Search
-
November 12, 2020Susan Perly on Writing Grief, Reading Don Quixote, and Why Her Favourite Character is a Talking Octopus
Susan Perly's Giller Prize-nominated Death Valley drew comparisons to everything from Twin Peaks to Alice in Wonderland for its dark humour and compelling beauty. So her follow-up, Stella Atlantis ...
-
November 09, 2020Saumiya Balasubramaniam's Beautiful New Picture Book is a Pathway to "Appreciate the Magic in the New"
In a sea of endless Canadian snow, Ma misses the colours and warmth of home — so far away now it's hard to explain to her little girl as they walk home from school. But her daughter's joy in the cold ...
-
November 04, 2020"There are Moments of Grace and Joy" The 2020 Writers' Trust Fiction Prize Finalists on What They Love About Writing Fiction
The Writers' Trust Fiction Prize (formerly the Writers' Trust Rogers Fiction Prize) is one of the biggest literary awards in the country, with a $50,000 prize purse and a history of highlighting some ...
-
November 02, 2020November Writer-in-Residence Sennah Yee on How Picture Books Can Teach Kids About Connecting Across Generations & Cultures
Any kid lucky enough to get to know their grandparents knows it can be a totally unique and fun-filled family connection. But sometimes it takes something special to bring the generations together - just ...
-
October 26, 2020"I Didn’t Realize How Damaged I Had Become" Firefighter Bryan Ratushniak's Memoir is Powerful, Honest, & Moving
The image of a firefighter is an emotionally charged one: a person who literally exists to save us from one of the most inherently terrifying forces in the world. It's a heavy mantle both figuratively ...
-
October 14, 2020Colleen Nelson on Bringing Playfulness to Picture Books, Her Favourite Canadian Kids' Books, & More
Whether you're a parent or just remembering your own school days, everyone can relate to the jangling nerves that come with starting a new school or new stage as a student. In Colleen Nelson's loveable ...
-
October 06, 2020"There is Something Universal in How Children Connect with Stories" Bahram Rahman on Literacy, Equality, & Collective Memory
It's easy to forget how powerful reading can be, but when the right to literacy is denied, it is a chilling reminder. The children in Bahram Rahman's The Library Bus (Pajama Press, illustrated by Gabrielle ...
-
October 01, 2020The sweet spot
First off, it’s an honor to be here. Thank you to Graham and Grace and all the good folks at Open Book for inviting me to sit in this month. I thought I’d start by telling you how I came to writing, ...
-
September 30, 2020"Boring the Reader is the Worst Crime of All" Meet Our October writer-in-residence Dietrich Kalteis
As the temperature dips, there is no better time to curl up with a piano-wire-taut pageturner. Which is why we are so excited to welcome award-winning author Dietrich Kalteis as our October 2020 writer-in-residence ...
-
September 29, 2020Matt James on Last Minute Edits, a Kitchen Table Studio, & How to Get the Most Out of Picture Books
Governor General’s Literary Award winner Matt James is well known for illustrating Northwest Passage (an acclaimed tribute to the Stan Rogers song of the same name) and writing and illustrating The ...