14 Canadian books to read for Earth Day 2023

Earth Day is celebrated around the world on April 22. Here's a reading list of 11Canadian books fiction, poetry and nonfiction about the environment, animals, climate change and more.

Birnam Woodby Eleanor Catton

Birnam Woodis an engaging eco-thriller set in the middle of a landslide in New Zealand. Looking to make opportunity out of a disaster, Mira, the founder of a guerilla gardening collective that plants crops amid other criminal environmental activities, sets her sightson an evacuated farm as a way out of financial ruin.The only problem is theAmerican billionaire Robert Lemoinehas already laid claim to it as hisend-of-the-world lair. Afterthe same thing for polar opposite reasons, their paths cross and Robertmakes Miraan offer that would stave off her financial concerns for good. The question is: can she trust him?

• Booker Prize winner Eleanor Catton's new novel,Birnam Wood, is a moral thriller for our times

Eleanor Catton is a London, Ont.-born New Zealand author. Shewon the 2013 Booker Prize for fictionand the 2013 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction for her second novel,The Luminaries.

LISTEN | Eleanor Catton talks to Eleanor Wachtel aboutBirnam Wood:

Writers and Company59:02Booker winner Eleanor Cattons new novel, Birnam Wood, is a moral thriller for our times

In 2013, Canadian-born, New Zealand writer Eleanor Catton made history when she became the youngest person ever to win the Booker Prize. Catton was just 28 and her novel, The Luminaries, went on to become an international bestseller. Catton later adapted her novel for a BBC-TV mini-series and wrote the screenplay for the 2020 film production of Jane Austen's Emma. Now, her much anticipated new novel, Birnam Wood, a page-turning eco-thriller set in New Zealand's South Island, tackles some of the biggest issues of our time, including the climate crisis, digital surveillance and economic inequality.

The Book of Rainby Thomas Wharton

The Book of Rainis a science fiction novel set in a world where ghost ore, a new minable energy source much more lucrative than gold can disrupt time and space and slowly make an environment inhospitable. In one of three ghost ore hotspots in the world, the mining town of River Meadows, residents have been evacuated, except Amery Hewitt can't seem to stay away. The former resident frequently returns to River Meadows to save the animals still living in the contaminated zone. When Amery goes on another dangerous trip and doesn't return, her game designer brother, Alex, enlists the help of his mathematician friendto help get her back. All they need to do is break the laws of physics. Amery's story is one plot line of three in this mind-bending epic by Wharton.

• Thomas Wharton's novelThe Book of Rainis a sci-fi epic involving time, physics & environmental catastrophe

Alberta-based author Thomas Wharton has written several books, including his first novel,Icefields,which won the 1996 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book in Canada and the Caribbean.Icefieldswas a finalist forCanada Reads2008, when it was defended by Steve MacLean.His novelSalamander,was shortlisted for the 2001 Governor General's Award forfiction and was also a finalist for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize the same year.

LISTEN | Thomas Wharton on The Next Chapter:

The Next Chapter13:31Thomas Wharton on The Book of Rain

TNC contributor Ryan B. Patrick interviews Thomas Wharton about his latest novel, The Book of Rain.

Greenwoodby Michael Christie

In the novelGreenwood, it's the year 2038 and most of the world has suffered from an environmental collapse. But there is a remote island with 1,000 year-old trees andJake Greenwood works as a tour guide there. From there, the novel takes you back in time as you learn more about Jake, herfamily and how secrets and lies can have an impact for generations.

• How environmental destruction and family trees inspired Michael Christie's novelGreenwood

Greenwoodwason the2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlistandwon the 2020 Arthur Ellis Award (now theCanadian Crime Writing Awards) for best novel.Greenwoodwas championed by actor Keegan Connor Tracy onCanada Reads2023.

Michael Christieis a novelist currently living in Victoria.His 2011 shortstory collectionTheBeggar's Gardenwon the Vancouver Book Award and was a finalist for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. His 2015 novelIf I Fall, If I Diewon the Northern Lit Award and was longlisted for theScotiabank Giller Prize.

LISTEN | Michael Christie talks to Ryan B. Patrick about Greenwood:

The Next Chapter10:11Michael Christie on his 2023 Canada Reads contender Greenwood

Ryan B. Patrick interviews Michael Christie about his 2023 Canada Reads contender, Greenwood.

Life in the City of Dirty Water by Clayton Thomas-Mller

A memoir by Cree activist Clayton Thomas-Mller,Life in the City of Dirty Watercovers his entire life: from playing with toy planes as a way to escape from domestic and sexual abuse and enduring the intergenerational trauma of Canada's residential school system; to becoming a young man who fought against racism and violence, but also spent time in juvenile prison; to becoming a committed activist. Along the way, Thomas-Mller remained tied to his Cree heritage and spirituality. This debut is a narrative and vision of healing and responsibility.

Life in the City of Dirty Waterwas championed by Suzanne Simard on Canada Reads 2022.

• Clayton Thomas-Mller's Canada Reads memoir Life in the City of Dirty Water is a story of hope in action

Thomas-Mller is a member of the Treaty #6 based Mathias Colomb Cree Nation located in Northern Manitoba. He's campaigned on behalf of Indigenous peoples around the world for more than 20 years, working with numerous organizations.

LISTEN | Clayton Thomas-Mller talks about his latest memoir:

18:49Clayton Thomas-Mller on Life in the City of Dirty Water

Clayton Thomas-Mller talks to Shelagh Rogers about his debut book, Life in the City of Dirty Water.

Parasitic Oscillations by Madhur Anand

Parasitic Oscillationsexamines a variety of philosophical and ethical dilemmas to inform and question. Set against the backdrop of ecological collapse, these poems draw on Madhur Anand's work in the arts and sciences and experience living between North American and Indian culture.

• Madhur Anand uses science and poetry to write about her parents' experiences in India

Madhur Anandis a poet and professor of ecology at the University of Guelph. She isthe author of theANew Index for Predicting CatastrophesandThis Red Line Goes Straight to Your Heart,which won the2020 Governor General's Literary Award for nonfiction.

Still Hopeful by Maude Barlow

Maude Barlow counters the prevailing atmosphere of pessimism and offers lessons of hope that she has learned from a lifetime of activism. Barlow has been involved in three major movements: second-wave feminism, the battle against free trade and globalization and the fight for water justice. She emphasizes that effective activism is about building a movement and finding like-minded people rather than making the goal the focus.

Barlow is a Canadian activist and writer. She is the bestselling author of 20 books and served as the senior water advisor to the UN General Assembly. Barlow was a leader in the campaign to have water recognized as a human right. She lives in Ottawa.

LISTEN | Maude Barlow on CBC Radio:

The Sunday Magazine24:04Maude Barlow reflects on a lifetime of activism and the keys to not giving up

As a leader in Canada's women's movement, Maude Barlow helped score victory after victory. But when her activism moved to combating globalization and the dominant economic narratives of our time, she had to dig deep to find hope. The author and activist joins Piya Chattopadhyay to discuss her new book Still Hopeful: Lessons from a Lifetime of Activism. She shares her insights on how to build an activist movement for the long haul, and reacts to the latest damning report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was released earlier this week.

Luschiim's Plants: Traditional Indigenous Foods, Materials and Medicine by Dr. Luschiim Arvid Charlie and Nancy J. Turner

Cowichan Tribe Elder Luschiim Arvid Charlie passes down traditional teachings he received from his own Elders as a youth, his great-grandparents and members of their generation, in this book of regional plants and medicines.Luschiim's Plantscollects over 140 plants from algaeand seaweeds to fungi and mushrooms, ferns and fern-allies and more and includes their common, scientific and Hulquminum names, as well as where they are found and how to conservethem.

The book is nominated for the 2022 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize andBill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award.

Luschiim Arvid Charlie was born inQuamichanin 1942 and lives in the Duncan, B.C. area. He began learning about plants from Elders at a young age, and has dedicated his lifeto learning about the natural world andsharing traditional knowledge. In 2007, he received an honorary doctorate of letters degree from Malaspina University-College for his work in protecting the environment, teaching Coast Salish culture and preserving the Hul'q'umi'num' language.

Nancy J. Turner is an award-winning ethnobotanist and professor emerita with the University of Victoria. She has authored, co-authored or co-edited over 30 books, many of which are collaborationswith Indigenous communities to document and preserve traditional knowledge around plants, foods, materials and medicines. She has been adopted intoHaida, Kwakwaka'wakw, Songhees and Nisga'a families.

Raccoon by Daniel Heath Justice

Raccoonis a nonfiction look at the common raccoon that examines why the animal is thriving in Canadian urban environments and how the raccoon is benefiting from climate change.Raccoonexplores how they have adapted to urban life and how they are seen in some Indigenous cultures as a trickster or a transformative figure.

• Daniel Heath Justice on why the raccoon is a significant creature to Indigenous cultures

DanielHeath Justice is acitizen of the Cherokee Nation and a professor of First Nations and Indigenous studies and English at the University of British Columbia. He is the author ofBadgerandWhy Indigenous Literatures Matter.

LISTEN | DanielHeath Justice on CBC Radio:

13:19Daniel Heath Justice on Raccoon

Daniel Heath Justice talks to Shelagh Rogers about his book, Raccoon.

Chemical Valley by David Huebert

Halifax author David Huebert named his latest collection of short stories after Chemical Valley, a region in Sarnia, Ont., with a large number of plants and refineries.Many of Huebert's characters make their living from the petrochemical industry, but also see the impacts of climate change.

• 36 writers make the 2022 CBC Short Story Prize longlist

Huebert is the author of two poetry collections and two works of fiction. His first collection of short stories,Peninsula Sinking,won the Jim Connors Dartmouth Book Award and was shortlisted for the Alistair MacLeod Fiction Prize. He won the 2016 Short Story Prize for his storyEnigma.

LISTEN | David Huebert talks about his writing craft:

What On Earth27:01Cozy up with climate fiction

"Cli-fi" is a growing literary genre that, at its best, can inspire hope and spur action. Hear from Catherine Bush, Premee Mohamed and David Huebert about their new works of fiction.

Garden Physic by Sylvia Legris

Garden Physicis a poetry collection dedicated to the joy of tending to one's garden. Using florid language and poetic verse,Garden Physicrevels in the pleasures of nature, weather and colour and how the garden functions as a place of growth and healing.

Sylvia Legrisis a Saskatoon poet and author originally from Winnipeg. She has published several volumes of poetry, includingThe Hideous HiddenandNerve Squall,whichwon the 2006 Griffin Poetry Prize and the Pat Lowther Award.

LISTEN | Sylvia Legrisshares her thoughts on poetry and writing:

13:09Sylvia Legris on Garden Physic

Sylvia Legris talks to Shelagh Rogers about her poetry collection Garden Physic.

Lurch by Don McKay

Don McKayinvokes "the profane wonders of the wilderness" in his poetry, exploringthe awe-inspiring, often "unsayable" natural wonders of the world from rivers and trees to lichen and birdsong. The poetry lurches with complexity, astonishment and worry, as he contemplates the human complicity in mass extinction.

• Calling all writers! The 2022 CBC Poetry Prize is now open!

Don McKay is the author of 14books of poetry, includingStrike/Slip, which won the Griffin Poetry Prize,Camber, Selected PoemsandAngular Unconformity. McKay has taught poetry in universities across Canada. He currently lives in St. John's.

The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed

Premee Mohamed's noveltakes place long after climate disasters have wreaked havoc around the globe.The Annual Migration of Cloudsis set on the abandoned University of Alberta campus, where a community of survivors cobbles together an existence as they cope with an incurable disease.

Mohamed is an Indo-Caribbean scientist and author of speculative fiction in Edmonton. Her series Beneath the Rising received nominations for the Crawford Award, British Fantasy Award, Locus Award and Aurora Award.

LISTEN | Premee MohamedonThe Annual Migration of Clouds:

The Sunday Magazine17:20Premee Mohamed on turning science fiction tropes on their head

Premee Mohamed may write about the end of the world, mysterious illnesses and climate chaos but its not exactly hopeless apocalyptic fiction. The scientist and author focuses on rebuilding, adaptation and the hard work of getting on with it after everything has changed. She joins guest host David Common to talk about her latest book, The Annual Migration of Clouds and the enduring power of community for better or worse.

Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard

Biologist Suzanne Simard discovered the reality of the interconnection and intelligence of the forest. She's been able to find out that the trees are indeed whispering to each other communicating not through the wind, but through the soil. Her new scientific memoir,Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest,describes her life and research.

Finding the Mother Treewas thegrand prize winner for the 2021 Banff Mountain Book Competitionand acategory winnerfor the mountain environment and natural history award. It was alsonominated for theHubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize.

• When the trees talk, we need to listen, Suzanne Simard reveals inFinding the Mother Tree

Simard is a B.C.-based author and academic who grew up in Canadian forests as a descendant of loggers. She is a professor in the department of forest and conservation sciences at the University of British Columbia.SimardchampionedLife in the City of Dirty WaterbyClayton Thomas-MlleronCanada Reads2022.

LISTEN | Suzanne Simard talks about her latest work:

19:36Suzanne Simard on Finding the Mother Tree

Suzanne Simard talks to Shelagh Rogers about her book, Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest.

My Volcano by John Elizabeth Stintzi

A series of strange ecological phenomena begin to occur around the world: a 2.5 mile-tall volcano emergesin New York City and sendsmedia into a frenzy, a landslide of lemons leads to a juice boom for a company in California and a human being turns into a magical green and growing thing that aims to engulf everything in its path.The stories and narrators ofJohn Elizabeth Stintzi's novel reflect on a variety ofsocietal responses to ecological trauma including a desire to capitalize on it.

• How writing a novel helped John Elizabeth Stintzi connect with their own genderqueer identity

John Elizabeth Stintzi is a writer from northwestern Ontario,currently based in Kansas City, Mo. Their workSelections From Junebatwon the 2019 RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers and the Malahat Review's 2019 Long Poem Prize. Their poetry collection,Junebat,was published in spring 2020. They are also the author of the novelVanishing Monuments,which was a finalist forthe 2021 Amazon Canada First Novel Award.

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