From Arctic Lawyer to Debut Novelist: Malcolm Kempt on Writing A Gift Before Dying

From Arctic Lawyer to Debut Novelist: Malcolm Kempt on Writing A Gift Before Dying

February 24, 2026 · 35 min · Episode 104

About this episode

Malcolm Kempt discusses his transition from a criminal lawyer in the Arctic to a debut novelist with his book A Gift Before Dying.

Malcolm Kempt spent 17 years as a criminal lawyer in the remote Canadian Arctic before trading the courtroom for full-time writing. His journey from law to literature led to his critically acclaimed debut crime novel, A Gift Before Dying. In this episode, Malcolm shares how isolation in one of the world’s harshest landscapes shaped his atmospheric storytelling, why he chose to write crime over horror despite his love for the genre, and the unconventional path that led him from a $500 ice crea...

People in this episode

Host: Kelley Vick

Guest: Malcolm Kempt

Topics covered

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: A Gift Before Dying

Places: Canadian Arctic

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