Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home with Lynda V. Mapes

Winner of the 2022 Washington State Book Awards for best nonfiction.

About the book:

In Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home, journalist Lynda V. Mapes explores the natural history of the orca and the unique challenges for the survival of the Southern Resident group that frequents Puget Sound. These whales are among the most urban in the world, a focus of researchers, tourists, and politicians alike. Once referred to as "blackfish" and still known as "killer whales," orcas were for generations regarded as vermin to be avoided or exterminated, then later were captured live for aquariums all over the world. With greater exposure, scientists realized how intelligent mammal is and are learning about their matriarchal family groups, vocalizations, behavior, and different subspecies. Today only 74 Southern Resident whales are left, and they are threatened by habitat degradation, lack of Chinook salmon (their primary food source), and climate change. Can we reverse the trend?

This special project, co-published with the Pulitzer Prize-winning Seattle Times newspaper, features stunning imagery by Times photographer Steve Ringman, as well as from partner organizations including The Whale Museum, NOAA, and Center for Whale Research.

About the Author:

Lynda V. Mapes is a journalist, author, and close observer of the natural world. The Seattle Times has made a point of focusing on environmental issues for its readership; Lynda has been a key part of this effort, covering natural history, environmental topics, and issues related to Pacific Northwest indigenous cultures. Her writing connects ordinary people and nature. In 1997, while working at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, she was awarded the Gerald Loeb award for a series on salmon recovery efforts in the Columbia Basin. She is the author of five books: Washington: The Spirit of the Land, Breaking Ground, Elwha: A River Reborn, Witness Tree, and Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home. She lives in Seattle.

About this program:

This event is part of a series celebrating the winners of the 2022 Washington State Book Awards. The book awards are presented by The Seattle Public Library in partnership with the Washington Center for the Book. Learn more about the awards at www.washingtoncenterforthebook.org.

Books will be available for purchase from our bookstore partner, Elliott Bay Book Co.

This event is free and no registration is required. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.