Wanda John-Kehewin

Wanda John-Kehewin is a Cree-Métis (Kehewin Cree Nation) author and poet.

Early life and education John-Kehewin grew up on the Kehewin reserve in Alberta, but did not grow up speaking Cree. She lived with her mother, a Métis woman who struggled with alcoholism, for parts of her childhood. John-Kehewin began writing poetry at age six, as a way to express he feelings. She became aware of the lack of literature centering First Nations voices at a young age, after seeing the lack of representation in the books in her reserve's library. She earned her Master of Fine Arts at University of British Columbia.

Career John-Kehewin has worked for the Canadian Ministry of Children and Families. It won the 2024 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize and was included among the 41 titles selected for the 2024 USBBY Outstanding International Books List.

Personal life John-Kehewin currently lives in Vancouver.

Books

Poetry

In the Dog House (2013), Talonbooks Seven Sacred Truths (2018), Talonbooks Spells, Wishes, and the Talking Dead ᒪᒪᐦᑖᐃᐧᓯᐃᐧᐣ ᐸᑯᓭᔨᒧᐤ ᓂᑭᐦᒋ ᐋᓂᐢᑯᑖᐹᐣ mamahtâwisiwin, pakosêyimow, nikihci-âniskotâpân (2023) Nominated: League of Canadian Poets 2023 Raymond Souster Award

Graphic novels

Visions of the Crow: Volume 1 Dreams (2023)

Novels

Hopeless in Hope (2023), HighWater Press Nominated: 2025 Northern Lights Award, Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards Nominated: 2025 Red Maple Award, Forest of Reading

Awards

World Poetry Empowered Poet Award 2018, for In the Dog House