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July 22, 2017Inspiration of Old Cree Stories
For years, I have been retranslating a book of old Cree stories. I am presently retranslating a story told by sâkêwêw: the story of opwâsimow kâ-kitimâkisit okimâwipayiw [a poor Stoney/ Nakota ...
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December 06, 2016"What's Your Story?" OBPO Contest Winners Part 4: Scarborough
We've had a season of amazing original writing on Open Book through the Ontario Book Publishers Organization's inaugural What's Your Story? writing competition. Today is our fourth and final instalment: ...
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July 13, 2023Jean Rae Baxter on Bringing Canadian History to Life in a Captivating Coming of Age Tale
It's hard to imagine anyone asking a 14 year old to strike out on their own now, but in 1837, when Dory Dickson leaves his Niagara home, he's asked to shoulder all of his family's most desperate hopes. ...
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August 15, 2023Read an Excerpt from Epic Historical Novel Tropical Rose by Debbie Sands
Many families have their own lore and legends but Debbie Sands' family stories were particularly sensational, and she loved to hear them again and again as she grew up.The family's favourite narratives ...
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September 05, 2023Shari Green on Exploring Anxiety, Grief, & Canada's Favourite Sport in Her New Verse Novel for Young Readers
The verse novel is a tricky feat to pull off, and comparatively rare for that reason. But Shari Green's novels in verse make it look easy, as she tackles complex themes, like inclusion and mental health, ...
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September 22, 2022"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 ...
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June 03, 2019I Promise You, It's Fiction.
Full disclosure, I had another post planned to kick off my Writer in Residency here on Open Book but I decided to change topics after seeing a write-up/review of my forthcoming short story collection. ...
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August 01, 2017
Oh hey, it’s me. Your old friend, Naseem.
I’ll be your writer-in-residence for August. I’m a first-time author and a former librarian, and I’ve worked in children’s publishing for over ten years. I’m a huge fan of improv, stand-up comedy, ...
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November 17, 2020"History. You Can’t Live Without It" Read an Excerpt from Peter Unwin's Written in Stone
Peter Unwin's Written in Stone (Cormorant Books) follows Paul and Linda Prescot into the cold land north of Lake Superior, where Paul's obsessive study of Indigenous rock paintings becomes the central ...
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June 30, 2020Alex Pugsley Gets to the Heart of Halifax in His Debut Novel
In certain stories, the setting itself becomes a character, containing all the rich history and moody dynamics of the people who occupy it. Such is the case with Alex Pugsley's debut novel Aubrey McKee ...
