Ontario book news, interviews and more

5 Tips For a DIY Writing Retreat

Now that we're peeking around the corner at a post-pandemic world, I've been starting to crave a DIY writing retreat. I don't get to do them as often as I'd like, but there's something magical about blocking ...

Canisia Lubrin & Valzhyna Mort Awarded 2021 Griffin Poetry Prizes

It is truly Canisia Lubrin's year. Her powerhouse poetry collection, The Dyzgraphxst (McClelland & Stewart Ltd.), has captured her yet another massive honour today: the Canadian Griffin Poetry Prize.The $65,000 ...

"Purity is a Weird, Dangerous Word" Jean Marc Ah-Sen, Emily Anglin, Devon Code, & Lee Henderson's "Rock Band" Literary Experiment Fascinates

Coach House Books has been known for their innovative approach to writing and publishing for decades, but one of their newest projects is amongst the most playful and exciting literary experiments to ...

Playwright Makambe K Simamba on Fearlessly Exploring "How Far Characters are Willing to Go in Order to Live Their Truths"

CW: discussion of anti-Black violenceIt's a gutting image: a seventeen-year old Black boy, a child in a hoodie, dead far too soon because of hateful and unchecked anti-Black racism. Makambe K Simamba's Our ...

On Writing Essentials

Much as I admire highly regimented and disciplined writers, that's simply not me. Believe me, I've tried! However, no matter how unstructured my writing day might be, there are five essentials that I ...

"I Don’t Think I’ve Ever Been More Vulnerable in My Life" Brent LaPorte on His Raw, Moving Memoir & His Father's Difficult Legacy

CW: abuse, suicide, substance abuseSometimes, even questions without answers need to be voiced — to be heard and acknowledged, if only as a cry of the heart. Such is Brent LaPorte's wise, difficult, ...

Playwrights Team Andrea Mapili & Byron Abalos on Creating a Magical Adventure Story Where Filipinx-Canadian Kids Can Feel Seen

What book loving kid didn't dream of being literally transported into the pages of their favourite adventure? For 12-year old Philly, that dream becomes a reality when opening a mysterious old book whisks ...

Rahela Nayebzadah, Author of the Powerful New Novel Monster Child, on Being Nicknamed "Revenge", Dream Trips, & Spike Lee

Rahela Nayebzadah's darkly magical new novel, Monster Child (Wolsak & Wynn), mixes the fantastical with the grimly real as siblings Beh, Shabnam, and Alif navigate a new world together. The children ...

Character Development Tips from Dungeons & Dragons

Full disclosure: I don't play Dungeons & Dragons, much as I'd like to. However, I've read a few D&D-based novels and enjoy watching others play the game, so I was pleased to stumble upon a fun ...

"Bison, Teeth, Talking Trees, Screaming Purses" The 2021 Griffin Prize Poets Tell Us the Images That Recur in Their Work & Share Recommended Reads

Every year, the poetry world turns its attention to Canada, to discover the winners of the Griffin Prize, the biggest poetry award in the country and one of the leading awards in the genre worldwide. ...