Shannon Webb-Campbell
Interview & Photography / Catherine Bernier
The poet, writer and editor Shannon Webb-Campbell is of Mi’kmaq and Settler heritage. She is a member of Flat Bay First Nation (No'kmaq Village). Her books include: the forthcoming Re: Wild Her (Book*hug 2025), Lunar Tides (2022), I Am a Body of Land (2019), and Still No Word (2015), which was the recipient of Egale Canada’s Out in Print Award. Shannon is a PhD candidate at the University of New Brunswick and the editor of Muskrat Magazine and Visual Arts News.
On a sunny day of May, I was meeting up with Shannon at the cabin where she was settled for the week. On the table, a perfect bouquet of flowers was facing the window. Some nice acoustic music was playing. She had displayed petals of flowers in a circle around a card with her mantra of the day. The ambiance was poetic, like her.
What were your intentions for the residency and how did it go?
My intentions for my residency at The Parcelles was to work on my novel, tinker with some potential poem ideas and spend time with amongst the beautiful surrounding forest and wandering along the ocean. When I first applied for the residency, I was intrigued the design of the studio and solitude of the Eastern shore. I was curious what this place would mean for me personally and my creativity.
While I worked on rewriting some chapters in my novel during my time, I also wrote a new poem inspired my experience titled “Out at the Parcelles.” On a personal level, I loved my daily outdoor showers, nights by the roaring fire and even a cold dip in the tide pool. The Parcelles is a tonic for the body, mind and spirit.
Tell us about the project you are currently working on.
Currently, I am continuing to work on my novel, as well as my next poetry collection, Re: Wild Her. I'm also working on a short film with Scott Munn about cold dipping and the health benefits of cold water exposure.
“ The Parcelles is a tonic for the body, mind and spirit.”
- Shannon
Follow Shannon / @swebbcampbell
Portraits by Catherine Bernier / @cath.be
