Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 26, 2007

VANCOUVER - One of the NWT's most accomplished authors, Richard Van Camp, has written for both adults and children so far in his career. But his latest project was for a different audience: babies.

Richard Van Camp is an author from Fort Smith who has just released a baby book in B.C. - Photo courtesy of Richard Van Camp

"This is the book that every newborn baby in British Columbia will receive in 2008," said Van Camp of Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns, his most recent publication.

The 12-page book was released earlier this month. It was commissioned by the Books for B.C. Babies Committee, a group of volunteers that works to publish such a book every year.

At the time he wrote the book, his brother and sister-in-law were expecting their first child, which would be his parents' first grandchild. From this, he drew inspiration.

"I knew a little grandson was on the way, and I just asked myself, 'What lullaby could I write, not only for my new nephew who will be born in a few months, but what can I write for everybody who is expecting a new miracle in their family?'" he said.

Books for B.C. Babies committee member Jim Looney said the group was glad to commission an aboriginal author.

"We had decided right from the very beginning... that we wanted to have an aboriginal book at one point," he said.

But though the book has an aboriginal touch to it, an effort was made to include both genders and diverse cultures. Photographs of babies and families "from all walks of life" were included.

"It's not B.C. at all - it's actually very universal. I think it would fit just about anywhere, but at the same time I think there's something very Canadian about it," said Looney.

Outside of B.C., Van Camp said 2,500 copies of the book have been ordered by a group in Manitoba. He also hopes to bring it North.

"My wish is that this becomes the book for every new baby in the NWT in 2008," he said.

Van Camp will travel home to the NWT in January to promote his book.

Meanwhile, the author is working on his next project, which will be another novel set in Fort Simmer, the fictional town he created for the book The Lesser Blessed. This one will focus on a group of five Dogrib men who are coming to terms after a friend is molested by the principal.

"It's about how young men grieve when the trust of a town is stolen," he said.

The book is expected to be published in 2009.