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General
Vancouver B.C. – Stories and the written word can be transformative—they can provide a window into someone else’s experience and can make us feel seen by having our experience reflected. They challenge us to consider different perspectives. This is what B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner had in mind when, one year ago on International Human Rights Day, she launched her Book Club.
Since the launch of the Commissioner’s Book Club, nearly 140 libraries across British Columbia have agreed to participate, encouraging their patrons to engage with the challenging and compelling subjects of each book.
Over the past year, Commissioner Kasari Govender selected one book for adults and one book for preschool-aged children each month that encouraged conversations around human rights issues. The selections included books from B.C. authors such as Becoming a Matriarch by Helen Knott and The Little Hummingbird by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas. Genres have spanned fiction, non-fiction, biographies and memoirs and have covered topics such as misinformation, structural racism in the justice system, gender identity and expression, the power of matriarchy and the importance of hope, among other things. These selections aim to build a deeper understanding of these human rights issues and the people most affected through the power of stories and the written word.
“It has been a personal journey to share books that have meant so much to me and my family—and to see communities come together to engage with these books in their own ways and with their own human rights reflections and insights,” said Commissioner Govender. “This is an important part of our collective work to become a more rights-respecting society: Connection and empathy are key tools in human rights work and I hope that this book club continues to personalize complex human rights issues and expand our understanding of the experiences of people from all walks of life.”
All twelve book selections for adults, twelve book selections for preschool-aged children and discussion guides are available on the Commissioner’s Book Club page.
The second year of the Commissioner’s Book Club begins in January 2026 and will feature monthly book selections for adults and elementary school-aged children, once again accompanied by discussion guides. Selections will be shared via the Commissioner’s website and social media accounts (@humanrights4bc).
Related resources
- Commissioner’s Book Club
- In addition to book club selections, BCOHRC also offers a colouring book resource to encourage learning about acceptance and respect. Translations of the colouring book text are available 10 languages.
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This news release is also available as a PDF (217KB).
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About BCOHRC
BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner exists to address the root causes of inequality, discrimination and injustice in B.C. by shifting laws, policies, practices and cultures. We do this work through education, research, advocacy, inquiry and monitoring. Learn more at: bchumanrights.ca
About the Commissioner
Kasari Govender began her work as B.C.’s first independent human rights commissioner in September 2019. As an independent officer of the Legislature, Commissioner Govender is uniquely positioned to ensure human rights in B.C. are protected, respected and advanced on a systemic level. In her first five-year term, her work through BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner included a public inquiry into experiences of hate in the pandemic, a report on systemic discrimination in policing, community embedded research about a range of human rights issues experienced by British Columbians, public awareness campaigns about ableism and racism and guidance to government that, among other things, informed the creation of both the Anti-Racism Data Act and the Anti-Racism Act. Commissioner Govender was reappointed for a second term beginning in September 2024.
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