Ontario book news, interviews and more

Cheryl Thompson on the Complicated History of the Black Beauty Industry in Canada

The politics of Black hair can be deeply complex, and the industry surrounding Black beauty intersects with the cultural and personal experiencing of Black people, especially women. From the struggles ...

Carrianne Leung Captures $10,000 Danuta Gleed Literary Award for Her Beloved Story Collection

On Saturday night at the Writers' Union of Canada's OnWords Conference, the Union announced that Carrianne Leung is the winner of the $10,000 Danuta Gleed Literary Award. The award recognizes the best ...

I 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. ...

Contest! Win Essential Contemporary Nonfiction from Coach House's Exploded Views Series

Coach House Books, one of the oldest and most influential independent publishers in Canada, started their Exploded Views nonfiction series several years ago to "offer surprising perspectives on the most ...

"I Wanted This to Be About a Specific Third Culture Kid" June 2019 writer-in-residence Zalika Reid-Benta on her Stunning New Story Collection

We are extremely excited to announce that Zalika Reid-Benta, author of Frying Plantain (House of Anansi Press) is our June 2019 writer-in-residence. Frying Plantain, Reid-Benta's brand new book of short ...

The Mindful Writer and the Desire To Publish

This is my last post with Open Book. I tried to approach my residency by writing about things that writers might find useful, or at least semi-entertaining. And I find it amusing that just like being ...

Andrew Forbes on Titles Shaping Stories, Finding Ideas in Government Jargon, & His Musical Inspirations

Andrew Forbes' Lands and Forests (Invisible Publishing) is a gift to short fiction lovers - a spare, smart, thoughtful collection that feels like a gritty Alice Munro descendant peeling back the ordinary ...

John Elizabeth Stintzi Wins 25th Annual RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers

Bronwen Wallace Award winner John Elizabeth Stintzi (right) with event host and CBC personality Shelagh RogersYesterday evening in Toronto, John Elizabeth Stintzi was named the 25th winner of the Writers' ...

The Griffin Prize Poets on Writers' Work Days & Favourite Canadian Poems

The Griffin Prize is not only one of the biggest literary prizes in Canada; it has become one of the most prestigious and influential poetry prizes in the world, annually honouring one International ...

Contest! Win Autographed YA Novels by Open Book writer-in-residence Alisha Sevigny!

With the sun finally making an appearance, there's no better time to load up on great summer reads - especially young adult tales that will be gobbled up by readers of all ages.We're giving away not one, ...