Jael Richardson Explained

Jael Ealey Richardson is a Canadian writer and broadcaster.^[1] The daughter of former Canadian Football League quarterback Chuck Ealey, she is best known for The Stone Thrower, a book about her father which has been published both as an adult memoir in 2012 and as an illustrated children's book in 2015.^[2]

She has also written the theatrical play my upside down black face, which was excerpted in T-Dot Griots: An Anthology of Toronto's Black Storytellers.^[3]

An graduate of the University of Guelph,^[4] she is the cofounder and artistic director of Brampton, Ontario's annual Festival of Literary Diversity,^[5] and has served as a writer in residence for the Toronto District School Board.^[4] She is a regular contributor of book reviews to CBC Radio One's arts magazine series Q,^[3] has served as a guest host of Q, and was cohost with Shelagh Rogers of the network's broadcast of the 2017 and 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize galas.^[6]

Her debut novel, Gutter Child, was published in 2021,^[7] and was shortlisted for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award.^[8] The novel was also included in the Writers' Trust of Canada new program, WT Amplified Voices, which promotes books with BIPOC authors that were released during the pandemic, as well as nominated for Forest of Reading's White Pine Award for 2022.^{[9] [10]} Audible, in an effort to promote Canadian writers, also included Richardson in their series of Canadian Audible Originals.^[11]

Notes and References

1. https://quillandquire.com/omni/author-activist-jael-richardson-finally-finds-the-part-she-was-meant-to-play/ "Author-activist Jael Richardson finally finds the part she was meant to play"
2. https://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/shared-values/what-writing-about-chuck-ealeys-career-taught-his-daughter-about-black-heritage "What writing about Chuck Ealey's career taught his daughter about black heritage"
3. https://roommagazine.com/interview/jael-richardson-and-industry-changing-fold "Jael Richardson and the Industry-Changing FOLD"
4. https://roommagazine.com/interview/jael-richardson-fold-festival-literary-diversity "Jael Richardson on the FOLD: Festival of Literary Diversity"
5. https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2016/05/01/brampton-writer-set-to-launch-festival-of-literary-diversity.html "Brampton writer set to launch Festival of Literary Diversity"
6. https://torontolife.com/culture/books/between-pages-scotiabank-giller-prize/ "Between the Pages offers up an exclusive, insightful evening with the authors shortlisted for this year's Scotiabank Giller Prize"
7. K. J. Aiello, "Jael Richardson sets a new standard for social criticism through dystopian storytelling in her debut novel, Gutter Child". The Globe and Mail, January 6, 2021.
8. Vicky Qiao, "Five Little Indians by Michelle Good wins $60K Amazon First Novel Award". CBC Books, May 28, 2021.
9. Web site: van Koeverden . Jane . December 13, 2021 . Writers' Trust of Canada launches program to support books by BIPOC writers launched during pandemic . June 8, 2022 . CBC News.
10. Web site: October 15, 2021 . Forest of Reading reveals chosen books for 2021/22 program — students across Canada will choose the winners . June 8, 2022 . CBC News.
11. Web site: Sumi . Glenn . 2020-11-24 . 9 gift idea ideas for pop culture fans . 2022-06-08 . NOW Magazine . en-US.