Warning: This story contans subject matter related to sexual assault that could be triggering to some readers

A North Okanagan author has been shortlisted for a prestigious non-fiction prize.

Emelia Symington-Fedy published her memoir Skid Dogs last year. The book is a raw and riveting coming-of-age story about the wild love of teenage friendships and the casual oppression of 90s rape culture. It鈥檚 a true crime memoir that touches upon the tragic 2011 murder of Armstrong teen Taylor Van Diest.

Symington-Fedy grew up with her girl gang hanging out on the railroad tracks of Armstrong. Unsupervised and wild, the girls explored the power and shortcomings of 鈥渂est鈥� friendships and growing sexuality.

Two decades later, Van Diest is murdered on Halloween on those same tracks, and Symington-Fedy returns to her small hometown to stay with her mother, who is fearful of a murderer at large.

While the media focuses on how the girl dared to be alone on the tracks, Symington-Fedy slowly comes to terms with the mistreatment of her own teenage body. Giving a bold and often darkly humorous first-hand account of 90s rape culture and the sexual coercion that still permeates girlhood, Symington-Fedy holds her hometown close and accountable, exposing the subtle ways that misogyny shows up daily.

Award-winning poet and author Aislinn Hunter describes Skid Dogs as a 鈥渞iveting, raucous and tender look at growing up a girl in a boy鈥檚 world 鈥� Beautifully written and bravely told, this book is the Stand By Me for girls that鈥檚 been far too long in coming.鈥�

Symington-Fedy has worked as an essayist, storyteller and documentary producer for CBC Radio. She is also the co-artistic director of The Chop Theatre and is the creator of the popular blog and radio show that became an audiobook, Trying to Be Good: The Healing Powers of Lying, Cheating, Stealing, and Drugs (Author鈥檚 Republic, 2017).

The Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize is awarded to the author of the best original work of literary non-fiction on an annual basis.

Skid Dogs was published by Douglas & McIntyre in September 2023.

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