Ontario book news, interviews and more

Dr. Cylita Guy Makes STEM, Social Justice, & Urban Ecology Accessible for Young Readers in Her Debut Book

We may not think of cities as places filled with wildlife, but when we look a little closer, you can see how the wild world exists alongside the urban one, from coyotes and bats to bees and weather patterns. Dr. ...

Read an Excerpt from Candas Jane Dorsey's Moving, Funny, Vivid Story of a Nonbinary Teen Pressured to "Choose" a Gender

In The Story of My Life Ongoing, by C.S. Cobb (Inanna Publications) the new young adult novel by Candas Jane Dorsey, Corey has something a lot of nonbinary teens don't have: a supportive parent who ...

"So Bizarre, It Must Be True... Nonfiction Brings the Past Alive" Nate Hendley on Nonfiction & His Wild New True Crime Story

It was a plotline that could be considered too outlandish even for a TV crime drama: a bank robbery in an iconic costume, a shootout with a military veteran, and an insanity plea that kicked off a years-long ...

December Gratitude: Check Out 5 of Our Favourite Writer-in-Residence Posts from 2021

This month, as the year winds down, we'll be looking back and highlighting some of our favourite pieces from Open Book this year. Our writer-in-residence posts, our author interviews, our book excerpts, ...

"You're Not Alone" Rosena Fung Explores Childhood Anxiety in Her Insightful Graphic Novel Debut

It's tough enough being the new girl in school. But for Livy, the biggest complication is Viola. Not quite a friend, not quite a twin, Viola is always with her. The only thing is, no one else can see ...

Read an Excerpt from Cultural Activist & Prolific Writer Rummana Chowdhury's Story Collection, Dusk in the Frog Pond

Rummana Chowdhury has been a voice for the voiceless for decades: in her work advocating for issues surrounding migration, violence against women, and human rights, particularly in relation to the South ...

Daniel Scott Tysdal Examines the Darkness, Strangeness, & Flickering Hope of Life in the 21st Century in His Spectacular Debut Story Collection

Daniel Scott Tysdal is a beloved creative writing professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough and a decorated poet. And of course, Tysdal is also an Open Book columnist and the subject of one ...

I am a celebrationist

I am a celebrationist.I celebrate big things and small things, all the things, really—kids getting their final molars, the anniversary of my fella and I meeting, the first day of summer (and fall and ...

Priti Birla Maheshwari on Her Debut Picture Book & Finding the Joy in Small Moments

With the holidays approaching, we're reminded how intrinsic the connections between food, culture, and family can be. The feelings evoked by the aroma and taste that comes with certain dishes are some ...

Writing + Joy = A Revelation

For years I believed I was only a writer if I wrote every day. I would wake up early and take my laptop to the coffee shop nearby and sit in the corner and write. Words and words and coffee and more ...