Ontario book news, interviews and more

Read an Excerpt from Hope, the New Terry Fox Biography edited by Barbara Adhiya

We're beginning the Fall 2024 publishing season on a note of hope and inspiration today, as we share an excerpt from the powerful new biography on Terry Fox. With the latest edition of the Terry Fox Run ...

Jennifer Maruno Sends a Young Witch and Her Rodent Sidekick on an Adventure in Broom for Two

Prolific children's author Jennifer Maruno may be familiar to readers of Open Book. In fact, as recently as last week, another title written by Maruno was featured on the site.This time we're sharing ...

Danesh Mohiuddin's Debut Picture Book is the Story of Playful Monsters With a Heartfelt Parent and Child Relationship

Many authors have interesting life stories of their own, and unique pathways to becoming an artist. Our featured book today, Mummy and Me: A Monster's Tale (Owlkids Books), is written and illustrated ...

Giller-finalist Michelle Winters Balances Love and Rage in her New Novel, Hair For Men

Already lauded for her first novel, Scotiabank Giller Prize finalist Michelle Winters is back with a powerful and profound story about love and rage, and a young woman battling her own traumatic past ...

Breaking Down the Ontario Arts Council’s Literary Creation Projects Grant

For writers in Ontario, this is your reminder that the deadline for Literary Creation Projects (Works for Publication) is just around the corner. This grant gives $12,000 to work on your novel, poetry ...

Jennifer Maruno and Vivian Rosas Illustrate the Power of Peaceful Action in Momma's Going to March

Peaceful activism has long been a tool for meaningful change, and many young people are now seeing these actions with great frequency, especially as they grow up in a world where social media carries ...

Promoting Your Book Online: Literary Citizenship

In my last column, I shared tips for promoting your book online without burnout. I covered making a marketing plan ahead of your book launch, defining boundaries around what you share online, and cultivating ...

Dive Into the Strangely Wonderful World of an Octopus in Deborah Kerbel's Newest Picturebook

Prolific children's author Deborah Kerbel has written a number of picture books for young people, and this time she takes them to the deep blue to explore the fascinating life of an Octopus. In her ...

Uma Krishnaswami, Author of Birds on the Brain, Shares Her Writing Wisdom With Open Book!

Acclaimed author Uma Krishnaswami has a great deal of experience as an author, but also as a creative writing instructor. It's a dual-role that many writers actually have throughout their career, and ...

Mark Blagrave Takes the Reader on a Journey, and Questions Truth and Memory in His New Novel, Felt

Veteran novelist Mark Blagrave is back with another new work, and one that uses elements of his lived experiences to anchor a personal, heartfelt story.In his latest novel, Felt (Cormorant), we follow ...