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CBC
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Nalo Hopkinson and Canisia Lubrin shortlisted for the 2025 Sunburst Award
Social Sharing Nalo Hopkinson and Canisia Lubrin are among the shortlisted authors for the 2025 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. After a four-year hiatus, the award is back, offering increased prize money of $3,000 and recognizing Canadian writers for their speculative fiction. Hopkinson is nominated for her novel Blackheart Man, which takes place on the magical island of Chynchin, and draws from a Caribbean folktale told to scare children into behaving. In Jamaica, this character is called the Blackheart Man. In the novel, the Blackheart Man's sinister presence coincides with the arrival of colonizers trying to force a trade agreement. Children start disappearing and tar statues come to life. Veycosi, a mischievous and fame-seeking griot (poet and musician), fears that he's connected with the Blackheart Man's resurgence, and finds himself in over his head trying to stop him. Hopkinson is the author of many novels and short stories including Brown Girl in the Ring, which won the Warner Aspect First Novel Contest and was defended on Canada Reads in 2008 by Jemeni. Her other books include Sister Mine, Midnight Robber, The Chaos, The New Moon's Arms and Skin Folk. In 2021, she won the Damon Knight Grand Master award, a lifetime achievement award for science fiction. Lubrin is shortlisted for her debut short story collection Code Noir, which ranges in genre from contemporary realism to historical fiction and speculative fantasy. The Code Noir, or the Black Code, was a set of 59 articles decreed by Louis XVI in 1685, which regulated ownership of slaves in all French colonies. In Code Noir, Lubrin reflects on these codes to examine the legacy of enslavement and colonization, and the inherent power of Black resistance. The inherent power of resistance: How Canisia Lubrin's debut novel Code Noir reflects on postcolonial agency Lubrin is a writer, editor and teacher. Her debut poetry collection Voodoo Hypothesis was longlisted for the Gerald Lambert Award, the Pat Lowther Award and was a finalist for the Raymond Souster Award. Her poetry collection The Dyzgraphxst, won the 2021 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. It also won the 2021 Griffin Poetry Prize and was a finalist for the 2020 Governor General's Literary Prize for poetry. The other shortlisted authors are Frankie Barnet for Mood Swings, Sydney Hegele for Bird Suit and Clayton B. Smith for A Seal of Salvage. The shortlist was selected by jurors Natalee Caple, Geoff Ryman and Lorina Stephens out of 78 books. The winner will be announced in the fall.
CBC
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
24 Canadian books that represent fatherhood for Father's Day 2025
This Father's Day (June 15), check out 24 Canadian books of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and more that share the stories of fathers and father-like figures. The Loom by Andy Weaver The Loom is a collection of lyric poems about the author's experiences after becoming a father of two young boys at age 42. Andy Weaver's life now is filled with restlessness, noise and stickiness that come with two small children — and so this book reflects on his unique journey to parenthood with humour and hard truths. Weaver's poetry collections include Were the Bees, Gangson and This. Weaver is an associate professor of creative writing, contemporary poetry, and poetics at York University in Toronto. Dear Da-Lê by Anh Duong Written for his daughter, Anh Duong tells his previously untold story as a child during the Vietnam War and a refugee in Iran in the late 1970s. Compelled by his daughter's involvement in student protests, in Dear Da-Lê, he decides that it's finally time to share his journey to ending up in Canada in 1980. Duong is a Calgary-based writer. He was born in Thua-Thien Hue, Vietnam and moved to Iran in the 1970s. He worked for years as an engineer in the petroleum industry after his 1980 arrival to Canada. Invisible Prisons by Lisa Moore and Jack Whalen In Invisible Prisons, told through the prose of author Lisa Moore, Jack Whalen shares the violence and abuse he experienced as a child at a St. John's boarding school for four years. Despite the pain he endured, he found love and satisfaction as a husband and father. After hearing about what happened to him, his daughter promised to become a lawyer to help him seek justice — and that's just what she did. Now, Whalen's case is part of a lawsuit that is before the courts. Moore is a Newfoundland-based writer. Her books include February, which won Canada Reads 2013 when it was defended by Trent McClellan; Caught, which was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2013 and was made into a miniseries for CBC television; the YA novel Flannery and the short story collection Something for Everyone, which was on the longlist for the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Mandeep's Cloudy Days is a picture book about a young girl who is deeply missing her father, who has to be away from their home during the week for his job as a truck driver. Mandeep and her dad love spending time together, performing Bhangra shows and having cha parties. When he's not around Mandeep finds it difficult to be happy. Mandeep's Cloudy Days explores the complex emotions of being separated from the people we love and how we can find moments of happiness and light amongst the more difficult times. Mandeep's Cloudy Days is for ages 4-7. Kuljinder Kaur Brar is a writer and an elementary school teacher. Her first picture book, My Name Is Saajin Singh, was selected for the first edition of CBC Kids Reads. She is based in Abbotsford, B.C. Samrath Kaur is a queer, American-born Punjabi illustrator based in Boston, MA. She illustrated the picture book My Name Is Saajin Singh, written by Kuljinder Kaur Brar. Favourite Daughter by Morgan Dick In Favourite Daughter, when Mickey's estranged father dies, she's left a considerable fortune. There's a stipulation, however: Mickey must attend therapy sessions before she can access the money. Things get complicated when it's revealed that her new therapist is a sister who she's never met — and the two begin sessions without knowing they share a father. Morgan Dick is a writer from Calgary. Her short fiction has appeared in Grain, Geist, CAROUSEL, Cloud Lake Literary, The Prairie Journal, Vagabond City Lit and The Humber Literary Review. How to Share an Egg by Bonny Reichert When Toronto-based journalist Bonny Reichert turned 40, she quit her job and enrolled in culinary school — a life-changing decision that pushed her to explore her relationship with food in writing. This exploration, along with a critical bowl of borscht in Warsaw, led Reichert to writing the memoir, How to Share an Egg, which dives into how food shapes her history as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and shares her dad's story of survival. Bonny Reichert is a journalist and chef based in Toronto. She was formerly an editor at Today's Parent and Chatelaine and has written for The Globe and Mail. She won a National Magazine Award and was on the longlist for the 2020 CBC Short Story Prize. She teaches writing at the University of Toronto. In The Book of Records, Lina grows up in "The Sea," a building that serves as a home for migrants from all over the world, while caring for her sick father. She forms friendships with her fascinating neighbours, including a Jewish scholar exiled for his radical views and a poet from the Tang Dynasty, whose stories captivate her. However, her seemingly perfect life takes a startling turn when her father reveals the true reason they came to live at "The Sea." Madeleine Thien is a short story writer and novelist. She is the author of the novel Do Not Say We Have Nothing, which won the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award in 2016 and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Thien's debut novel, Certainty, published in 2006, won the Amazon First Novel Award and was a Globe and Mail Best Book. Thien is also the author of Dogs at the Perimeter, which was a Globe and Mail Best Book, and the children's book The Chinese Violin. Her first work of fiction, Simple Recipes, won four awards in Canada and was a finalist for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. No Jews Live Here explores John Lorinc's Hungarian Jewish family history during the Holocaust, the 1956 Revolution and eventual move to Toronto. It follows Lorinc's grandmother, grandfather and father's experiences with the Nazis. No Jews Live Here uses historical insight and human stories to chart one family's trajectory across cities and cultures. Lorinc is an editor and journalist living in Toronto. His work has appeared in publications including the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, and the Walrus. His books include Dream States: Smart Cities, Technology, and the Pursuit of Urban Utopias and The New City. Lorinc received the 2019/2020 Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy and the 2022 Balsillie Prize for Public Policy. For the Love of a Son by Scott Oake For the Love of a Son is a memoir that explores a father's unconditional love for a son struggling with drugs, addiction and violence. When Canadian broadcaster Scott Oake first held his infant son, Bruce, in his arms, he never imagined that Bruce would become a statistic in the losing battle to opioid abuse. Oake explores the life of his late son and the lasting impact of loving and supporting someone battling substance use disorder. Oake is a sportscaster for CBC Sports, Sportsnet and Hockey Night in Canada. He is on the Roll of Honour of the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association and appointed a Member of the Order of Manitoba and the Order of Canada. Originally from Sydney, Nova Scotia, Oake started his broadcasting career at Memorial University's campus radio station before spending five decades with CBC. The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman by Niko Stratis The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman is a memoir-in-essays that explores how a love of "dad rock" music helped Niko Stratis come to a better understanding of life, love and the world around them. Stratis was a closeted 20-something trans woman working in her dad's glass shop in the Yukon Territory during the time when "dad rock" bands like Wilco, Radiohead and The National were regular fixtures on the radio and in rock culture circles. The incisive essays in the book examine how Stratis discovered a sense of queer and trans identity and belonging by way of listening to "emotionally available" artists such as Neko Case and Sharon Van Etten within this subgenre. Stratis is a Canadian writer, author and critic from Toronto by way of the Yukon. Her writing has appeared in publications like Catapult, Spin and Paste. Murray Sinclair made his mark on Canadian society as a judge, activist, senator, the chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the co-chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry — and he wrote all about it in his memoir Who We Are. The book answers the four guiding questions of Sinclair's life — Where do I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here? Who am I? — through stories about his remarkable career and trailblazing advocacy for Indigenous peoples' rights and freedoms. Initially written as letters to his granddaughter and a collaboration between father and son, Who We Are shares wisdom from generation to generation. Murray Sinclair was a former judge and senator. He died in November, at age 73. Anishinaabe and a member of the Peguis First Nation, Sinclair was the first Indigenous judge appointed in Manitoba and the second appointed in Canada. He served as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in Manitoba and as Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He has won awards including the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Manitoba Bar Association's Equality Award and its Distinguished Service Award (2016) and has received Honorary Doctorates from 14 Canadian universities. Sara Sinclair is an oral historian of Cree-Ojibwa and mixed settler descent. She teaches at Columbia University and is currently co-editing two anthologies of Indigenous letters. Niigaan Sinclair is a writer, editor, activist and the head of the Department of Native Studies at the University of Manitoba. He is the co-editor of Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water and Centering Anishinaabeg Studies: Understanding the World Through Stories. He won the Peace Educator of the Year award in 2019. He is also the author of the book Wînipêk. Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint? by Tyna Legault Taylor, illustrated by Michelle Dao Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint? is a new picture book where a father teaches his son about traditional food harvesting. When the weather is warm, Joshua and his father love to gather mint together from the shores of Animbiigoo Zaagi'igan Anishinaabek in northeastern Ontario. The book also features a glossary and pronunciation guide for the Omushkegomowin (Swampy Cree language) and Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) words featured in the story. Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint? is for ages 5 to 8. Tyna Legault Taylor is a member of Attawapiskat First Nation located on the Traditional Territory of the Omushkego James Bay Cree of Treaty 9 in Northern Ontario. She lives in Thunder Bay, Ont. Michelle Dao is an Ontario-based Vietnamese Canadian illustrator, with a background in animation. The Saltbox Olive by Angela Antle Through a series of connected stories spanning past and present, The Saltbox Olive tells the untold story of Newfoundland soldiers in Italy during World War II. The novel begins with Caroline Fisher's quest to figure out why her grandfather burned his brother's wartime letters. Angela Antle is a writer, artist, journalist and documentary filmmaker from St. John's, N.L. Her work has appeared in Riddle Fence and Newfoundland Quarterly, among others. She wrote and directed Gander's Ripple Effect: How a Small Town's Kindness Opened on Broadway, and wrote the documentary Atlantic: What Lies Beneath, which won best documentary awards at the Dublin, Wexford, Nickel and Chagrin Film Festivals. She is currently an interdisciplinary PhD candidate at Memorial University and a member of Norway's Empowered Futures Energy School. Unravel by Tolu Oloruntoba In the poetry collection Unravel, Nigerian Canadian poet Tolu Oloruntoba reflects on themes of identity, belonging and agency by way of poems that fundamentally delve into what it means to be human in today's world. The poems in this collection explore his Nigerian heritage, what it means to be Canadian immigrant, and his experience as a new father. Tolu Oloruntoba is a writer from Nigeria who now lives in Alberta. His first full-length poetry collection, The Junta of Happenstance, won the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for poetry. He is the founder of the literary magazine Klorofyl and author of the chapbook Manubrium, which was shortlisted for the 2020 bpNichol Chapbook Award. Horsefly is a chilling tale that explores the dangerous consequences of human attempts to manipulate nature. In 1942, Thomas, a young entomologist, was sent to a remote island to work on a secret wartime project involving horseflies as biological weapons. Eight decades later, in 2025, a man turns to his grandfather, whose dementia keeps him trapped in the past, for help in understanding the experiments, because when a swarm of horseflies is unleashed during a heat wave, people are driven into a violent frenzy. 71 Canadian fiction books to read in spring 2025 Mireille Gagné is an author based in Quebec City. She has written books of poetry, short stories and the novel Le lièvre d'Amérique. Pablo Strauss has translated several works of fiction, graphic novels and one screenplay. He was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award for translation for The Country Will Bring Us No Peace, Synapses and The Longest Year. His translation of Le plongeur by Stephane Larue (The Dishwasher in English) won the 2020 Amazon First Novel Award. Most recently, he translated Eric Chacour's What I Know About You, which was on the shortlist for the 2024 Giller Prize and the 2024 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. He lives in Quebec City. Astronautical! by Brooklin Stormie A century after planet Zephyr mysteriously exploded, its people now live on floating chunks of the world. Brothers Max and Lari travel the galaxy with their dad, Captain Cherryhair, delivering goods — until their father is kidnapped by the villainous Cynosure, the Planet Breaker. With the help of some starry ferryboat captains, the brothers set off on a daring rescue mission in Astronautical!. But when Max is injured by a black hole, Lari must step up and take charge for the first time. Can he uncover the secret of Zephyr's destruction, defeat Cynosure and save both his brother, father and their people? Astronautical! is for ages 8-12. Brooklin Stormie is an artist and illustrator from Peterborough, Ont. Dear Dad by Laura Best Ever since Sam's dad was diagnosed with ALS three years ago, going about his regular life as a 14-year-old boy has been next to impossible. In Dear Dad, a young adult novel about a father seeking medical assistance in dying, or MAID, Sam is struggling to be supportive of his father's choice. Exploring the complex and emotional experiences of disability, death and fatherhood, Dear Dad follows Sam as he searches for his way back home. Laura Best is a Nova Scotia-based writer of books for young people and adults. Her other novels include the 2018 Silver Birch Award winner Cammie Takes Flight and her adult book Good Mothers Don't. An Unbalanced Force by Valerie Sherrard An Unbalanced Force follows Ethan Granger, a teenager who's lived a life of wealth and privilege due to his father's mysterious business. After his dad slips up on a work detail, Ethan begins to worry that his dad is lying about the true and nefarious dealings of his job. So, he hires a private eye and sneakily follows his father in a thrilling adventure to reveal well-kept family secrets. Valerie Sherrard is a writer of books for children and teens born in Saskatchewan. She is the author of over 30 books, including Birdspell and Standing on Neptune, a novel written in verse. Sherrard is currently based in Miramichi, New Brunswick. Line Drive to Love by Angel Jendrick Line Drive to Love is a queer coming-of-age novel about a talented softball player stuck between her passion for the sport and a budding romance with a fellow player. Rory wants to be the best pitcher there is but with her father's ALS diagnosis as well as trying to date the charming Shanti she starts to feel overwhelmed. From softball to family to summer romance, can Rory step up to everything on her plate? Angel Jendrick is a writer of romance and poetry currently based in P.E.I. She is also the author of Secret Me. The Sky Above by Marty Gervais The Sky Above is a selection of poems from the perspective of a writer who crafts a story in many forms, be it journalism, photography or poetry. Canadian poet Marty Gervais's book tells everyday stories of being a father, weathering storms and occasionally talking to people like Mother Teresa in a Detroit church basement. Gervais is an Ontario journalist, poet, playwright, historian, photographer and editor. In 2018, he was nominated as the City of Windsor's Poet Laureate Emeritus. He is founder of Black Moss Press, one of Canada's oldest literary publishing firms, and is managing editor of The Windsor Review. This Report is Strictly Confidential is a poetic memoir of writer Elizabeth Ruth's inner life and family dynamics. Within four sections the poet details the life of her aunt who lived in a government residential hospital and reflects on a father she never met. Through the irony and intimacy of the poet's life, secrets come forward and leave lasting effects. Elizabeth Ruth is an author, poet and professor living in Toronto. She is also the author of the novels Semi-Detached, Ten Good Seconds of Silence, Smoke and Matadora. This Report Is Strictly Confidential is her debut poetry collection. Grampy's Chair by Rebecca Thomas, illustrated by Coco A. Lynge The heartwarming picture book, Grampy's Chair, is told from the perspective of a grandfather's favourite chair. The chair keeps an eye on Grampy's granddaughter, affectionately referred to as My Love. Grampy's chair is the perfect spot for My Love to read and play games, and also to curl up on when sick. When Grampy passes away, his chair is moved into storage and it wonders if it will ever see My Love again. Grampy's Chair explores grief, love and the importance of life moments taking place in our favourite spots. Grampy's Chair is for ages 4-7. Rebecca Thomas is a Mi'kmaw poet and children's writer, registered with Lennox Island First Nation. She is a former Halifax Poet Laureate. Her previous books include I place you into the fire, Swift Fox All Along and I'm Finding My Talk. Thomas lives in K'jipuktuk, Mi'kma'ki. Coco A. Lynge is a Greenlandic-Danish Inuit artist. She lives in Denmark. Dad, I Miss You is a picture book that is based on author Nadia Sammurtok's family history of residential school separation. A young boy and his dad each tell their story from their own perspective after the young boy is taken from his family and sent to a residential school. Dad, I Miss You explores loss, reconnection and hope. Nadia Sammurtok is an Inuk writer who lives in Iqaluit. She's written several picture books inspired by Inuit life and stories, including To My Panik, The Owl and the Two Rabbits, and Siuluk: The Last Tuniq. Simji Park is an illustrator and animator from South Korea, currently based in London, England. Mad at Dad by Janie Hao Mad at Dad is a lift-the-flap picture book that explores big feelings and managing anger in healthy ways. A little girl gets mad at her dad, but quickly realises she doesn't like the feeling of being mad, except she doesn't know how to stop it.
CBC
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
'Stop trying to rationalize what you like': Brian Francis shares 3 books on guilty pleasures
Is there truly such a thing as a guilty pleasure? Canadian writer Brian Francis defines it as those indulgences in life that are reserved for only us and are often kept a secret. At the same time, especially in reading, he questions if calling certain genres guilty pleasures serves us any good. "I think at some point in your life, you just have to stop trying to rationalize what you like. Stop trying to feel like you're not up to speed with everyone else and just do what you enjoy doing because you're happier when you do that… within moderation," said Francis. Francis is the author of the Canada Reads 2009 shortlisted book Fruit and the memoir Missed Connections, which was a finalist for the 2022 Trillium Book Award, recognizing excellence in literature by Ontario writers. He joined Antonio Michael Downing on The Next Chapter to spill some of his guilty pleasures, as well as books that explore why things like donuts and reality television are often seen as such. The Donut by Steve Penfold "All of us sort of have a food that maybe we know isn't maybe the best for us, but we can't help indulging in when we're feeling a certain way or coming home late at night … and certainly in Canada, I think donuts tend to be a bit of a guilty pleasure," said Francis. In The Donut: A Canadian History scholar Steve Penfold delves into what makes the sugary pastry the unofficial national food. Examining the social and cultural impact of donuts as something found at most rest stops across the country, as well as the commercial impact of chains like Tim Horton's, Penfold notes donuts as key examples of consumerism in Canada in the twentieth century. Penfold is a writer and professor at the University of Toronto. His work focuses on the cultural history of twentieth century Canada and his other works include A Mile of Make-Believe and The Worker's Festival. Cue the Sun! by Emily Nussbaum "I think many of us have sort of conflicted emotions about [reality TV] in general. I think that for me, it's seeing people on TV sometimes that are either chasing after fame or they are perfectly fine with putting their messy lives on the screen for everybody to kind of watch and judge, but at the same time I can't stop watching it," said Francis. Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV traces the origins of the pop culture genre and how it has evolved into the media seen today. Beginning with the turn from reality radio to television, then rise of the "dirty documentary" and then popularization of shows like Survivor or The Bachelor, staff writer for The New Yorker, Emily Nussbaum provides a comprehensive history of the genre. Nussabaum is an American writer, culture critic and current staff writer for The New Yorker. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 2016 for criticism and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix "Of all the movies and all the quality entertainment I could be indulging in right now, why am I going to Children of the Corn? … When I think about why I'm drawn to like horror, particularly bad horror, is that it reminds me probably of being a kid," said Francis. Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction is a collection of iconic and forgotten horror book covers from decades past. Grady Hendrix, a fellow writer of the genre, explores the fascination with 'trashy' thrillers in this period and graphic design trends that sought to be the next Exorcist or Stephen King. This compilation also includes short insights to the artists and writers behind the spooky and sometimes cheesy paperback book covers. Hendrix is an American horror novelist and screenwriter. His novels include How to Sell a Haunted House, The Final Girl Support Group and The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. He currently lives in New York.
CBC
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
28 Canadian books turning 5 in 2025
Books published in 2020 are celebrating their fifth anniversary this year! Check out this list of 28 Canadian titles celebrating this milestone and see if your favourite title is featured. Five Little Indians by Michelle Good In Five Little Indians, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Maisie were taken from their families and sent to a residential school when they were very small. Barely out of childhood, they are released and left to contend with the seedy world of eastside Vancouver. Fuelled by the trauma of their childhood, the five friends cross paths over the decades and struggle with the weight of their shared past. Five Little Indians won Canada Reads in 2022, championed by Ojibway fashion journalist Christian Allaire. The novel also received the 2020 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction and the 2021 Amazon Canada First Novel Award. It was also on the 2020 Writers's Trust Fiction Prize shortlist and 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist. Michelle Good is a Cree writer and lawyer, as well as a member of Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. Her debut novel is Five Little Indians. She is also the author of Truth Telling. Mexican Gothic is a gothic horror novel set in 1950s Mexico. It tells the story of a young woman named Noemi who is called by her cousin to save her from doom in her countryside home, the mysterious and alluring High Place. Noemi doesn't know much about the house, the region or her cousin's mysterious new husband, but she's determined to solve this mystery and save her cousin — whatever it takes. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a Canadian author, who was born and raised in Mexico. She is also the author of the novels Signal to Noise, which won the 2016 Copper Cylinder Award, Gods of Jade and Shadow and The Beautiful Ones. She is also a critic and has edited science fiction anthologies. The Pull of the Stars, set in a war and disease-ravaged Ireland during the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak, tells the story of three women — a nurse, a doctor and a volunteer helper — working on the front lines of the pandemic in an understaffed maternity ward of a hospital, where expectant mothers infected with the virus are quarantined. The timely tale explores how these women change each other's lives in unexpected ways, while witnessing loss and delivering new life. Donoghue is an Irish Canadian writer. Her books include the novels Learned by Heart, Landing, Room, Frog Music, The Wonder and the children's book The Lotterys Plus One. Room was an international bestseller and was adapted into a critically acclaimed film starring Brie Larson. It won the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker and Orange Prizes. Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi Butter Honey Pig Bread is a novel about twin sisters, Kehinde and Taiye, and their mother, Kambirinachi. Kambirinachi believes she was a spirit who was supposed to die as a small child. By staying alive, she is cursing her family — a fear that appears to come true when Kehinde experiences something that tears the family apart, and divides the twins for years. But when the three women connect years later, they must confront their past and find forgiveness. Francesca Ekwuyasi is a writer, filmmaker and visual artist. Her writing has appeared in the Malahat Review, Guts and Brittle Paper, and she was longlisted for the 2019 Journey Prize. Butter Honey Pig Bread is her first book. Indians on Vacation by Thomas King Indians on Vacation is about a couple named Bird and Mimi, who decide to travel through Europe after discovering postcards from Mimi's long-lost Uncle Leroy, who sent them while on his own European adventure almost 100 years ago. Thomas King is a Canadian-American writer of Cherokee and Greek ancestry. His books include Truth & Bright Water; Green Grass, Running Water, which was on Canada Reads in 2004; The Inconvenient Indian, which was on Canada Reads in 2015; and The Back of the Turtle, which won the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction in 2014. He also writes the DreadfulWater mystery series. We Two Alone by Jack Wang Set over a century and spanning five continents, We Two Alone traces the evolution of the Chinese immigrant experience. Tracing various people, families and professionals across the globe, Jack Wang creates a tapestry of experience that encompasses the trials and tribulations of a diaspora trying to find its place in the world. Wang is a N.Y.-based writer and professor originally from Vancouver. He teaches in the department of writing at Ithaca College and his writing has appeared in publications such as Joyland Magazine, The New Quarterly and Fiddlehead. Wang's debut short story collection, We Two Alone was longlisted for Canada Reads in 2022, shortlisted for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize and won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award. The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner The Jane Austen Society is a novel about an unexpected community, and the quiet triumph and tragedies of everyday life in post-Second World War Britain. In Chawton, an English village that was the last home of iconic novelist Jane Austen, a small group of locals decide to do what they can to preserve Austen's home and legacy, and hopefully revitalize the town in the process. The group comes together in surprising ways and, despite being very different, unite through their common goal. Natalie Jenner is a novelist based in Oakville, Ont. The Jane Austen Society is her first book. Ridgerunner by Gil Adamson Ridgerunner is a novel about William Moreland, the notorious thief known as Ridgerunner, as he moves through the Rocky Mountains, determined to secure financial stability for his son. His son, Jack Boulton, is trapped in a life not of his own making. Semi-orphaned and under the care of a nun, Sister Beatrice, Jack has found himself in a secluded cabin in Alberta. Little does he know, his father is coming for him. Gil Adamson is a writer and poet. Her first novel, The Outlander, won the First Novel Award and was a Canada Reads finalist in 2009, when it was championed by Nicholas Campbell. She has published several volumes of poetry, including Primitive and Ashland. The Night Piece by André Alexis The Night Piece is a collection of career-spanning stories by Scotiabank Giller Prize and Canada Reads winner André Alexis. Alexis draws from his previous publications, including Despair and Other Stories of Ottawa and Beauty & Sadness, as well as works that have not been previously published. Alexis is the author of Fifteen Dogs, which won Canada Reads 2017 and the 2015 Scotiabank Giller Prize, and Days by Moonlight, which won the 2019 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Here the Dark by David Bergen In Here the Dark, David Bergen delivers short stories that interweave across space, exploring faith, loss and complex moral ambiguities. From Danang, Vietnam, to Honduras and the Canadian Prairies, the book collects narratives about place and heart. Here the Dark includes the story that won the 1999 CBC Short Story Prize, How Can n Men Share a Bottle of Vodka? Bergen is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. In 2005, his novel The Time in Between won the Scotiabank Giller Prize. His other books include The Matter with Morris, and Stranger in 2016. His novel The Age of Hope was defended by Ron MacLean on Canada Reads in 2013. A Family Affair is a novel that follows a 40-year-old kitchen designer named Magalie, who maintains a mutually deceptive romance with her partner Mathieu. Unexpected circumstances lead her to Guillaume, a policeman and single father. It was translated into English by Russell Smith. Nadine Bismuth is a writer from Montreal. She has published novels and short story collections. Her 2004 novel Scrapbook was translated into English in 2009. Her 2009 short story collection Êtes-vous mariée à un psychopathe was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award for French-language fiction and was translated into English in 2010. Russell Smith is a writer, journalist and translator. His books include the novels Confidence and Girl Crazy and the memoir Blindsided. A Family Affair is his first book-length translation. The Good German by Dennis Bock The Good German is a reimagined history in which, in 1939, Georg Elser succeeded in assassinating Hitler. But what unfolds is an alternate history where fascism reigns in Europe, and an atomic bomb is dropped on London, and Elser must reckon with the knowledge that his act of heroism changed the course of history — and for what end? Cascade is a collection of short stories from award-winning writer Craig Davidson. The six stories are set in Davidson 's hometown of Niagara Falls, known as Cataract City, and explore what it's like to try to make a life in a town that is struggling economically, where its residents feel left behind and where the glorious, touristy waterfalls distract from deep social, economic and political problems. Davidson has published several books of literary fiction including Cataract City, which was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2013, Rust and Bone, which was made into an Oscar-nominated feature film of the same name, The Fighter, Sarah Court and The Saturday Night Ghost Club. His memoir Precious Cargo was defended by Greg Johnson on Canada Reads 2018. Seven by Farzana Doctor In Seven, Sharifa accompanies her husband on a marriage-saving trip to India, and in order to research her great-great-grandfather — a business-owner and philanthropist. She is fascinated by his four wives, who are never mentioned in her family. At the same time, she tries to reach a middle ground in an ideologically-divided community. The Finder by Will Ferguson The Finder is an adventure novel about finding things that are lost in the world. The story takes readers to Japan, Australia and New Zealand as Interpol agent Gaddy Rhodes, photographer Tamsin Greene and travel writer Thomas Rafferty unexpectedly cross paths as they track "The Finder" — a mysterious figure who believes they can find history's lost objects, such as the missing Romanov Fabergé eggs and Muhammad Ali's Olympic gold medal Will Ferguson has written humour, travel books and fiction. He won the 2012 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his thriller 419. He has won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour three times: for his novel Generica (now titled Happiness), his Canadian travel book Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw and his travel memoir Beyond Belfast. He currently lives in Calgary. The Beguiling by Zsuzsi Gartner In The Beguiling, a young woman named Lucy had dreamed of being a saint as a child. This dream may actually come true after the death of her cousin Zoltan, and Lucy becomes someone people come to in order to confess their sins. But when the confessions seem connected, Zoltan's death doesn't seem so random anymore. Lucy must then confront her own lapses as a Catholic and a human being, and figure out what is happening, before it's too late. In Agency, a gifted app tester meets her match when she is commissioned to beta test a highly social, and combat-savvy, "digital assistant." In an alternate timeline, in 2017 Hillary Clinton has won the presidential election over Donald Trump. Meanwhile, in London in the 22nd century disastrous events have led to 80 per cent of humanity being wiped out. William Gibson is a legendary Vancouver science-fiction writer. His classic 1984 novel Neuromancer, a thriller about hacking and artificial intelligence, won sci-fi's three biggest prizes: the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award and the Hugo Award. Crosshairs by Catherine Hernandez Crosshairs is a dystopian novel about a near-future where a queer Black performer named Kay and his allies join forces against an oppressive Canadian regime that is rounding up those deemed "Other" in concentration camps. A near-future Toronto is ravaged by climate change. It is a situation that has led to massive floods, rampant homelessness, unemployment and starvation. In this chaos, a government-sanctioned regime called the Boots seizes the opportunity to force communities of colour, the disabled and the LGBTQ2S into labour camps called workhouses in the city. Catherine Hernandez Scarborough, which was championed on Canada Reads 2022 by actress Malia Baker. CBC Books named Hernandez a writer to watch in 2017. In this collection of stories, Dominoes at the Crossroads, Kaie Kellough navigates Canada's Caribbean diaspora, as they seek music and a connection to their past. Through a broad cast of characters — including jazz musicians, hitchhikers, suburbanites, student radicals, secret agents, historians and their fugitive slave ancestors — Kellough stretches the stories from Montreal's Old Port to as far as the South American rainforests. Kellough is a writer based in Montreal. His novel Accordéon was a finalist for the First Novel Award in 2017. He is also the author of the poetry collection Magnetic Equator, which is currently a finalist for the 2020 Griffin Poetry Prize. Petra is a novel inspired by the life of German activist Petra Kelly. Kelly was a force in Germany in the 1980s, and was a founding member of the German Green Party, which was one of the first Green Parties to rise to prominence. It was through her work that she met her partner, a NATO general named Emil Gerhardt. It was Gerhardt who eventually murdered Kelly in 1992. Petra is the story of Kelly's rise to prominence, her influence on global politics and policy and how her relationship with Gerhardt helped her international influence but was ultimately what ended everything. Shaena Lambert is a novelist currently living in Vancouver. Her novel Radiance was a finalist for the Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. She is also the author of the short story collection Oh My Darling. Consent by Annabel Lyon In Consent, Sara becomes her intellectually disabled sister Mattie's caregiver after their mother dies. But when Sara returns home, she surprisingly finds Mattie married to her mother's handyman, Robert. Sara gets the marriage annulled, driving a wedge between herself and Mattie. When Robert re-enters their lives, Sara and Mattie get entangled with another set of sisters and their difficult relationship: twins Saskia and Jenny. Annabel Lyon is a writer from Vancouver. Her novel The Golden Mean Oxygen, the novella collection The Best Thing for You and the young adult novels All-Season Edie and Encore Edie. The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel Emily St. John Mandel's new book, The Glass Hotel, interweaves several complex narratives. Vincent is a bartender in a prestigious hotel on Vancouver Island. When the owner — Jonathan Alkaitis — passes Vincent his card, it becomes the beginning of their story together. Meanwhile, a hooded figure scrawls a cryptic note on a wall in the hotel, and a shipping executive for a company called Neptune-Avramidis — Leon Prevant — sees the note and is shaken. Thirteen years later, Vincent disappears from a Neptune-Avramidis ship. St. John Mandel is a New York-based Canadian writer. Her fourth novel, Station Eleven, was a finalist for a National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award and won the 2015 Toronto Book Award. It was adapted into a TV series for HBO Max, and was on Canada Reads 2023. The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk As Beatrice makes her debut at "bargaining season" — an annual event where wealthy young men and women gather from all over the world to make advantageous marriages — she harbours secret plans that will upend society. Rather than get married, Beatrice plans to bind a greater spirit and become a full magician. Performing the secret ritual goes against the rules of her world, which prohibits women from practicing magic while they can still bear children. With the help of the wealthy Lavan siblings, fiery Ysbeta and her handsome brother Ianthe, Beatrice searches for a way to change old patriarchal traditions. C.L. Polk concocts a page-turning fantasy with love, magic and rebellion swirling at the centre. The Calgary writer's previous books include the award-winning novel Witchmark and its sequel Stormsong. Vanishing Monuments by John Elizabeth Stintzi In Vanishing Monuments, Alani Baum has not seen their mother since they were 17 years old — almost 30 years ago. The non-binary photographer ran away from home with their girlfriend, but when their mother's dementia worsens Alani is forced to run back to her. In the face of a debilitating illness, Alani has to contend with painful memories from the past. John Elizabeth Stinzi is a novelist, poet, teacher and visual artist. They won the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for emerging writers for their work Selections From Junebat. The complete poetry collection, Junebat , was published in spring 2020. In Misconduct of the Heart, Stevie is a recovering alcoholic and kitchen manager who is trying hard to stop the world around her from collapsing. Her son, who is a veteran, might be succumbing to PTSD, while she tries to manage the eccentrics who work in her kitchen and acclimatize to the idea that she might have a granddaughter she never knew she had. How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa How to Pronounce Knife is a collection of idiosyncratic and diverse stories. Capturing the daily lives of immigrants, Souvankham Thammavongsa captures their hopes, disappointments, trauma and acts of defiance. From a young man painting nails in a salon, to a housewife learning English from soap-operas, How to Pronounce Knife navigates tragedy and humour. Thammavongsa is a writer and poet. Her stories have won an O. Henry Award and appeared in Harper's, Granta, The Paris Review and NOON. She has published four books of poetry, including 2019's Cluster and the novel Pick a Colour. Hench is the story of a woman who pays the bills by doing administrative work for villains. But then an incident involving the world's most popular superhero leaves her injured and gets her fired. She ends up realizing what happened to her isn't unique — and she might have the means to take down the so-called hero who hurt her. How? With every office worker's secret weapon: data. Natalie Zina Walschots is a writer and journalist from Toronto. She is also the author of the poetry collections DOOM: Love Poems for Supervillains and Thumbscrews. Love After the End, edited by Joshua Whitehead Love after the End is an anthology of speculative fiction that imagines a utopian future for LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people, curated and edited by poet and novelist Joshua Whitehead. Contributors include Nathan Adler, Darcie Little Badger, Gabriel Castilloux Calderon, Adam Garnet Jones, Mari Kurisato, Kai Minosh Pyle, David Alexander Robertson, jaye simpson and Nazbah Tom. Whitehead is an Oji-nêhiyaw, two-spirit writer, poet and Indigiqueer scholar from Peguis First Nation. His book, full-metal indigiqueer, is a collection of experimental poems that aim to provoke discussion and debate. His debut novel Jonny Appleseed was championed by actress Devery Jacobs and won Canada Reads 2021.
CBC
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Cody Caetano, Helen Knott and Krista Foss among 2025 Berton House writers-in-residence
Social Sharing Cody Caetano, Krista Foss, Helen Knott, Angela Long, Jesse Keith Butler and Rebecca Thomas will be the 2025 writers-in-residence at the Berton House in Dawson City. The Yukon residency, which is run by the Writers' Trust of Canada, includes a two-month stay, provides a $4,000 stipend and travel to and from Dawson City. The writers will stay in the childhood home of legendary Canadian author, and Writers' Trust co-founder, Pierre Berton. The residency has hosted nearly 100 Canadian writers since 2007. The 2025 contingent is supported by new funding from the Lind Family Foundation and will receive operational support from The Whitehorse Public Library, the Dawson City Community Library Board and the Klondike Visitors Association. Caetano is a Toronto-based writer of Anishinaabe and Portuguese descent and an off-reserve member of Pinaymootang First Nation. Caetano has also published a short collection of poetry, Pleasure Dome Poems and his work has appeared in publications such as Prism International and the Hart House Review. His memoir Half-Bads in White Regalia won the 2023 Indigenous Voices Award for Best Published Prose and was on the 2023 Canada Reads longlist. It was also longlisted for 2023 Toronto Book Award and the 2023 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. Foss is an Ontario writer, journalist and author. Her short fiction has appeared in Granta and has twice been a finalist for the Journey Prize. Her debut novel Smoke River won the Hamilton Literary Award. She is also the author of the novel Half Life. Knott is a Dane Zaa, Nehiyaw, Métis and mixed Euro-descent writer from Prophet River First Nations. She is a 2019 RBC Taylor Prize Emerging author and her memoir My Own Moccasins is an international bestseller and won the Saskatchewan Book Award for Indigenous Peoples' Publishing. Her latest book Becoming a Matriarch won the Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes, was the co-winner of the 2024 George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature and was on the longlist for Canada Reads 2025. It was also a finalist for the 2024 Governor General's Literary Award for Nonfiction. Knott is serving as one of the judges of the 2025 CBC Nonfiction Prize. Jesse Keith Butler is a poet who was born in Dawson City and is currently based in Ottawa. His debut collection of poetry is titled The Living Law and his work has appeared in The Orchards Poetry Journal, Blue Unicorn and Arc. Angela Long is a writer and freelance journalist from Vancouver Island. Her work has appeared in Poetry Ireland Review, The Globe and Mail and Utne Reader. She is the author of Observations from Off the Grid and Every Day We Disappear. Rebecca Thomas is a Mi'kmaw writer living in Dartmouth. She was the Halifax poet laureate from 2016 to 2018. She is the author of the poetry collection I place you into the fire. She is also the author of the children's books Grampy's Chair and I'm Finding My Talk, which is a poem responding to the iconic Rita Joe poem I Lost My Talk. "The Berton House Writers' Residency is one of Canada's most beloved artist residency programs and has provided career and life-changing experiences for nearly 100 Canadian writers since 2007," said Writers' Trust of Canada executive director in a press statement. "We look forward to welcoming Berton House's newest cohort of residents and are excited to discover the stories and ideas that will be inspired by their stay." The 2025 Berton House writers-in-residence were selected by artist Darcy Tara McDiarmid, and past writers-in-residence Eliza Robertson and Paul Seesequasis. The Writers' Trust of Canada is an organization that supports Canadian writers through literary awards, fellowships, financial grants, mentorships and more.
