Katłįà Lafferty joins Indigenous writers’ circle as mentor

Yellowknives Dene author Katłįà Lafferty is joining Audible’s 2026 Indigenous writers’ circle as a mentor.

The six-month writers’ circle supports emerging Indigenous writers with mentorships, workshops and industry guidance.

“I just really wanted to be a part of something that was supporting other Indigenous writers,” Lafferty told Cabin Radio.

“This was the perfect opportunity to do that because any other way to do that is usually kind-of just helping here and there and if someone asks you for something, but this has more structure to it and it has more time and space dedicated to doing that.”

Lafferty is the author of several books including the memoir Northern Wildflower, Land-Water-Sky, This House is Not a Home and Firekeeper.

Lafferty’s forthcoming book, Mother Earth is Our Elder, is set to be released in April and she is planning to record the audiobook for Audible. The book offers a northern Indigenous perspective on the climate crisis and teaches Indigenous ways to protect and learn from Mother Earth.

Lafferty said such a program as Audible’s Indigenous writers’ circle would have helped her when she first started to think seriously about writing as a career.

“I did feel isolated a lot of the time writing, especially as someone living in the North where there weren’t a lot of writers coming out of the North,” she said.

Now, Lafferty said she is passionate about sharing stories that haven’t been heard before.

“As a northern Indigenous woman, I’ve heard a lot of stories growing up that have never been shared in the mainstream and we just have a lot of amazing things to say as Indigenous people,” she said.

“We have such a rich storytelling culture as it is and translating that onto the page – and translating that into audiobooks – is so crucial right now in the world because our teachings and our stories have lessons, and they have this element of beauty, and I think that they deserve to be shared.”

Audible is an audiobook and podcast company that has been owned by Amazon since 2008. Its 2026 Indigenous writers’ circle runs from June 1 to December 21. Participants are eligible for a $1,500 bursary and there is no cost to participate in the program.

Lafferty said anyone interested in any kind of writing, including poetry, playwriting, fiction and non-fiction, should consider applying. She added it’s a great opportunity for people on the fence or wanting to explore what storytelling is to them.

“I’m somebody that kind-of dabbles in a little bit of everything and so it’s open for everyone, and we will do our best to tailor the mentors,” she said.

“I’m really looking forward to working across the board and it’s not to say that I’m going to know everything – I’ll probably earn from the mentees as well. So it’ll be like an exchange of sharing knowledge.”

Other mentors in the 2026 program include Anishinaabe journalist and author Tanya Talaga and Tłı̨chǫ Dene author Richard Van Camp.

You can apply online before April 13.