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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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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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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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August 11, 2021Read an Excerpt from Debut Novelist Pamela Korgemagi's The Hunter and the Old Woman, Featuring a Literal Cougar as Its Protagonist
Pamela Korgemagi's debut novel The Hunter and the Old Woman (House of Anansi Press) features a protagonist unlike almost any other. The titular Old Woman is not a woman at all — she's a cougar, living ...
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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 ...
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August 22, 2019"It is So Special to Carry a Name in My Traditional Language" Getting to Know Fireweed Author Tunchai Redvers
Tunchai Redvers' Fireweed (Kegedonce Press) is an unmissable powerhouse of a debut. A poetry book that is literally dedicated to the Indigenous youth who Redvers works with through her non-profit organization, ...
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November 15, 2024Two Sisters Must Reckon with Deeply-Held Family Secrets in Louise Ells' New Novel, Lies I Told My Sister
After being named a Hawthornden Fellow, author Louise Ells was given the go-ahead to take the opportunity by her family, a crucial decision due to her caretaking duties for a husband living with dementia. ...
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August 23, 2023Trashpanda Futures in Quality Time and The Marigold
Suzannah Showler & Andrew F. Sullivan on the Raccoons of TorontoToronto has one true mascot, a creature with a deeper understanding of the city than any human. The raccoon makes a significant appearance ...
