Katherine Palmer Gordon
BIO
Biography

The author of eight non-fiction books and a contributor to several anthologies, Katherine Palmer Gordon has been writing for publications in both Canada and New Zealand since 1995. Born in England in 1963, her much-travelled French/Scottish family eventually settled in New Zealand. She moved to Gabriola Island, British Columbia, in 2004, where she spent the next 11 years writing about contemporary issues that face society. She has covered some of the most beautiful regions of the planet; the people who live around us and what they do; and environmental, cultural, and business-related issues. Her first five books were published under the name Katherine Gordon. With the publication of her sixth book, she re-introduced her original name, Palmer, to her readers. With more than twenty-five years experience working with Indigenous Peoples in inter-governmental relations, Katherine also writes about the complex and human side of treaty negotiations, reconciliation, and the leadership of Indigenous Peoples. Her book "We Are Born With the Songs Inside Us" (Harbour, September 2013) profiles a number of young First Nations men and women talking about their lives in 21st century BC and the importance of cultural connection to the successful path they are following (with a Foreword by Shawn A-in-Chut Atleo). In spring 2016, her story entitled "Mother Tongues" appeared in an anthology edited by Danielle Metcalf-Chenaille entitled: "In This Together: Fifteen True Stories of Reconciliation." Contributors are Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers from around Canada describing their personal experiences with reconciliation. In 2022, she returned home to British Columbia after residing in New Zealand for six years, where she was working on her next book, "This Place is Who We Are," (Harbour, publication May 2023) as well as continuing her work in the Indigenous arena in both places.

ADDRESS
City: Gabriola, Province/Territory: British Columbia
EMAIL
LANGUAGES
English
AWARDS
Awards
Name
Finalist, Hubert Evans Prize for Non-Fiction, BC Book Prizes for The Slocan: Portrait of a Valley, 2005
Name
Axiom Business Books Awards, NYC: silver medal, corporate history
Publication
Maps, Mountains, & Mosquitoes: the Mcelhanney Story, 1910 to 2010
Year
2011
Name
Axiom Business Books Awards, NYC: Corporate: bronze medal, corporate history
Publication
Strong Foundations : The Klohn Crippen Berger Story
Year
2021
Name
Roderick Haig-Brown Prize, BC Book Prizes
Publication
Made to Measure: A History of BC Land Surveying
Year
2006
Name
Jeanne Clarke Publication Award
Publication
This Place Is Who We Are: Stories of Indigenous Leadership, Resilience and Connection to Homelands
Year
2024
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS
Presentation details
Audience Size
Audience size
Unlimited
Presentation Genre
Literary non-fiction
Presentation Length
Dependent on requirements/context
Presentation Description
Presentation description

Tailored to suit

Presentation Fee(s)
By negotiation: minimum $250 for 45 minute presentation
Workshop details
Audience Size
Maximum 8
Intended Audience
Adult writers
Workshop Length
Tailored to suit
Workshop Description
Workshop description

Tailored to suit

Workshop Fee(s)
By negotiation: minimum $750 for half-day workshop
School presentation details
Audience Size
Class size
Intended Audience
high school, senior level
Presentation Length
45 minutes including Q and A
Presentation Description
Presentation description

On books of interest in curriculum

Presentation Fee(s)
$250
Programs & Interests
Interested in participating Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program:
All members are eligible for the Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program. Are you interested in participating in this pro
Yes
Interested in participating in the Northern Ontario WITS program:
The Union’s Northern Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program funds in-person visits to northern Ontario schools when possible. Ar
Yes