Novel tells of recent refugees and past slavery in Malta

When she arrived in Malta ten years ago, two things shocked Canadian author Ami Sands Brodoff; the  horror stories of refugees coming by boat and the history of Jews who were enslaved there in the 17^thand 18^th centuries… more

Richard Wagamese, prolific First Nation writer, dead at 61

Richard Wagamese, the journalist and author of 13 books, died on Friday March 11, in Kamloops, British Columbia. An Ojibway from the Wabaseemoong First Nation in northwestern Ontario, following his own success, he became a mentor to many young indigenous writers…more

Legend of Canadian Pacific- author Barry Lane

Today one might call it a “fully integrated travel provider”. As such, it was also the biggest in the world.  It is a fantastic tale of a uniquely Canadian company, Canadian Pacific, and a new large coffee table type book  details this amazing story in text and fantastic photos and advertising posters… more

New novel looks at time travel and responsibility

One of the realities almost always overlooked in science fiction is that if you went back in time, even a few seconds, you wouldn’t end up a few seconds earlier where you’re sitting, but possibly a few blocks away… more

Novel predicts sex with robots, insects as food, and chaos

John Redstone did not intend to predict the future in his novel “Christ came from Croydon” but, as in the book, the gap between rich and poor has grown, and the anger and resentment towards the rich has had shocking effect… more

Summer reading can boost kids’ well-being: author

Summer is short in Canada, but it’s a particularly good time to encourage children to read, says author and parenting columnist Ann Douglas. Canadians tend to think about reading in terms of academic improvement and expanding vocabulary… more

Noted nationalist and author Mel Hurtig dead at 84

Mel Hurtig, a prolific writer and ardent Canadian nationalist, has died at the age of 84. Likely best known as the publisher of “The Canadian Encyclopedia,” he was also a founding member of the Council of Canadians, a group dedicated to preserving the country’s sovereignty that later expanded to focus include on health care, water, public pensions, corporate influence, and energy… more

Diverse Canada a great place to be a writer: award nominee

Madeleine Thien is one of two Canadian authors short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious literary prizes and on the short list for Canada’s Scotiabank Giller Prize. Her novel, Do Not Say We Have Nothing, is an inter-generational saga… more

ARTS- Peter Ricq-artist, musician, animator, videographer and graphic novelist

Peter Ricq is busy,..boy is he busy– with music, writing, video projects, and animated cartoons. His latest feat? He has just released his graphic novel called “Once Our Land”… more

Austin Clarke, award-winning author, dead at 81

Austin Clarke, the Canadian writer, was born in St. James, Barbados, on July 26, 1934. He came to Canada in 1955 as a student at the University of Toronto. But he soon left to pursue a career in broadcasting … more

Ann-Marie MacDonald, first Richler Writer in Residence

Anne-Marie MacDonald, writer, actor and playwright, is winding up her year at Concordia University in Montreal, as the first Mordecai Richler writer-in-residence. In a talk at Concordia las night MacDonald shared the honour she felt… more

George Elliot Clarke: The Motorcyclist (novel)

George Elliot Clarke is a man of many words. Staunchly proud of his “africadian” roots in Nova Scotia, Clarke has gone from literary success to literary success. His latest work is a novel loosely based on the life of his father. It’s called “The Motorcyclist… more

Author Yann Martel on “The High Mountains of Portugal”

There are three separate but interlocking stories in Yann Martel’s latest book. In it, a man who has lost, and is someway lost, and is seeking something, a connection, a reason, a faith. The second part is a man… more

World-famous Canadian author writes graphic novels

Acclaimed Canadian author Margaret Atwood is writing a series of novels illustrated in comic strip format, the first of which will be published in the latter half of 2016. The first of a three-volume set will be called Angel Catbird and will feature a male superhero who derives his powers from a feline and a bird… more

Novel “Sleep” with author Nino Ricci

With a Governor-General’s award for fiction with his breakout novel, “Lives of the Saints” in 1991, Nino Ricci has never looked back. In addition to four novels and two non-fiction books, he has been teaching and held several positions as writer in residence… more