Ontario book news, interviews and more

Writers' Trust releases 2017 Rogers Fiction Prize shortlist for Newly Doubled Prize Purse

Part of the three crown jewels of Canadian fiction prizes, along with the Giller Prize and Governor General's Literary Award, the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize is one of the most prestigious awards ...

Unsung Heroes of Literature: Will You Answer My Questions? Interview With Question Mark

Given Question Mark’s status and generally elusive nature, I did not, in any way, expect to be granted an interview. I would describe the email I sent to Question Mark as more of a Hail-Mary pass than ...

"What's Your Story?" 2017 Obpo Writing Contest Winners! Part One: Scarborough

Every street, every alley, every corner in Toronto has a story - or many stories - to tell. To dig into that vibrant potential, the Ontario Book Publishers Organization's and Scarborough Arts’ What's ...

Unsung Heroes of Literature: #Annoying: Fifteen Minutes with Hashtag

I caught up with Hashtag during the last days of the Toronto International Film Festival. While they weren’t promoting a film, Hashtag had swung through Toronto as a stop on his current twenty-seven ...

Award-winning author Méira Cook on Swimming in Shark-Infested Waters, Feeling Canadian, & More

A long and happy marriage is no easy feat, but Max and Maggie Binder are amongst the lucky few. Twenty years after they met, Max is still madly in love with his feisty wife, and wants to give her a 40th ...

The Word on the Street interview with Shannon Bramer

Shannon Bramer understands the strange intersection between the sad and the funny, the strange and the precious. Hence the title of her fourth collection of poetry, Precious Energy (BookThug), which ...

Unsung Heroes of Literature #4: On the Edge of Extinction, Interview with Interrobang

When Interrobang heard I was doing this series, they contacted me about the possibility of doing an interview. When I agreed, they sent a car for me. We met in Canoe, a restaurant that I would never have ...

Final Contest with The Word on the Street: Something for Everyone!

That's right, today marks our final giveaway, courtesy of The Word on the Street, with the festival just around the corner THIS Sunday, September 24!So don't miss the chance to enter to win this delightfully ...

Singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith on his debut novel, Dickens, and feeling awkward

Ron Sexsmith is a household name in Canada for his acclaimed, atmospheric, and beautifully moody music, which has earned him numerous awards including a Juno for Songwriter of the Year.Given Sexsmith's ...

2017 Weston Prize shortlist announced: 5 Books vie for $60,000

We are officially into the swing of literary prize season, with the Giller Prize longlist announced earlier this week, the Governor General's Literary Awards announcement around the corner (October 4), ...