The best Canadian fiction of 2021

Here are the picks byCBC Booksfor the top Canadian fiction of 2021.

What Strange Paradiseby Omar El Akkad

What Strange Paradiseis a novel that tells the story of a global refugee crisis through the eyes of a child. Nine-year-old Amir is the only survivor from a ship full of refugees coming to a small island nation. He ends up with a teenage girl named Vanna, who lives on the island. Even though they don't share a common language or culture, Vanna becomes determined to keep Amir safe.What Strange Paradisetells both their stories and how they each reached this moment, while asking the questions, "How did we get here?" and "What are we going to do about it?"

What Strange Paradisewonthe 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• Omar El Akkad talks about writing his novel What Strange Paradise

Omar El Akkad is a Canadian journalist and author who currently lives in Portland. He is also the author of the novelAmerican War, which was defended onCanada Reads2018 by actor Tahmoh Penikett.

Jordan Tannahill was an acclaimed playwright but not a dancer. Then he met Christopher House

5 years ago

Duration 3:45

"He is at once my best friend, my brother, my queer father, my mentor, and my collaborator." Tannahill and House dance together on In the Making stream the full episode now on CBC Gem.

The Listenersby Jordan Tannahill

In the novelThe Listeners, Claire Devon is one of a disparate group of people who can hear a low hum. No one in her house can hear it, and this sound has no obvious source or medical cause, but it starts upsetting the balance of Claire's life. She strikes up a friendship with one of her students who can also hear the hum. Feeling more and more isolated from their families and colleagues, they join a neighbourhood self-help group of people who can also hear the hum, which gradually transforms into something much more extreme, with far-reaching anddevastating consequences.

The Listenerswas onthe 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlist.

• Jordan Tannahill's latest novelThe Listenerstraces one woman's destructive journey in search for truth

Tannahill is a playwright, filmmaker, author and theatre director.He has twice won theGovernor General's Literary Award for drama: in 2014 forAge of Minorityand in 2018 forBotticelli in the Fire & Sunday in Sodom. He is also the author of the novelLiminal.

12:24Norma Dunning on Tainna

Norma Dunning talks to Shelagh Rogers about her book, Tainna: The Unseen Ones, Short Stories.

The Son of the HousebyCheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia

The Son of the Houseis the story of two Nigerian women, the housemaid Nwabulu and the wealthy Julie. The two live very different lives, but when both are kidnapped and forced to spend days together in a dark, tiny room,theykeep hope alive by sharing storiesand discovering common ground.

The Son of the Housewasonthe shortlist for the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia's debut novelThe Son of the Houseis a story about gender, trauma & patriarchy

CheluchiOnyemelukwe-Onuobia is a lawyer, academic and writer who divides her time between Lagos and Halifax.The Son of the Houseis her first novel. It won the SprinNG Women Authors Prize in 2020.

Linwood Barclay talks about the art of writing crime fiction

5 years ago

Duration 4:11

In the CBC Books 'Why I Write' series, Canadian authors talk about what literature means to them.

Glorious Frazzled Beingsby Anglique Lalonde

In the short story collectionGlorious Frazzled Beings,human and more-than-human worlds come together in places we call home. Among other tales, a ghost tends to the family garden, a shape-shifting mother deals with the complexities of love when one son is born with beautiful fox ears andanother is not and a daughter tries to make sense of her dating profile after her mom dies.

Glorious Frazzled Beingswas on the shortlist for the2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• Anglique Lalonde explores the complexities of love in short story collectionGlorious Frazzled Beings

Anglique Lalonde is a B.C.-basedwriter whose work has been featured in PRISM International, the Journey Prize Anthology, Room and the Malahat Review, among other publications. She received the 2019 Writers' Trust Journey Prize and was nominated for a National Magazine Award. She was awarded an emerging writer's residency at the Banff Centre. She lives in Northern B.C. and holds a PhD in anthropology from the University of Victoria.

Out of Mindby David Bergen

Out of Mindis a novel about Lucille Black,a mother, grandmother, lover, psychiatrist and analyst of self. While she's fantastic at probing the lives of others, her own life has become untethered. Her ex-husband betrays her by publishing a memoir about the aftermath of their son's death in Afghanistan.Shethen travels to Thailand to try and free her daughter from the clutches of a cult leader. She's also invited to attend the wedding of a man whom she rejected a year earlier. While Black circles the globe, she's on a quest to reform her identity.

• 6 lessons David Bergen has learned from 25 years writing fiction

David Bergen is the author of 10novels and two collections of stories. His work includesThe Time in Between, which won the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award,The Matter with MorrisandThe Age of Hope, which was championed by Ron MacLean onCanada Reads2013. He currently lives in Winnipeg.

17:18Katherena Vermette on The Strangers

Katherena Vermette talks to Shelagh Rogers about her latest novel, The Strangers.

Tainna: The Unseen Onesby Norma Dunning

Tainna: The Unseen Onesis a collection of six stories from Inuk writer Norma Dunning. Each of the stories focuses on a contemporary Inuk character, and explores themes such as homelessness, spirituality, death, displacement, loneliness, alienation and community connection.

Tainnawon the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction.

• 'What inspired her was getting mad': Inuk writer tells family's stories in new collection

Dunning is an Inuk writer who currently lives in Edmonton. She is also the author of the short story collectionAnnie Muktuk and Other Storiesand the poetry collectionEskimo Pie: A Poetics of Inuit Identity.Annie Muktuk and Other Storieswon the 2018 Danuta Gleed Literary Award, which recognizes the best debut short story collection of the year.

Writers and Company52:03Rivka Galchens reimagining of a 17th century witch trial is a story that speaks to our time

The Canadian-born American novelist talks about magic and science and her new book about the real-life witch trial of the mother of 17th century astronomer Johannes Kepler.

Second Placeby Rachel Cusk

Second Placeis a novel about a woman who invites a famous artist to her remote coastal town. She hopes that his vision and talent will change her life, and her perspective on things. What unfolds is a study of humanity, beauty and connection, as the novel explores how our internal and external lives are connected.

• Rachel Cusk on honouring the strangeness of living

Rachel Cusk is a Canadian-born novelist who lives in the U.K. She is best known for her Outline trilogy, which is comprised of the novelsOutline,TransitandKudos. BothOutlineandTransitwere shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, in 2015 and 2017, respectively.

Find You Firstby Linwood Barclay

Find You Firstis the latest thriller from bestselling author Linwood Barclay. Miles Cookson is a millionaire who has been told he only has a short time left to live. He decides it's time to connect with the children that were born with sperm he donated decades before. But as his search unfolds, his offspring vanish, one by one. What is happening? Who is behind it? And can Miles figure it out before it's too late?

• Linwood Barclay talks about the art of writing crime fiction

Barclay is an American Canadian thriller writer, with almost 20 books to his credit. His books include the adult thrillersBroken Promise,A Noise Downstairs,Elevator Pitchand the middle-grade novelsEscapeandChase.

The Strangersby Katherena Vermette

InThe Strangers, readers are brought into the dynamic world of the Stranger family, the shared pain of their past and the light that shines from the horizon. After spending time in foster homes, Cedar goes to live with her estranged father. Being separated from her mother, Elsie, and her sister, Phoenix, is painful, but she's hoping for a new chapter in life. The three women diverge, reconnectand fight to survive in a system that expects them to fail.

The Strangerswon the2021 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prizeand waslonglisted for the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• Read an excerptfrom Katherena Vermette's novelThe Strangers

Vermette is a Red River Mtis writer from Winnipeg. Her debut poetry collection,North End Love Songs, won the 2013 Governor General's Literary Award for poetry. Her first novel,The Break, won the Amazon First Novel Award, Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction, Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Prize and McNally Robinson Book of the Year. It was championed on Canada Reads 2017 by comedian and broadcaster Candy Palmater. Vermette's other works include the poetry bookriver womanand the graphic novel seriesA Girl Called Echo.

12:39Casey Plett on A Dream of a Woman

Casey Plett talks to Shelagh Rogers about the novel, A Dream of a Woman.

Ringby Andr Alexis

Ringcompletes the quincunx of Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning writer Andr Alexis. When Helen Odhiambo Lloyd sensed that her daughter Gwenhwfar is in love, Helen gives her a ring that has been passed down through endless generations. The ring lets the bearer change three things about her beloved. It's a blessing, but may also be a curse.

The other titles in the quincunx arePastoral,The Hidden Keys,Fifteen DogsandDays by Moonlight. The novels in the quincunx each explore one offaith, place, love, power and hatred.Ringfocuses on love.

• Andr Alexis on the greasiest job he ever had and why he hates writing sex scenes

Alexis was born in Trinidad and grew up in Canada. His novelFifteen Dogsreceived the 2015 Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and wonCanada Reads2017, when it was defended by Humble the Poet.His other books includeChildhood,Pastoral,Asylum,The Hidden KeysandDays by Moonlight.

16:26Miriam Toews on Fight Night

Miriam Toews talks to Shelagh Rogers about her latest novel, Fight Night.

Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witchby Rivka Galchen

Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witchtakes place in a small German town in 1618, where an elderly widow is accused of witchcraft. In the German duchy of Wrttemberg, fear is palpable the plague is spreading, and The Thirty Years' War has begun. So when a woman named Ursula Reinbold accuses widow Katharina of offering her a witchy drink that has made her ill, Katharina is in trouble.

Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witchwas shortlisted forthe 2021 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.

• Rivka Galchen's Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch reimagines a real-life witch hunt read an excerpt now

Galchen is a Canadian American writer. She is also the author of the novelAtmospheric Disturbances. She lives in New York City.

20:17Mona Awad on All's Well

Mona Awad talks to Shelagh Rogers about her latest novel, All's Well.

We Want What We Wantby Alix Ohlin

We Want What We Wantis a short story collection by Alix Ohlin. These stories explore parenthood, lost loves, wasted potential and more, showcasing life's humour, discomfort and beauty.

• Alix Ohlin explores the desire for an ending in short story collectionWe Want What We Want

Ohlin is a writer from Vancouver and the current chair of the creative writing program at the University of British Columbia. Her books include the novelsInside,Dual Citizensand the short story collectionSigns and Wonders. BothInsideandDual Citizenswere finalists for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, in 2012 and 2019, respectively.

14:32Lisa Bird Wilson on Probably Ruby

Lisa Bird Wilson in conversation with Shelagh Rogers about her novel, Probably Ruby.

A Dream of a Womanby Casey Plett

A Dream of a Womanisa collection of short stories revolvingaround transgender women who are looking for stable, adult lives. Taking place in Prairie high-rises andNew York warehouses, during freezing Canadian winters and drizzly Oregon days, these stories explore partnership, sex, addiction, romance, groundedness and love.

A Dream of a Womanwas onthe 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist.

• Casey Plett brings trans love to the forefront in short story collectionA Dream of a Woman

Casey Plett is a Windsor-based writer who was born in Manitoba and has lived in Oregon and New York. Her novelLittle Fishwon the Lambda Literary Award, Amazon First Novel Award and the Firecracker Award for Fiction. Her first collection of short stories,A Safe Girl to Love, was published in 2014.

16:39Zoe Whittall on The Spectacular

Zoe Whittall talks to Shelagh Rogers about her new novel, The Spectacular

Fight Nightby Miriam Toews

InFight Night, nine-year-old Swiv lives in Toronto with her pregnant mother, who is raising Swiv while caring for her own elderly mother. When Swiv is expelled from school, Grandma gives Swiv the task of writing to her absent father about what life is like in the house during her mother's final trimester. In turn, Swiv tells Grandma, who knows what it costs to survive the world, to write a letter to her unborn grandchild.

Fight Nightwason the shortlist for the2021 Scotiabank Giller Prizeand the2021 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.

• Why a 9-year-old girl narrates Miriam Toews's new novel,Fight Night

Miriam Toews is the author of seven novels, includingWomen Talking,All My Puny Sorrows,A Complicated KindnessandThe Flying Troutmans.She has won the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction, the Libris Award for Fiction Book of the Year, the Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the Writers' Trust Engel Findley Award.A Complicated KindnesswonCanada Readsin 2006, when it was defended by John K. Samson. Toews lives in Toronto.

The Next Chapter14:05Wayne Grady on The Good Father

Wayne Grady talks to Shelagh Rogers about his latest book, on The Good Father.

Lost Immunityby Daniel Kalla

In the novelLost Immunity, a dangerous bacteria has caused local outbreaks around the world. When it hits Seattle, the local public health officer asks a pharmaceutical company working on thevaccine to release it to the city early. At first, the controversial plan works. But when people start dying from an even more terrible and more mysterious illness, the vaccine gets blamed. Can they figure out what's really happening before it's too late?

• Why Daniel Kalla wrote about a modern pandemic

Daniel Kalla is an emergency room doctor, as well as an international bestselling author of 10 books, includingWe All Fall DownandThe Last High.

The Next Chapter14:07Uzma Jalaluddin on Hana Khan Carries On

Uzma Jalaluddin talks to Shelagh Rogers about her latest romantic comedy novel, Hana Khan Carries On.

We, Janeby Aimee Wall

We, Janeis about a young woman named Marthe, who ends up befriending an older woman while living in Montreal. She learns about how the woman used to help young women in rural Newfoundland get abortions, and the two return to the island to continue this cause. But over time,things become more difficult, and more complicated,than Martheeverimagined.

• Aimee Wall explores care for women by women and rural access to abortion in her debut novel We, Jane

Aimee Wall is a writer and translator from Newfoundland who now lives in Montreal. Her translations include Vickie Gendreau's novelsTestamentandDrama Queens.We, Janeis her first novel.

All's Wellby Mona Awad

In the novelAll's Well, the accident that ended Miranda Fitch's acting career has made her life a living nightmare. She has excruciating, chronic pain, a failed marriage, a dependence on painkillers and she's on the verge of losing her job as college theatre director. She's still determined to put on Shakespeare'sAll's Well That Ends Well, even though her cast wants Macbeth. She meets three strange benefactors who know a little too much about her past and are promising her the future she wants.

• Mona Awad's latest novel All's Well explores personal pain, suffering and self-doubt set to Shakespeare

Mona Awad is the author of13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, which won the Amazon Canada First Novel Award, the Colorado Book Awardand was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. She currently lives in Boston.

The Next Chapter22:08Mary Lawson on A Town Called Solace

Mary Lawson talks to Shelagh Rogers about A Town Called Solace.

Probably Rubyby Lisa Bird-Wilson

The novelProbably Rubyis about the life of Ruby, a young girl who grows up knowing very little about her Indigenous heritage.Her parents' separation sparks a chain reaction of events and her life is beset by alcohol, drugs and bad relationships. Left with no support network, Ruby searches for her unknown roots in the most destructive of places.

• Kinship is one of the most important things': Lisa Bird-Wilson's Probably Ruby is about the power of heritage

Lisa Bird-Wilson is a Saskatchewan Mtis and nhiyaw writer. Her bookJust Pretendingwon four Saskatchewan Book Awards. She is also the author of the poetry collectionThe Red Files.

The Next Chapter15:23Eden Robinson on Return of the Trickster.

Eden Robinson talks to Shealgh Rogers about the third installment of her Trickster Trilogy, Return of the Trickster.

The Spectacularby Zoe Whittall

InThe Spectacular, it's 1997 and Missy's band is touring across America. Every night, she plays the song about her absent mother that made the band famous. As the only girl in the band, she wants to party just as hard as everyone else, but a forgotten party favour strands her at the border. Carola is just surfacing from a sex scandal when she sees her daughter Missy for the first time in 10 years on the cover of a music magazine. Ruth plans on returning to the Turkish seaside but then her granddaughter Missy crashes at her house. Ruth decides it's time the women in her family try to understand each other again.

• How sex, love and riot grrrl music inspired Zoe Whittall's latest novel The Spectacular

Zoe Whittall's three novels have won her a Lambda Literary Award, the Dayne Ogilvie Prize and was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Her novelThe Best Kind of Peopleis currently being adapted for a limited series by Sarah Polley. Her other novels areHolding Still for as Long as PossibleandBottle Rocket Hearts. She has also written forSchitt's Creekand theBaroness Von Sketch Show.

The Next Chapter19:35Jael Richardson on Gutter Child

Jael Richardson on the inspiration behind her debut novel, Gutter Child.

Red Xby David Demchuk

In the novelRed X,men are disappearing from the gay village in Toronto. Their disappearances are ignored by the police and media, but they rock the community the same community dealingwith the HIV/AIDS crisis, police brutality and homophobia. This story unfolds alongside author David Demchuk's own story, as he explores the relationship between queerness and horror and how the scariest monsters that move through his community aren't imaginary.

• The haunted, homophobic history of Toronto is a real-life horror story

Demchuk is a writer and a CBC communicationsofficer. His first book,The Bone Mother,was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

10:55If you Liked Barbara Kingsolvers novel Unsheltered... You'll Love...

TNC columnist Victor Dwyer finds a Canadian companion to Barbara Kingsolvers novel Unsheltered.

Operation Angusby Terry Fallis

A follow-up to the comedic novelsThe Best Laid PlansandThe High Road,Operation Anguscontinues to follow the adventures of Angus McLintock, accidental member of Parliamentand now the newly appointed junior global affairs minister. After his chief of staff, Daniel Addison, receives a cryptic late-night text and goes to a secret meeting at a pub, the two of them are thrown into a race against the clock to save the Russian president.

• Terry Fallis says writing fiction that's geared for laughs isn't as easy as you'd think

Terry Fallis is the author of severalnovels, includingOne Brother Shy,The Best Laid Plans,The High RoadandUp and Down. He has won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour twice, in 2008 forThe Best Laid Plans, and in 2015 forNo Relation.The Best Laid PlanswonCanada Readsin 2011, when it was defended by journalist Ali Velshi.

12:54Tessa McWatt on The Snow Line

Tessa McWatt talks to Shelagh Rogers about her latest novel, The Snow Line.

The Good Fatherby Wayne Grady

The Good Fatheris about a divorced man, Harry, and his daughter, Daphne. Harry is living a quiet life in Toronto with his second wife, while Daphne is a volatile teenager growing up in Vancouver. But when a terrible event takes place, both Harry and Daphne are forced to re-examine their lives, and their relationship to each other.

• Wayne Grady's novel examines father-daughter relationships in his new novel The Good Father

Wayne Grady is a writer and translator from Kingston, Ont. His other books include the nonfiction booksThe Quiet Limit of the World, Bringing Back the DodoandTree: A Life Story,co-written with David Suzuki, and the novelsEmancipation DayandUp From Freedom.Emancipation Daywon the 2013 Amazon Canada First Novel Award.

22:30Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny on State of Terror

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny talk to Shelagh Rogers about their novel, State of Terror.

Hana Khan Carries Onby Uzma Jalaluddin

Hana Khan Carries Onis a romantic comedy from Uzma Jalaluddin. Hana is an aspiring radio host who is working at her family's halal restaurant. When her aunt and a cousin come to town, and a rival restaurant opens in their neighbourhood, Hana's life is upended and family secrets are revealed. Fighting for her family is a big battle, one that will put all of Hana's skills to the test. It's a battle that gets more complicated by Hana's growing attraction to the rival restaurant's attractive owner, Aydin.

• Uzma Jalaluddin's novel Hana Khan Carries On is a modern day meet-cute inspired by a love of rom-coms

Jalaluddin is a teacher, parenting columnist and author based in Ontario. She is also the author of the novelAyesha At Last.

The Next Chapter17:39Ashley Audrain on The Push

Ashely Audrain talks to Shelagh Rogers about her debut novel, The Push.

Manikanetishby Naomi Fontaine

InManikanetish, a young Innu woman, Yammie, returns to her home in the Uashat nation on Quebec's North Shoreafter 15 years of exile. She plans to teach language and drama at the localschool, but finds a community steeped in despair. When she accepts a position directing the school play, she sees an opportunity for her students to take charge of themselves.

Naomi Fontaine is a member of the Innu Nation of Uashat. Her debut novel,Kuessipan, was made into a film that was featured at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. The French-language edition ofManikanetishwas a finalist for aGovernor General's Literary Award for French-language fiction and Radio Canada'sCombat des livres2019.

A Town Called Solaceby Mary Lawson

A Town Called Solaceis a novel told from three different perspectives: Clara, a young woman who sits at her window, waiting for her missing sister to return home, Liam, Clara's new neighbour who Clara watches with suspicion, and Mrs. Orchard, the old woman who owns the house Liam is staying in. As their stories unfold, so does the mystery of what happened to Clara's sister and how Mrs. Orchard and Liam are connected.

• Mary Lawson's novelA Town Called Solaceis a mystery about hope and redemption in Northern Ontario

Mary Lawson is an acclaimed novelist who grew up in Ontario and now lives in the U.K. Her other novels includeCrow Lake,The Other Side of the BridgeandRoad Ends.Crow Lakewon the Amazon Canada First Novel Award.

Return of the Tricksterby Eden Robinson

Return of the Tricksteris the third book in celebrated writer Eden Robinson's Trickster trilogy, afterSon of a TricksterandTrickster Drift.InReturn of the Trickster,Jared is coming to terms with his trickster powers and with the havoc they create for him and everyone he loves. His mom, Maggie, is coming to terms with them as well. But when his power-hungry Aunt Georgina comes to town, it's the beginning of a magical war with Jared in the middle of it all.

• Eden Robinson's novel Return of the Trickster completes the story of a teen named Jared

Robinson is an award-winning writer from Kitamaat, B.C. She is also the author of the novelsMonkey Beach,Son of a TricksterandTrickster Drift.Son of a Tricksterwas a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and was championed onCanada Reads2020 by actor Kaniehtiio Horn.

The Next Chapter13:40Kim Thy on Vi

Earlier this winter, Shelagh Rogers spoke with Kim Thy as part of an event in support of a virtual e-book club supported by 600 libraries across the country. Kims novel Vi was the featured book for One eRead Canada. Here is part of that conversation with Kim Thy.

Gutter Childby Jael Richardson

Gutter Childis about a young girl growing up in a world divided: the Mainland,where people of privilege live, and the Gutter, a policestate where the most vulnerable reside. A social experiment results in 100 babies born in the Gutter being raised in the Mainland. One of those babies is Elimina Dubois. But when Elimina's Mainland mother dies, she is sent to an academy with rules and a way of life Elimina doesn't understand.

• Read an excerpt and see the trailer forGutter Childby Jael Richardson

Jael Richardson is the founder and the artistic director of the Festival for Literary Diversity (FOLD) and the books columnist forQon CBC Radio. She is also the author of the nonfiction bookThe Stone Thrower, which was adapted intoa picture book of the same name.Gutter Childis her first work of fiction.

Writers and Company52:32Myriam Chancys powerful new novel explores the tragedy of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti

Novelist Myriam Chancy talks to Eleanor Wachtel about her new book, What Storm, What Thunder. Multilayered and lyrical, it features a variety of inter-connected characters, each with a moving story.

Velvet Was the Nightby Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Set in the 1970s in Mexico City,Velvet Was the Nightfollows asecretary named Maite who lives to read the latest issue of Secret Romance. She escapes into stories of passion and danger, ignoring the student protests and political unrest that consume the city. When her next-door neighbour, Leonora, a beautiful art student, disappears under suspicious circumstances, Maite searches for her and uncovers hersecret life as a student radicaland dissident. Eccentric criminal Elvis, at the request of his boss, is also looking for Leonora. As Maite and Elvis come closer to finding out the truth behind Leonora's disappearance, they can no longer escape the danger that threatens to consume their lives.

• Why Silvia Moreno-Garcia likes to write genre-bending novels

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a Canadian writer born and raised in Mexico. She's the author of novelsMexican Gothic,Gods of Jade and Shadow,Signal to Noise,Certain Dark ThingsandThe Beautiful Ones. She has previously won the Goodreads Readers Choice Award,the Copper Cylinder Award and Aurora Award.

3:25Chevy Stevens on Dark Roads

Chevy Stevens on the inspiration behind her novel, Dark Roads.

Swimming Back to Trout Riverby Linda Rui Feng

InSwimming Back to Trout River, Junie is a 10-year-old living in a village in China with her grandparents. Her parents left for America several years before. Her father has written her a letter sayingthat he will come back to get her before she turns 12. But Junie doesn't want to go and she doesn't know how much her parents have changed. They have broken up, and are dealing with trauma from their past. But Junie's father is determined to make things right, and make sure Junie's future is brighter than his ever was.

Swimming Back to Trout Riverwas onthe 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist.

• Linda Rui Feng explores music, history and immigration in novelSwimming Back to Trout River

Linda Rui Feng is an academic and writer, who is currently a professor of Chinese cultural history at the University of Toronto.Swimming Back to Trout Riveris her first novel.

The Book of Form and Emptinessby Ruth Ozeki

The Book of Form and Emptinessis about a young boy dealing with the aftermath of his father's death. A year after his musician father dies, 13-year-old Benny Oh begins to hear voices in the random household objects around him. Some are pleasant, while others are angry and full of pain. When his mother starts hoarding things, the voices grow more intense. To keep the voices from following him everywhere, he seeks refuge in a public library, where objects are well-behaved. Oh meets mesmerizing new faces, and he discovers his own book, who narrates his life and teaches him to listen to the things that truly matter.

• Ruth Ozeki, Chris Abani and Tash Aw on faces and identity

Ruth Ozeki is a novelist, filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest. She is the author ofMy Year of Meats,All Over CreationandA Tale for the Time Being, which was shortlisted for the 2013 Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. Ozeki teaches creative writing at Smith College.

The Next Chapter17:44Thomas King on Sufferance

Thomas King talks to Shelagh Rogers about his latest novel, Sufferance.

Ghost ForestbyPik-Shuen Fung

The unnamed protagonist ofGhost Foreststrugglesto process the death of her father, in the face of her family's silence. Her father was one of Hong Kong's "astronaut fathers," a man who workedin Hong Kong while his family started a new life in Vancouver.

• Turning the page on summer: Book lovers name their must-reads for fall

Pik-Shuen Fung is a Canadian novelist based in New York City.Ghost Forestis her debut book.

The Snow Lineby Tessa McWatt

In the novelThe Snow Line, a wedding in India brings four unlikely people together: a yoga instructor named Yosh, a cousin of the bride named Monica, a childhood friend of the bride named Reema and an elderly guest named Jackson, who has brought his wife's ashes with him. As the wedding festivities unfold, the characters come together in unexpected and moving ways. Theyend up travelling together to scatter the ashes, complicating the dynamics and revealing even more secrets.

• Tessa McWatt's novel The Snow Line captures how the 2008 financial crisis forever changed who we are

Tessa McWatt is the author of several works of fiction. Her novels includeDragons Cry,Vital SignsandHigher Ed. She is also the co-editor of the anthologyLuminous Ink: Writers on Writing in Canadaand is the author of the memoirShame on Me.

The Sunday Magazine19:49Guy Vanderhaeghe on the fragility of humanity in times of crisis

In his first novel in a decade, celebrated author Guy Vanderhaeghe zooms in on a small town in Saskatchewan in the lead up to the Second World War. August into Winter follows two brothers, veterans racked with their own guilt and trauma, who are enlisted to chase down a murder suspect after the town's only constable is killed. The three-time Governor General's Award winner speaks with Piya Chattopadhyay about how times of crisis can expose the worst in us but also provide an opportunity for immense kindness and humanity.

State of Terrorby Louise Penny & Hillary Rodham Clinton

State of Terroris a thriller co-written by Canadian writer Louise Penny and former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton. The president of a newly sworn in administration has chosen Ellen Adams, a political enemy, as his secretary of state, effectively silenced one of his harshest critics. As the new president addresses Congress for the first time, with the secretary in attendance, a young foreign service officer receives a baffling text. The terrorist attacks that follows is revealed to involve the volatile politics of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran,the Russian mob and an American government weakened on the world stage. Now, it's up to Adams and her team to defeat it.

• 'This is a cautionary tale': Hillary Rodham Clinton & Louise Penny on writing an international thriller

Penny is the author of the bestselling series of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. She's won numerous prestigious literary awards focused on mystery fiction. In 2017, she received the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian culture.

Clinton served as the 67thU.S. secretary ofstate and was the first woman in United States history to become the presidential nominee of a major political party. She has been in public service for nearly four decades advocating for children and families as an attorney, firstlady and senator.

Astraby Cedar Bowers

Born and raised on a remote British Columbia commune, Astra Brine has long struggled to find her way in the world. As her path intersects with others over the years, she uncoversdifficult truths about who they are and what they yearn for.Astraexplores what we're willing to give and receive from others and how well we ever really know the people we love the most. It reminds us of the profound impact that a woman can have on those around herand the power struggles at play in all our relationships.

• What would your life look like through the eyes of others? That's the question in Cedar Bowers' novel Astra

Bowers is a B.C.-based author. Herfiction has been published in Joyland and Taddle Creek.Astrais her first novel. Bowers divides her time between Victoria and Galiano Island.

The Pushby Ashley Audrain

The Pushis a thriller about a woman who is experiencing motherhood for the first time, but it's not like anything she expected in fact, it's everything she was terrified it would be. When Blythe's first child, Violet, is born, she feels no connection to the baby and Violet isn't anything like other babies. But Blythe's husband is convinced it's all in her head, and everything will be fine if she just relaxes. But what if he's wrong? And if he's right, what does that say about Blythe?

• Read an excerpt fromThe Pushby Ashley Audrain

Ashley Audrainisa writer living in Toronto and the formerpublicity director of Penguin Canada.The Pushis her first novel.

Accidentally Engagedby Farah Heron

InAccidentally Engaged,Reena Manji refuses to be attracted to the man her parents have set her up withthe charming and attractive Nadim. But when Reena gets the opportunity to enter a cooking competition, she will do anything to win includingpretendingto be engaged to Nadim.

• Farah Heron on why conflict is key when writing a romantic comedy

Farah Heron is a writer from Toronto. She is also the author of the romantic comedyThe Chai Factor.

Emby Kim Thy,translated by Sheila Fischman

Emfollows the story of a young boy named Louis, the child of an American soldier, who takes care of an abandoned baby. Louis calls the baby em Hng,emmeaning "little sister" or "beloved." Although Louis lives on the streets of Saigon and holds the baby in a cardboard box, em Hng's life opens a realm of possibilities. The novel is inspired by historical events, including Operation Babylift, which evacuated thousands of orphans from Saigon in April 1975.

Emwas onthe 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist.

• Kim Thy revisits the horror and beauty of Vietnam's past in novel Em

Born in Saigon, Kim Thy left Vietnam in a boat at 10 years old and settled with her family in Quebec. Her other novels includeVi,ManandRu.Ruwon the Governor General's Literary Award for French-language fiction and was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2002. It also wonCanada Reads2015, when it was championed by Cameron Bailey. Her books have been translated into 29 languages and are available in 40 countries and territories.

The Apollo Murdersby Chris Hadfield

The Apollo Murdersis athriller about the Cold War and the space race between Russia and America.Three astronauts aboard Apollo 18 are miles away from home, on a top-secret mission to the Moon. As political stakes are stretched thin, Houston flight controller Kazimieras Zemeckis must do everything to keep the NASA crew together, while staying ahead of the Soviets. Butnot everyone on Apollo 18 is who they seem.

• Fact meets fiction in Chris Hadfield's new space thriller

Chris Hadfield is one of the most accomplished astronauts in the world, serving as NASA's director of operations in Russia and commander of the international spacestation. He gained worldwide acclaim for his photographs and educational videos about life in space. His other books includeAn Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth,You Are Hereand the picture bookThe Darkest Dark.

The Octopus Has Three Hearts by Rachel Rose

From a goat farmer to a suburban adulterer, a violent child to a polyamorous marine biologist, the diverse characters in Rachel Rose'sThe Octopus Has Three Heartshave little in common except a life-sustaining connection to the animal world. The octopus, dogs, pigs, chameleons, bats, parrots, rats and sugar gliders in their lives extend a measure of compassion and solace that their human communities lack.

The Octopus Has Three Heartswaslonglisted for the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• Rachel Rose grapples with redemption and forgiveness in short story collection The Octopus Has Three Hearts

Rose is the author of four poetry collections and a memoir calledThe Dog Lover Unit. She is the poet laureate emerita of Vancouver and a poetry editor at Cascadia Magaz.

What Storm, What Thunderby Myriam J.A. Chancy

What Storm, What Thunderis a novel thatdelves into the lives of characters affected by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. As markets and businesses begin to close down after a long, sweltering day, an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude hits the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. Survivors and victims of the tragedy share their stories of heartbreak, trauma and resilience.

• Myriam J. A. Chancy's powerful new novel explores the tragedy of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti

Myriam J.A. Chancy is the author of four novels and four books of literary criticism. Her novelThe Loneliness of Angelswon the Guyana Prize for Literature Caribbean Award in 2011 and was shortlisted for the 2011 OCM Bocas Prize in Carribbean Literature for fiction. Chancy was raised in Haiti and Canada and now resides in the U.S.

Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens

Dark Roadsis a thriller novel by Canadian author Chevy Stevens. Set in the wilds ofBritish Columbia,Dark Roadsis about aan isolated and vast stretch of road called the Cold Creek Highway which has earned a reputation for crime and malicious activity. A killer has silently gone undetected for years but tragic eventsinvolvingprotagonistsHailey and Beth take them on a journal of survival and vengeance.

• Chevy Stevens on why wanderlust is an effective procrastination tool

Stevens is theauthor of eight novels,which combine her interest in family dynamics with her love of her home on Vancouver Island. Her books include the novels Still Missing and Never Let You Go.

Sufferanceby Thomas King

Sufferanceis about Jeremiah Camp, a man who can look into the "heart of humanity" and see what's really causing society's biggest problems. But when he's seen one too many problems, he decides to go into hiding. But he can't escape his pasthe once made a list of 12 billionaires for a past job. When the men on this list start dying, one by one, people want to know why.

• Thomas King is hopeful that his writing has changed the world but he's still not sure

King is a Canadian American writer of Cherokee and Greek ancestry. He delivered the 2003 Massey Lectures,The Truth about Stories. His other books includeGreen Grass, Running Water,Truth & Bright Water,The Inconvenient IndianandThe Back of the Turtle. He also writes the DreadfulWater mystery series.Green Grass, Running Waterwas defended by Glen Murray onCanada Reads2004 andThe Inconvenient Indianwas defended by Craig Kielburger onCanada Reads2015.

August into Winterby Guy Vanderhaeghe

The first novel in nearly a decade from Guy Vanderhaeghe,August into Wintertakes place in 1939 in a world right before a global war. After Constable Hotchkiss confronts the spoiled, narcissistic Ernie Sickert about the disturbing pranks in their small Prairie town, Ernie commits an act of unspeakable violence. What follows is a course of events that will change many lives forever.

August into Winterwas on theshortlist for the 2021 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.

• A sordid crime in Guy Vanderhaeghe's hometown inspired August into Winter his first novel in nine years

Vanderhaeghe is a novelist, short story writer and playwright. His debut short story collection,Man Descending, published in 1982, earned him the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction and later Faber Prize in Britain. He would go on to win two more Governor General's Literary Awards: in 1996, for the novelThe Englishman's Boy, and in 2015, for the short story collectionDaddy Lenin and Other Stories.