When Carys Cragg was 11 years old, her father was murdered in his own home by an intruder.
Twenty years later, she decides to contact his murderer in prison, and the two correspond for two years.
Cragg learns of his horrific childhood and the reasons he lied about the murder; in turn, he learns about the man he killed. She mines his letters for clues about the past before agreeing to meet him in person, when she learns startling new information about the crime.
The story became the basis of her non-fiction book Dead Reckoning: How I Came to Meet the Man Who Murdered My Father – which has just been shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award for non-fiction.
Cragg will be speaking at the McGill branch of Burnaby Public Library, 4595 Albert St., on Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
She will read from her memoir, speak about restorative justice and take questions from the audience.
Cragg now lives and works in the Lower Mainland, where she’s a faculty member in Douglas College’s child and youth care, Aboriginal stream and youth justice programs. She also speaks about restorative justice.
“We are very excited to have a Governor General’s Award nominee come and speak to us,” said Peggy Lees, a librarian at McGill. “Burnaby Public Library is striving to bring authors and our community together.
The event is free, but space is limited, so sign up ahead at www.bpl.bc.ca/events or at any Burnaby Public Library information desk.
