Richard Van Camp (born September 8, 1971) is a Dogrib Tłı̨chǫ writer of the Dene nation from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada."About a boy: Richard Van Camp and The Lesser Blessed"
'' Quill & Quire'', November 2012. He is best known for his 1996 novel ''

The Lesser Blessed ''The Lesser Blessed'' is a Canadian drama film, released in 2012.

Anita Doron in 2012.

Life and work

Van Camp attended the En'owkin International School of Writing, the University of Victoria's Creative Writing BFA Program, and the Master's Degree in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. He teaches creative writing with an aboriginal focus at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and teaches creative writing and storytelling at the

Emily Carr Institute Emily Carr University of Art + Design (abbreviated as ECU) is a public art university located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The university's campus is located within the Great Northern Way Campus in Strathcona. The university is a co-e ...

. Van Camp works with Musqueam First Nations youth with the Musqueaum Youth Project. Van Camp began his career as an intern on the writing staff of the television series ''

North of 60 ''North of 60'' is a 1990s Canadian television drama depicting life in the sub-Arctic northern boreal forest (north of 60° north latitude, hence the title). It first aired on CBC Television in 1992 and was syndicated around the world. It is s ...

'', produced by the CBC. He was also a CBC script and cultural consultant for four seasons. He has published several short story collections. Most of his work is set in the community of Fort Simmer, a fictionalization of his hometown. He has also published children's books, poetry and educational graphic novels. He worked with the Healthy Aboriginal Network to create and edit graphic novels. Van Camp's writing has been influenced by the tradition of oral storytelling. He has stated:

"I need oral storytelling in my life as a listener because I'm always filtering the pauses, the slang, the rockabilly of pacing, the delivery. When I listen to a master storyteller or someone just sharing a story, I'm studying how they're talking and how they're standing, and what the pitch is in their voice. I can sometimes take their techniques and put them into a story."

Van Camp was the first Dogrib writer to publish a novel. At 24 he published ''

The Lesser Blessed ''The Lesser Blessed'' is a Canadian drama film, released in 2012.

Zoe Leigh Hopkins called ''Mohawk Midnight Runners''. The film was released in 2013 through

Big Soul Productions Big Soul Productions is a film and television production company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is notable for being Aboriginal owned and operated. Big Soul was established in August 1999 by Laura J. Milliken and Jennifer Podemski. Prog ...

. The story appears in Van Camp's short story collection ''The Moon Letting Go'' (2013). In 2018, his novella ''When We Play Our Drums, They Sing'' was published alongside

Monique Gray Smith Monique Gray Smith is a Canadian writer of children's and young adult literature.

's ''Lucy & Lola'' in the compilation ''The Journey Forward''. The book was named as a shortlisted finalist for the

Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature Burt is a given name and also a shortened form of other names, such as Burton and Herbert, or a place name. Burt may refer to: People *Burt Alvord (1866–after 1910), American Old West lawman and outlaw *Burt Bacharach (born 1928), American com ...

. His short fiction collection, ''Moccasin Square Gardens'', was published in 2019. In June 2014 Van Camp was announced as a juror for the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature. His finalist nominee was ''Little You'' artist Julie Flett. Van Camp was the 2017 Edmonton Metro Libraries writer in residence. Van Camp was awarded the R. Ross Arnett Award for Children's Literature for his children's book ''Little You''. He was also the winner of the 2013 Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction for his short story collection ''Godless but Loyal to Heaven''. Van Camp was a shortlisted nominee for the ReLit Award for Short Fiction in 2010 for ''The Moon of Letting Go'', in 2016 for ''Night Moves'', and in 2020 for ''Moccasin Square Gardens''.

Works

Novels

* ''

The Lesser Blessed ''The Lesser Blessed'' is a Canadian drama film, released in 2012.

Douglas & McIntyre, 1996) * ''Whistle'' ( Pearson Canada, 2015)

Novella

* ''When We Play Our Drums, They Sing!'' (2018)

Short Story Collections

* ''Angel Wing Splash Pattern'' (

Kegedonce Press Kegedonce Press is an Indigenous publishing house in Neyaashiinigmiing Reserve No. 27 (Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, Cape Croker), Ontario, Canada, owned by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm. Started in 1993, it is one of only a handful of dedicat ...

, 2002) * ''Godless but Loyal to Heaven'' (Enfield & Wizenty, 2013) * ''The Moon of Letting Go'' (Enfield & Wizenty, 2010) * ''Night Moves'' (Enfield & Wizenty, 2015) * ''Moccasin Square Gardens'' (2019)

Children's Literature

* ''A Man Called Raven'' ( Lee & Low Books, 1997) * ''What's the Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses?'' ( Children's Book Press, 2003) * ''Welcome Song for Baby'' ( Orca Books, 2007) * ''Blessing Wendy'' ( Orca Books, 2008) * ''Nighty Night'' (McKellar & Martin, 2012) * ''Little You'' ( Orca Books, 2013) * ''We Sang You Home'' ( Orca Books, 2016) * ''Kiss by Kiss'' ( Orca Books, 2018) *''May We Have Enough to Share'' (Orca Books, 2019)

Graphic Novels

* ''Path of the Warrior'' (Healthy Aboriginal Network, 2010) * ''Kiss Me Deadly'' (Healthy Aboriginal Network, 2011) * ''Three Feathers'' (Portage & Main Press, 2015) * ''A Blanket of Butterflies'' (Portage & Main Press, 2015) * ''The Blue Raven'' ( Pearson Canada, 2015) * ''Spirit'' ( South Slave Divisional Education Council, 2015) * A Blanket of Butterflies (Portage & Main Press, 2022)

Awards

* 2020 Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction, ''Moccasin Square Gardens'' * 2015 R. Ross Arnett award for Children's Literature, ''Little You'' * 2013 Georges Bugnet award, ''Godless but Loyal to Heaven''

References

External links

Richard Van Camp
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Camp, Richard 1971 births Canadian male novelists Canadian male short story writers Canadian television writers Canadian children's writers Place of birth missing (living people) People from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories Writers from the Northwest Territories Living people Dene people 20th-century Canadian novelists 21st-century Canadian novelists Canadian graphic novelists Canadian male screenwriters First Nations novelists 20th-century Canadian short story writers 21st-century Canadian short story writers First Nations screenwriters 20th-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian male writers 20th-century First Nations writers 21st-century First Nations writers 20th-century Canadian screenwriters 21st-century Canadian screenwriters Canadian male television writers