Ontario book news, interviews and more

“I Choose My Country Over My Personal Needs" Feature Interview with Acclaimed Ukrainian Novelist Ivan Baidak

In just his early thirties, Ivan Baidak has already established himself as a literary superstar in Ukraine, with his novels and short stories winning critical acclaim while at the same time topping bestseller ...

9 Kidlit Page-To-Screen Adaptations that are just as Good as the Book

Earlier in the month, I had the opportunity to see Lena Dunham’s spirited and loving adaptation of Catherine Called Birdy, Karen Cushman’s novel of the same name, at the Toronto International Film ...

Beekeeper and Decorated Métis Writer Susan Cormier Wins CBC Nonfiction Prize

Today, CBC Books announced the winner of the prestigious CBC Nonfiction Prize. The prize, which has launched the careers of writers including Carol Shields and Kim Echlin over its 23 year history, ...

"Not Only Landmarks, But Vibration" Tanya Turton on Her Love Letter to Her Toronto Neighbourhood and Black Queer Womanhood

To lose a sibling as a young adult is a brutal experience. For Jade Brown, the protagonist of debut novelist Tanya Turton's Jade is a Twisted Green (Rare Machines/Dundurn Press), the tragedy is made ...

A Thousand More Lives: On Reading

I recently stumbled across an article written by Umberto Eco in Rome in 1991, translated into Spanish by Jorge Cruz and published in the Argentinean newspaper La Nación, explaining why he believed that ...

Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction Shortlist Combines Urgent Social Issues with Powerful Personal Storytelling

This morning, the Writers’ Trust of Canada announced the five finalists for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction, with an interesting mix of subject matter, publishers, and literary ...

Hannah McGregor on the Books That Shaped Her Writing and the One That Helped Her Break Genre Barriers

You can tell a lot about Hannah McGregor from the titles of her acclaimed podcasts, including Witch, Please and Secret Feminist Agenda. A writer and creator unafraid of a bit of cheeky fun with a serious ...

"All Language is Your Playground" Poet Otoniya J. Okot Bitek on Chance Encounters and the Power of Poetry

In her new collection, decorated poet Otoniya J. Okot Bitek plays with form and expectation, rewriting history both colonial and literary. A Is for Acholi (Wolsak & Wynn) sees Okot Bitek rewriting ...

Plant a tree, have a child, write a book? Not so fast!

“Plant a tree, have a child, write a book.” Whether it was Cuban poet and freedom fighter José Martí or some other worthy who first uttered this maxim is irrelevant. What matters is its message: ...

Read an Excerpt from Harold R. Johnson's Final Book, The Power of Story

The late Harold R. Johnson was a master storyteller. He published a dozen books prior to his passing in February 2022 and was acclaimed for his fiction, which often drew on elements of his Cree heritage ...