Audrey Whitson

Audrey Whitson’s novel, The Death of Annie the Water Witcher by Lightning, was a finalist for the Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize in 2020. Whitson’s collection of coming-of-age stories, The Glorious Mysteries, was longlisted for the 2014 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. Her first book, Teaching Places, a memoir about how the land teaches, was shortlisted for three awards in 2004, including the Grant MacEwan Authors Award. Her poetry, stories, and essays have been published in many magazines and anthologies. Audrey was the MacEwan Writer in Residence in 2023. She is currently working on a new collection of short stories, a collection of personal essays, and a play about sexual exploitation.

Audrey lives in amiskwacîwâskahikan (also known as Edmonton), in Treaty 6 territory.

From the Blog

Audrey's musings

21 June

Summer Solstice 2026: A Mingling of Voices

In the spring of 2019 I visited Agrigento in Sicily, a huge, ancient pilgrimage site of Greek temples. It was only at the end of the first day that I came upon the ruins of temples for Demeter, Persephone and Dionysus, what the sign called “the chthonic deities.” I felt a spirit there that I […]

19 March

Spring Equinox 2026: War and Peace

“If you want peace, work for justice.” Pope Paul VI, 1 January 1972, World Day of Peace War in spring seems antithetical, a jarring contradiction of realities. While birds are returning north to nest (I saw my first geese on March 6th) in many places the world’s armies are sending out “drones” on attack missions. […]

20 December

Winter Solstice Eve 2025: The Circle of Life

I’ve had occasion to stay with a friend the last few months. In the spring when I stepped out of my room, the sun lit the hallway end to end. Through summer it was there every morning accompanying me as I started my day. I noticed how gradually after the fall equinox that beam of […]