Search
-
October 25, 2017St. Catharines Festival of Readers Ramps Up Literary Engagement in Niagara Region
From November 3rd to 5th, The Festival of Readers: St. Catharines will bring acclaimed Canadian authors to the vibrant Niagara region. With guest authors including Tomson Highway, Kevin Sylvester, and ...
-
July 04, 2014Our Lives of No Interest: the Compulsion to Confess
In middle age there is a mystery, there is mystification. The most I can make out of this hour is a kind of loneliness. Even the beauty of the visible world seems to crumble, yes even love. I feel that ...
-
August 09, 2018Claudia Dey's Triumphant Return to the Novel with Heartbreaker
Claudia Dey's Stunt was an innovative, genre-pushing, wonderfully strange gem of a novel. After a few years spent on other endeavours, including acclaimed non-fiction, playwriting, and her successful ...
-
January 10, 2019Daylighting Chedoke Author John Terpstra on Scattering Seeds for a Great Title
Hamilton is well known for its natural beauty, from waterfalls to parks. However, one natural feature in the city is more hidden than the rest: Chedoke Creek runs through Hamilton but is mostly covered ...
-
March 12, 2020On Family Secrets
Why does my writing tend to focus on family secrets? In particular, on children trying to unearth secrets tied to their parents’ pasts? I’m often asked these questions during interviews. The first ...
-
May 27, 20175 Tips to Stand Out in the Slush Pile
You’ve finished your manuscript. It’s been edited by a critique partner. You’ve assembled a pitch. Now what? The next step is securing literary representation to pitch your project to prospective ...
-
May 04, 2021Governor General's Literary Award Shortlists Announced, Including Another Nomination for The Dyzgraphxst by Canisia Lubrin
This morning, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the Governor General's Literary Award shortlists. It's an exciting set of lists, with strong representation for independent publishers, including ...
-
June 19, 2021On Writing Essentials
Much as I admire highly regimented and disciplined writers, that's simply not me. Believe me, I've tried! However, no matter how unstructured my writing day might be, there are five essentials that I ...
-
August 31, 2018On the future of Canlit
You guys, this is my last Open Book column.I have been writing this column for a year now and I’ll admit I didn’t know what I was going to write about when Holly Kent and Kevin Hardcastle asked me ...
-
May 06, 2026The Writers' Trust Unveils the Rising Stars of 2026!
Five emerging Canadian writers are getting a major career boost this spring as Writers’ Trust of Canada announces its 2026 Writers’ Trust Rising Stars cohort.The annual program pairs early-career ...
