Chris Brooks Obituary, Death – Chris Brookes, a founding pillar of theatre in Newfoundland and Labrador, author, broadcaster, and storyteller recognized throughout the world for his audio documentaries, died in a sad accident, according to his family. He was 79. Brookes’ professional career brought him all over the world, beginning with engineering studies at Memorial University and continuing with theater studies at Yale University and the University of Michigan.
He began producing radio documentaries in the 1990s, including work with the CBC in Newfoundland and Labrador, and spent much of his latter career at Battery Radio, an independent company that produces broadcast documentaries and sound design. He was well-known for his storytelling abilities and ingenuity, and he was an integral component of several recent podcasting efforts in St. John’s.
In 2000, he was awarded the Order of Canada for his services to Newfoundland culture, and in 2007, he got an honorary doctorate from Memorial University. Brookes recently collaborated on The Other Side of This, an audio treasure hunt across downtown St. John’s, and Consent, a podcast app that took listeners through the grey regions of consent and featured excerpts from RNC officer Doug Snelgrove’s sexual assault conviction.
Andy Jones, a St. John’s actor, worked with Brookes over the previous few years to develop the audio versions of the children’s books he wrote, and says it was one of the highlights of his career. “He is a major figure in that world in terms of passing on the stories of Newfoundland,” Jones said to CBC News on Tuesday. “He was truly unique, I believe, in many ways.” In his storytelling method, as well as his approach to radio and broadcasting in general. I mean, the main thing we’ll miss is Chris Brookes, you know? He just achieved so much and was such a strong and significant presence in the arts in our town.”