and profoundly influenced the development of Jazz in Canada.


 

British Columbia by the Road
Car Culture and the Making of a Modern Landscape

Ben Bradley

In British Columbia by the Road, author Ben Bradley takes us on a road trip through British Columbia’s interior. Part history of the automobile and its impact on North America, British Columbia by the Road also takes an affectionate look at the landscape and historical sites that lined the developing roads in BC during the twentieth century.


 

Birds of Nunavut

James M. Richards and Anthony J. Gaston

A huge two-volume set, Birds of Nunavut is the first complete survey of the birds of Nunavut. According to Robert Bateman, “Birds of Nunavut will open the eyes of people who may never enjoy the Arctic in person.” We couldn’t agree more.


Posted in UBC Press Picks
Posted by Megan M.
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