From Franz Boas to Alice Munro: welcome to an unprecedented panorama of the most significant authors and books of British Columbia culled from Alan Twigg's unrivalled knowledge of more than two centuries of B.C. literary history. The Essentials is the new bible of who wrote what, and why, in B.C., produced with the cooperation of Simon Fraser University Library and UBC's Rare Books & Special Collections. Alan Twigg, publisher/writer of B.C. BookWorld, also created the abcbookworld public reference site with information on more than 9,500 B.C. authors. The Essentials is the fourth and largest volume of his Literary History of British Columbia.

Alan Twigg is the publisher and editor of BC Book World, Canada's largest-circulating publication about books. He has also been contributing editor of Quill & Quire, Canadian books columnist for the Vancouver Province, books columnist for Vancouver magazine, a contributor of profiles to the Toronto Star and the Writers Union of Canada representative on the board of directors of the Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing. In 2000, he was the first recipient of the Gray Campbell Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contibutions to literature and publishing.

Alan is the author of ten previous titles including For Openers: Conversations with 24 Canadian Writers, Hubert Evans: The First Ninety-Three Years, Vancouver and Its Writers, Vander Zalm: from Immigrant to Premier, First Invaders: The Literary Origins of British Columbia and Cuba: 101 Top Historical Sites.

Alan Twigg's profile page

• Honourable Mention: Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing
• Honourable Mention: Lieutenant-Governor's Medal for Historical Writing

"Presents known and unknown authors of fiction and nonfiction, biography and poetry in readable format with intriguing insights into the lives of B.C. writers…. Highly Recommended.” — CM Magazine

“Twigg’s work is itself essential. . . . He successfully draws attention to little-known individuals. . . . It is in locating these lesser-known individuals as essential that Twigg’s volume finds excellence.”—Canadian Literature

“The Essentials is a must-have for anyone who cares about B.C.”—Jean Barman, Historian

“When it comes to writing and publishing on the West Coast, Alan Twigg has been heroically ubiquitous.”—Douglas Gibson, Editor

“Presents known and unknown authors of fiction and nonfiction, biography and poetry in readable format with intriguing insights into the lives of B.C. writers. . . . Highly Recommended.” — CM Magazine