Yellowknife (Aug 21/06) - A famed Nunavummiut author is trying something a little different with his latest book.

Rankin Inlet's Michael Kusugak was in Yellowknife recently to promote his new novel, The Curse of the Shaman. The book, a tale of magic, history and family, is set on Marble Island, near his home in Rankin Inlet.

Michael Kusugak speaks during the recent NorthWords Writer's Festival in Yellowknife. Kusugak was in attendance to promote his latest book, The Curse of the Shaman, which will be the first part of a trilogy. - Adam Johnson/NNSL photo

During a reading at the legislative assembly in Yellowknife, Kusugak said writing a trilogy was strange for him, as he was never inclined to read them himself - he had a habit of not finishing them, he admitted.

Afterwards, he said the setting of Marble Island, 50 kilometres east of Rankin Inlet, was perfect for a trilogy.

"When I first started thinking about Marble Island, the more I researched it, the more it made sense to have three books."

He said the books would not follow the characters, but rather the setting, during three distinct time periods. The first book, The Curse of the Shaman, follows life long before contact between Inuit and southerners.

The second, tentatively titled The Mean Knight, would take place during the time of contact, while the third would happen during the modern day.

"It's an absolutely incredible place," Kusugak said of his latest muse. "It has this incredible history."

Kusugak said he had written about the location in the past for publications such as Up Here Magazine.

The author of Baseball Bats for Christmas appeared at several events during the festival, including an open mike night at Yellowknife's Wildcat Cafe, an official book launch at the Yellowknife Ski Club and at the legislative assembly for "An Evening With Northern Authors."

The evening also included Northern writers Rene Fumoleau, Richard Van Camp, Jamie Bastedo and Bren Kolson.

Kusugak's performance included a rendition of the story that inspired Baseball Bats for Christmas, as well as a traditional tale.

"When we write stories, we want to make them perfect. That's our goal," he said.

"Traditional legends are told over and over and over again for thousands of years," he said. "That 's what I consider a perfect story."