Spring is a blur this year—Amy sees purple crocuses from Alice’s bedroom window during those hazy first few days, but her nipples hurt too much to register what they are. The air smells different though when Max opens the window—it has lost its metallic-edge and is looser, greener.

I headed to the bathhouse nearest to my home, hoping to find some good company. In case I couldn’t, I brought a book, though once I took my place in the empty sauna, it sat unopened in my lap. I leaned back and felt sweat develop on my forehead. It was late in the autumn, which in Montreal meant that the air outside was always cold, even on days of bright sun. The heat of the sauna was novel and welcome.

It matters which origin stories we tell and retell as we try to place ourselves in the land. I was taught the story of martyrs and savages in my high school class in Canadian history. I had never heard the stream of stories about linking arms until I moved to Hamilton, Ontario in my thirties. It takes an adjustment of mind to begin to hear stories that differ from the ones to which we are accustomed. As I’ll discuss later in this book when I introduce myself more directly, it took armed conflict in my neighbourhood and at the university where I work for me to begin to listen to the stories of how Indigenous people made peace in the northeast part of this continent.

For this Power Q & A we are joined by internationally acclaimed author Ayelet Tsabari to talk about her gorgeous debut novel, Songs for the Broken Hearted (Harper Collins, September 10, 2024).

Many of you may know of Ayelet from her widely-acclaimed memoir in essays The Art of  Leaving, winner of the Canadian Jewish Literary Awards, a finalist for the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction,  and The Vine Awards for Canadian Jewish Literature, and an Apple Books and Kirkus Review Best Book of 2019. 

Arctic Predator: The Crimes of Edward Horne Against Children in Canada's North (Dundurn Press) by journalist Kathleen Lippa is a highly anticipated work of nonfiction. After years of research, Kathleen has written about the shocking crimes of Edward Horne, a trusted teacher who wrought lasting damage on Inuit communities in Canada’s Arctic when he sexually abused his male students.

Kathleen is not Indigenous and some people might question why Kathleen is the person to tell this story. We are honoured to have Kathleen on our Power Q & A series to talk about her position.

We met U.S. author Sawyer Cole a few years ago on Instagram and were immediately struck by their kindness, enthusiasm, and ability to talk about difficult issues movingly and with compassion. Sawyer is also a wonderful supporter of books and authors from around the world and today, we are delighted to welcome them to our Power Q & A to talk about reading with boundless curiosity.

Lies I Told My Sister is Louise Ells’ second novel and is a sensitive, poignant work of fiction. Taking place over just 17 hours and alternating between past and present, the novel takes us into the strained relationship of estranged sisters Rose and Lily, who are meeting at the hospital after Rose’s husband has been injured. Very quickly, issues of their childhood, the death of their older sister, and the inevitable truth of past lies and secrets surface. But while centering around a serious injury, the novel focuses on the cost of secrets, the depth of the bond between sisters, and just how far we will go to protect the ones we love—and ourselves.

all about canadian books (AACB) is one of our favourite author interview series. Host crystal fletcher doesn’t care if an author is a big name or the book a bestseller: she only cares that she likes the work. crystal has interviewed many of our favourite contemporary Canadian authors and brings with her to each conversation kindness, enthusiasm, and thoughtful and incisive questions—and her refreshingly raw and unfettered love of language. (Does anyone remember when she teared up during a National Poetry Month episode? As if we could adore her anymore!)

Greg Rhyno’s got a way with mystery. His novel, Who By Fire (Cormorant Books), is a gripping whodunnit that rings with sharp, witty observations that rival the hard-boiled pluck of Daschel Hammit. But without the sexism and with a delightful dose of Canadiana. In fact Who By Fire is set in Toronto. The novel tells the story of Dame—the daughter of a retired master sleuth—trying to pull her life together in the aftermath of a painful divorce. She is pulled into taking a PI job to try to make some extra cash. The job sounds easy: follow her landlord’s supposedly wayward wife around and confirm she’s been cheating. But what Dame uncovers is far more dangerous and dark than she imagined.

Molly Peacock’s experience of widowhood wasn’t what she expected. This is the catalyst for creating her collection of poems, The Widow’s Crayon Box(W.W. Norton and Company.) As an internationally beloved poet, biographer, and creativity activist, Molly is no stranger to the creative process or the act of releasing a book into the world. Still, to some extent, releasing a new book always carries some unexpected twists and turns.

In this Power Q & A, we asked Molly what she anticipates readers might find most surprising about her breathtaking new book.

Michelle Berry and Peter Dearbyshire are Canadian writers who are widely regarded as masters of their genres. Berry is known for her exhilarating and provocative literary thrillers. Her most recent novel, Satellite Image (Wolsak & Wynn, 2024), has been hailed as “a super-creepy, anxiety-filled tale that will dash any urbanite's fantasy of escaping to the tranquil countryside.” (Elyse Friedman, author of The Opportunist and The Answer to Everything.) Peter Darbyshire is renowned for wild and immersive speculative fiction that “mashes pop-culture genres together, exposing profound truths beneath classic tropes in ways at once hilarious, weird, and heart-breaking.” (Publishers Weekly.) Staring with The Mona Lisa Sacrifice, Darbyshire’s Cross Series, (which was originally published by the now defunct ChiZin)e, is enjoying a second reincarnation this year thanks to Hamilton, Ontario’s beloved publisher Wolsak & Wynn.