Ontario book news, interviews and more

In good company

So, you finished your novel and sent it off anticipating it’s publication. Bravo! If you get a “No thanks, this isn’t for us” note, then consider yourself in good company. Many an author’s ...

David Kingston Yeh on Writing as Channeling, Toronto's Liminality, & the Wisdom of Woolf

David Kingston Yeh's 2018 novel, A Boy at the Edge of the World was packed with smart, funny, moving moments and characters, especially its protagonist, Daniel Garneau. There was so much to explore in ...

House of Anansi Press's Laura Brady on Accessibility for All Readers

When you love reading but print disabilities interfere with delving into the stories you're excited about, it's a problem all book lovers should care about. Toronto publisher House of Anansi Press is ...

You, Too, Can Be a Mediocre YouTube Star

A few fun facts about me: When I was about five-years-old, I starred as Dopey in a production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at camp and killed it. Everyone was laughing. I also studied improv for ...

"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 ...

"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. ...

The Writers' Trust Announces the Winners of the RBC Bronwen Wallace Awards, the Journey Prize, & the Dayne Ogilvie Prize

Today in an online broadcast, the Writers’ Trust of Canada announced four prizewinners for its emerging writers awards: the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers (short fiction and poetry categories); ...

"It’s So Much Fuel to Write Forward" the Journey Prize Finalists on Story Origins, Joining the JP Ranks, & Writing Advice

Today is the day! At 2:00pm ET, the Writers' Trust of Canada will announce the winners of their emerging writers' prizes, including the Writers’ Trust McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize. The prize ...

How to Engage Online

Online engagement is a reality of the modern writer’s life. It’s rare now for an author to create a story in solitude, and then remain there once their book is out in the world. Digital media now ...

The casting call

“Each writer is born with a repertory company in his head and … as you get older, you become more skillful in casting them.” — Gore VidalThe characters who show up in my stories are truly a mixed ...