Ontario book news, interviews and more

Jody Chan's New Poetry Collection Challenges Systemic Failings in Community Care

Writer and therapist Jody Chan has had plenty of experience with systems of mental health treatment in Canada, and the ongoing shortcomings in care for citizens who are ill and look to these entities ...

Read an Excerpt from A Darker Shade of Blue: A Police Officer's Memoir by Keith Merith

At just 16 years old, Keith Merith was pulled over by a white police officer only to be berated and degraded with no cause. After being exposed to this abuse of power, Merith vowed to one day to join ...

Mylène Goupil Explores the Difficulties that Come With Change in Taming Papa

What does a young girl do when a parent comes into her life suddenly, and everything changes?This question is at the heart of Taming Papa (Groundwood Books) by Mylène Goupil (translated from French ...

On Finding Inspiration Through Deconstruction

In my last column, I talked about the unexpected rewards of returning to the same themes and subject matter in your work. But there’s a related facet to this that I feel deserves its own examination—the ...

The Griffin Poetry Prize Announces Its 2024 Longlist

This morning the Griffin Poetry Prize announced its 2024 longlist, in just the second year since the prize underwent major changes to open its eligibility to publishers worldwide, consolidating its ...

The Writers' Trust Releases 2024 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing Shortlist

Today the Writers' Trust of Canada announced the 2024 shortlist for the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, which is awarded to the finest political writing in the country, and named after ...

An Octogenarian Sleuth Returns to Face Ghosts of the Past in Jeffrey Round's Novel, The Sulphur Springs Cure

As the prolific author of such thriller series as the Dan Sharp Mysteries and the Bradford Fairfax Murder Mysteries, Jeffrey Round is no stranger to writing page-turning, harrowing tales that follow ...

Writing a Love Poem

I’m writing this column on Valentine’s Day, which is important to note because the column will be published well after Valentine’s Day. Writing a love poem isn’t limited to a specific day, however, ...

Bunny Loves Beans, and Jane Whittingham Tells Us Why You Should Too

New and healthy foods can be a challenge for young children, but the right books can introduce them to the vibrant world of fruits and vegetables!Librarian and author Jane Whittingham was inspired by ...

In Conversation with Author Yewande Daniel-Ayoade and Illustrator Ken Daley

Author Yewande Daniel-Ayoade crafts a unique and uplifting fable in her latest picturebook. It's the story of an eight-year-old girl in a West African village who loses her father, who was the king, ...