Welcome to The Interruption, a 49th Shelf–Books on the Radio collaboration in which I interview Canadian writers about the surprising things that inform, inspire, and even interrupt their creative process.

The Interruption is generously sponsored by The UBC Creative Writing Program, celebrating 50 years of excellence in creative writing. Programs include undergraduate minor and major degrees, Masters of Fine Arts in Vancouver or by distance education from anywhere in the world! For more information visit creativewriting.ubc.ca.

Today, I chat with poet and storyteller Michael Crummey. Michael is the Newfoundland-born and raised author of the critically acclaimed novels River Thieves, The Wreckage, Galore, and now Sweetland, as well as half a dozen well-loved poetry collections and a book of short stories. River Thieves was shortlisted for the Giller Prize and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and longlisted for the IMPAC Award; it won the Thomas Head Raddall Award. Galore was shortlisted for the 2011 IMPAC Award and admired as recently as yesterday on 49th Shelf's The Recommend.

In the first podcast, Michael talks about productive and not so productive interruptions in his writing life (hint: doing nothing is sometimes essential). In the second podcast, he reads from Sweetland.

*****