Jessica Johns is a Cree writer from Canada, whose debut novel Bad Cree was published in 2023.
Early life and education Johns is a member of the Sucker Creek First Nation in northern Alberta. She grew up on her traditional territory in Treaty 8. She lived in Adelaide, Australia, from ages 14 to 16. Johns majored in English at Grant MacEwan University and has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.
Career While she was an MFA student, a creative writing teacher told Johns' class to never write about dreams. Johns wrote Bad Cree in part as a response to this, advice which Johns disagreed with due to the importance of dreams in Cree culture.Michelle Cyca, "In her debut novel Bad Cree, Jessica Johns has dreamed up a horror story anchored by a Cree matriarchy" . Quill & Quire, January 2023. It was expanded from her earlier short story of the same name, which won the Journey Prize in 2020.
Bad Cree was published in 2023 by HarperCollins Canada.Justin Bell, "Bookmarks: A dream world from local Cree author Jessica Johns" . Edmonton Journal, April 18, 2023. The novel won the MacEwan Book of the Year award, the Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction, the ALA Alex Award, and was a shortlisted finalist for the 2023 Amazon.ca First Novel Award. Bad Cree was selected for the 2024 edition of Canada Reads, where it was defended by Dallas Soonias.
Awards and honours +Awards for Johns's writingYearTitleAwardResult2019How Not to SpillbpNichol Chapbook Award2020"Bad Cree"Journey PrizeWinner2023Bad CreeAmazon.ca First Novel AwardShortlist2023MacEwan Book of the YearWinner2024ALA Alex AwardWinnerAudie Award for Thriller/SuspenseFinalistCBC Canada ReadsNomineeGeorges Bugnet Award for FictionWinner2024Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer PrizeShortlist
Personal life Johns lives in Edmonton with her girlfriend and three cats.
Publications
Thin Spaces. Avid Reader Press, HarperCollins. 2027.
References