Ontario book news, interviews and more

Get Cozy with Open Book: The Open Book Team on Our All-Time Coziest Reads

As the end of a busy year full of ups and downs approaches, we decided to focus on cozy comfort for our 2023 holiday feature – to share the books that bring us calm, comfort, and peace. We hope this ...

Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu on Collecting 21 Answers to the Question "What is the Future of Blackness?"

In 21 Black Futures: The Anthology, Obsidian Theatre, Canada's leading theatre for Black art, imagines the future of Blackness. Gathering 21 of the country's most talented writers, the anthology collects ...

Ian Colford on Writing His Third Novel, a Dark Tale of Power and Obsession

Ian Colford's The Confessions of Joseph Blanchard (Guernica Editions) is a novel that looks squarely at our most firmly-held collective taboos. Set in Halifax, the titular Joseph Blanchard is ill and ...

Claire Horn on How She Wrote Her Groundbreaking Book on Revolutionary Artificial Womb Technology

So far, every single person who has ever lived had at least one thing in common: we were born from a person, in some manner. But that fact may potentially change, thanks to a technological advancement ...

Read an Excerpt from Emma Metallic's Beautiful, Snowy Debut, Nipugtug, Written in Both Mi’gmaw & English

A meditative snowshoe through the forest might be just what we all need in the busy holiday season. While not many of us have the chance to don snowshoes and absorb the peace of a snowy wood, after reading Mi’gmaw ...

CBC Announced Canada Reads 2024 Longlist

Today CBC Books announced the 15-title longlist for the 23rd edition of their book competition show, Canada Reads, which will take place March 4-7. Five panellists will select a book to champion from ...

7 Writing Lessons I Learned from Gardening

I am by no means a capital G Gardener, but planning and tending to my little patio garden brings me a lot of comfort and satisfaction. While getting my garden ready for winter, I found my mind wandering ...

Caroline Adderson on John Metcalf, Why Editors are So Valuable, and the Importance of Reading the Instructions

Behind the scenes of Canadian literature, few have had a bigger influence and impact than editor John Metcalf. Known for his his own fierce and often satirical writing, particular in the short story ...

Read an Excerpt from Tim Bowling's Raw & Atmospheric Return to the 1970s, The Marvels of Youth

The Vietnam War, hippies, Watergate. The mid-to-late 70s were a time of turmoil and change, and the last days of a pre-Reaganomics, tech-boom world that was lurking around the corner, with Star Wars: ...

Interdisciplinary collaboration: The highlight of my writing year

Writing can be lonely—we hear that all the time. And though I generally love working alone, this year, I’ve been working with a dancer friend on a collaborative process and it’s been one of the ...