About

Thrush’s book, winner of the 2026 Pacific Northwest Book Award, details the history of the many shipwrecks in the Northwest, from Oregon to the north end of Vancouver Island. From a 1693 Spanish galleon to disasters of the 20th century, “Wrecked” includes stories of many vessels that met their fate along the rugged cost and the meanings made of these events by both Indigenous and settler survivors and observers.  

Thrush will be interviewed in the second half of the presentation by Writers’ Studio member Beth Mathews, author of the 2023 “Deep Waters: A Memoir of Loss, Alaska Adventure, and Love Rekindled.“ 

Thrush is professor of history and an associate faculty member in critical indigenous studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He is the author of “Native Seattle: Histories from the Crossing-Over Place,” “Indigenous London: Native Travelers at the Heart of Empire,” and editor of the Indigenous Confluences series at the University of Washington Press. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, his writing and teachings are motivated by questions of place, power, and belonging.

Details

• You can learn more about the book and author on Thrush's website.
• Copies of "Wrecked" will be available for purchase with book signing at the end of the presentation.
• The presentation is free with coffee and snacks provided.