Featured Writer: Crystal AJ Smith
On creating space to write and writing advice.
Welcome to Women Writing! It’s my great pleasure to feature Crystal AJ Smith in today’s issue of Women Writing.
About the author…
Crystal AJ Smith is Haisla, Ts’ymsen and was adopted into the Heiltsuk nation. She is the proud mother of 4 beautiful children who are her world. She is a writer, poet, playwright and activist. She and her partner Raymond Shaw live in Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ territory. She has her Master’s in Educational Administration and Leadership with a focus on Indigenous Leadership from UBC. She has stepped away from teaching in
the colonial classroom to give her undivided attention to her children. She is actively learning and growing in culture and language, her family had their first feast in decades in 2022 for the hiłagwila of their son λugʷaləs K’ala’ask Shaw. She is now embarking on a journey to learn and understand her Haisla roots and has been
learning Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ culture since 2020. Gitwaaɫtk is her debut book out in April 2026.
On a writing routine …
I honestly write when the urge comes, the thoughts of the story flood my mind and I have to get it down before I loose the thought. It is quite the process and sometimes I would even stop driving to get things down.
On writing spaces …
I prefer the quite, but as I said sometimes the urge just comes to me and it literally could be anywhere.
On writing communities …
I was once part of a couple workshops. I really appreciate all the thoughts and suggestions once given and I am always open to work with others.
“My advice would be to honour the time you have and that would look different to each and every person.”
On challenges …
I wouldn’t consider life as challenges. I’ve had four beautiful children that took a lot of time and space. I went to university, that took a lot of time and space. I made choice and often it pushed my book to the back burner. Every choice I made was purposeful and I wouldn’t do anything different.
On advice from personal experiences …
My advice would be to honour the time you have and that would look different to each and every person.
On rekindling creativity …
Re-reading my work really gets me into the world I have created.
On a recent publication …
My most recent publication is Gitwaaɫtk (April 2026) and I am currently working on a sequel.
Gitwaałtk by Crystal AJ Smith is the story of a young Indigenous woman who loses her Sister-Cousin to the highway of tears and who embarks on a journey with her na̱xnox to find and bring to justice to the person responsible for her Sister’s disappearance.
It’s an exploration of how grief and loss can find strength in family, community, and tradition.
Crystal’s online spaces …
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Happy writing!
I like the way she respects that the way each of us uses our time is different for each of us. That the key lies in honouring that time.