Jess Housty
BIO
Biography

Jess H̓áust̓i is a parent, writer, and land-based educator from the Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) Nation in Bella Bella. They live and work in their unceded ancestral homelands where they focus their practice on community building, food sovereignty, and Indigenous culture and language resurgence.

Jess serves their community and region as Executive Director of Qqs Projects Society and Lead at Coastal Foodways, and supports decolonial philanthropy as Co-Lead at Right Relations Collaborative.

Jess is the author of the two poetry collections: Crushed Wild Mint, (Nightwood Editions, October 2023) and How to Nourish a Cannibal (Nightwood Editions, 2026). They are also co-author of a forthcoming environmental non-fiction book tentatively titled Wolf Marked By Ochre (Greystone Books, 2027) alongside Dr. Chris Darimont. In addition, their work can be found in Room Magazine, Geist, EVENT, The Tyee, Hakai Magazine, and various collections and anthologies.

ADDRESS
City: Heiltsuk Nation, Bella Bella, Province/Territory: British Columbia
EMAIL
GENRE
Poetry
LANGUAGES
English, Haíɫzaqvla
PUBLICATIONS
Publications
Title
Crushed Wild Mint
Publisher
Nightwood Editions
Year
2023
AWARDS
Awards
Name
Bill Duthie Booksellers Choice Award
Publication
Crushed Wild Mint
Year
2024
Name
Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize
Publication
Crushed Wild Mint
Year
2024
LINKS
Links
http://www.jesshousty.com
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS
EQUITY INITIATIVE
As part of the Union’s Equity Implementation Plan, we are committed to increasing awareness of authors who are Black, Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQI2S, or living with a disability. This author identifies as:
Members who identify as:
Black, Indigenous, and/or racialized
LGBTQI2S
Living with a disability
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