Search
-
October 28, 2015The Lucky Seven Interview, with Kevin Hardcastle
We are thrilled to have debut author Kevin Hardcastle on board as our November 2015 writer-in-residence at Open Book. His short story collection, Debris has created tons of buzz, especially after Kevin's ...
-
December 22, 2017The Art of Xmas
Christmas is stage and spectacle—lighting, costumes, song, set and dance. It features hammy acting (Oh I just love this pair of candy cane stockings! Or, ooh, this freebie library card—I’ve always ...
-
January 29, 2020Read an Excerpt From Teva Harrison's Gorgeously Devastating 'Not One of These Poems Is About You'
In April of last year, the Canadian literary community suffered a profound loss at the passing of celebrated author and illustrator Teva Harrison after a lengthy battle with metastatic breast cancer. ...
-
April 26, 2023Read an Excerpt from Rocco de Giacomo's Casting Out, a Poetic Memoir of Leaving Evangelical Life
Rocco de Giacomo's childhood was filled with TV faith healers, tense and frequent predictions of the rapture, and the dramatic and sometimes problematic practices of the extreme Pentecostal religious ...
-
February 02, 2017The Lucky Seven Interview, with Claire Fuller
In Claire Fuller's Swimming Lessons (House of Anansi Press), the truth is in the books -- literally. When Ingrid Coleman disappears, her husband Gil, is blindsided. What he doesn't know is that his ...
-
August 24, 2022"I Want Children To Be Proud of Who They Are" Kuljinder Kaur Brar on Her Debut Picture Book
What's in a name? A lot, especially if people don't get it right. When Saajin starts his first day of school in Kuljinder Kaur Brar's My Name Is Saajin Singh (Annick Press, illustrated by Samrath ...
-
July 31, 2023Managing a Writing Career and Mental Illness
As someone who's dealt with chronic depression and anxiety for most of my life, I know how difficult it can be to balance mental illness and writing. Sometimes, the thought of working on my latest book ...
-
August 03, 2021"Be Patient...and Develop a Thick Skin" Deborah Kerbel on Literary Events, Breaking into Picture Books, & Cover Reveals
In 1923, 32-year old Frederick Banting received the Nobel Prize for Medicine, remaining to this day the youngest Nobel laureate in his category. His contribution, now one of the most well-known medical ...
-
July 22, 2021Alma Fullerton Uses Literal Plastic Trash to Advocate for a Plastic-Free Future in Her Inspiring New Picture Book
Alma Fullerton's No More Plastic (Pajama Press) goes beyond simply communicating its titular message in words. Instead, Fullerton got down to the nitty gritty and created her illustrations out of literal ...
-
March 28, 2022What's Beyond: Writing as an Actor, Part 2
One of the important exercises we do in theatre is called “What’s Beyond.” It’s a Viola Spolin exercise to help actors understand the full, inner life of their characters. Viola Spolin is credited ...
