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April 16, 2019Kate Harris Picks Jessica J. Lee for 2019 RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award
2019 RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award winner Jessica J. LeeNow in its sixth year, The Charles Taylor Foundation's Emerging Writer Award (sponsored by RBC Wealth Management) is a unique program aimed ...
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October 23, 2019
An Open Letter To Vickery Bowles
To Vickery Bowles, the chief Librarian at Toronto Public LibraryMy name is Hasan Namir. I moved to Canada in 1998 and during the first week that I arrived here, my parents took me to the Coquitlam Public ...
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September 02, 2015
An Interview with Bibliotherapist Susan Elderkin: the Science of Better Living Through Literature
I’ve used books to help me survive every difficult period in my life, and I can always remember the book that got me through. I read Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s ...
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March 25, 2014If not DRM, What Then? (Part I)
Over the next few days, I’m going to discuss DRM – Digital Rights Management – a way of “locking” a digital product, such as an ebook, to control its distribution. This has become a controversial ...
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December 28, 2020How to Make Your Longest, Darkest Nights Shine
The Winter Solstice is happening as I write this column. It’s the shortest day of the year and the longest, darkest night of the year. But during this time, every night often feels like the longest, ...
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October 26, 2020"Say what?"
“All the information you need can be given in dialogue.” — Elmore LeonardAnytime dialogue carries the story it’s pure joy. Sometimes it’s straight up, other times it’s slippery with manipulation. ...
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October 05, 2020Giller Shortlist Day: Past Winners Announce 5-Title List
In a live online announcement this morning, five past winners of the Scotiabank Giller Prize announced the 2020 shortlist for the prize.Two-time winner Esi Edugyan kicked things off, followed by Sean ...
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November 18, 2024Writing Lessons from Joni Mitchell
I often look to books for inspiration, but I just got back from seeing Joni Mitchell play in L.A., and as I was sitting at the Hollywood Bowl, with the moon rising over the hills, I realized how much ...
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April 29, 2025Check out This Special Dirty Dozen Interview with Y.S. Lee, Author of the Spectacular New Picture Book, Mrs. Nobody
It's always impressive when writers are able to pivot deftly between forms and genres, and Y.S. Lee has proven to be one of those prolific, acclaimed artists who can do exactly that. Her previous work ...
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May 23, 2025Unlocking Out of Editing
In my April 2025 column for Open Book, I wrote about the difficulties of locking into editing. Coming back to a manuscript you feel you’ve completed is tricky, especially when you’re at the stage ...