The best Canadian fiction of 2023

Here are the CBC Books picks for the top Canadian fiction of the year!

Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesdayby Jamaluddin Aram

Set in 1990s Kabul, Afghanistan against the backdrop of civil war,Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesdayis a journey through the town of Wazirabad, which overflows with every kind of character imaginable. From a daughter selling scorpions to keep her mother from having to sell herself to the militiamen trying to solve a string of burglaries, to Bonesetter who reads his cat poetry, Aram provides a portrait of a community in its most mundane and extraordinary as the people of Wazirabad try to carve out a home and a life amidst war.

Jamaluddin Aram is a Toronto-based documentary filmmaker, producer and writer from Kabul, Afghanistan. Aram's short storyThis Hard Easy Lifewas a finalist for RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers in 2020. He was selected as a mentee by Michael Christie for the Writers' Trust of Canada mentorship program for his bookMarchoba, which becameNothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesday.

LISTEN | Jamaluddin Aramdiscusses Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesday:

The Sunday Magazine21:14Focus on the 'slow times' to see life amid wartime, says Afghan writer

The image of Afghanistan that we tend to see in the news is one of constant conflict. But Toronto-based writer Jamaluddin Aram is out to show another side of life during wartime. His debut novel Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on a Wednesday showcases everyday life in an Afghan neighbourhood amid the countrys civil war in the 1990s. He joins David Common to discuss how his own childhood in Kabul influenced the book, and why he wanted to show how life in Afghanistan is as full as anywhere else in the world.

Reuniting with Strangersby Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio

When five-year-old Monolith arrives from the Philippines to join his mother in Canada he lashes out, attacking her and destroying his new home in the linked short story collectionReuniting with Strangers. The characters inReuniting with Strangersare all dealing with feelings ofdisplacement and estrangementcaused as a result of migrating to Canada seeking opportunity.

• How Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio translated decades of work with Filipino newcomers into powerful fiction

JennileeAustria-Bonifacio is a Filipina-Canadian author, speaker and school board consultant who builds bridges between educators and Filipino families.She was the runner-up in the Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award recognizing Asian authors in the Canadian Diaspora.Austria-Bonifaciowas on the2022 CBC Short Story Prize longlist.

LISTEN | Jennilee Asutria-Bonifcao discusses Reuniting with Strangers:

All in a Weekend9:40Filipina-Canadian community worker writes novel that highlights issues for her community

A new novel tells the stories of Filipino caregivers in Canada and the struggles they face. Author Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio talks about the real-life inspiration behind the book through her work with children of Filipino caregivers.

Rouge by Mona Awad

Rougefollows the story of Belle, a dress shop clerk obsessed with skin and skincare videos.After her estranged mother dies unexpectedly, she returns tosouthern California for the funeral, where she's met with a mysterious woman in red who offers her a clue about her mother's sudden death. Belle is lured to the same culty spa that enthralled her mother. There, she uncovers family secrets and is further plunged into the dark side of beauty.

• Mona Awad explores the complexity of mother-daughter relationships in Rouge

Awad is also the author of the novelsBunny,All's Welland13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl.Born in Montreal, she currently lives in Boston.

LISTEN | Mona Awaddiscusses Rouge:

The Next Chapter19:39Mona Awads Rouge explores the beauty myth with a horror tinged take on Snow White

Ryan B. Patrick talks to acclaimed author Mona Awad about her new novel, Rouge.

Study for Obedienceby Sarah Bernstein

Study for Obedienceexplores themes of guilt, abuse and prejudice through the eyes of its unreliable narrator. In it, a woman leaves her hometown to move to a "remote northern country"to be a housekeeper for her brother, whose wife recently decided to leave him. Soon after her arrival the community is struck by unusual events from collective bovine hysteria to a potato blight. When the locals direct their growing suspicions ofincomersat her their hostility grows more palpable.

• Sarah Bernstein's absurdist novel Study for Obedience navigates guilt and feeling like an outsider

Sarah Bernstein won the2023 Scotiabank Giller PrizeforStudy for Obedience. It was alsoon the shortlist for the Booker Prize.Her other books include her 2021 novelThe Coming Bad Daysand her collection of prose poemsNow Comes the Lightning.Bernstein was namedone ofGranta'sbest young British novelists in 2023.

LISTEN | Sarah Bernsteindiscusses Study for Obedience:

The Next Chapter12:46Sarah Bernsteins Study for Obedience explores power and complicity

The novel, which is on both the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize and Booker Prize shortlists, follows a woman who moves to a remote town to be a housekeeper for her brother. When strange and sinister things begin to happen, the townspeople grow suspicious of her.

Hold My Girlby Charlene Carr

Hold My Girlis a dual narrative novel about a seemingly impossiblesituation:two women,Katherine and Tess, find out after pregnancy that theireggs were mistakenlyswitched during in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Hold My Girl, which exploresthe complexities of love, motherhood and racial identity, wasoptioned in 2023 by production company Blink Studios for a series adaptation.

• What makes someone a mother? That's the question at the heart of Charlene Carr's thriller Hold My Girl

Charlene Carr is a Toronto-raised writer and author now based in Nova Scotia. Hold My Girlis her first novel.

LISTEN | Charlene Carrdiscusses Hold My Girl:

The Next Chapter13:14Charlene Carr on Hold My Girl

Charlene Carr talks to Shelagh Rogers about her novel, Hold My Girl.

Birnam Woodby Eleanor Catton

Birnam Woodis an engaging eco-thriller set in the middle of a landslide in New Zealand. Mira, the founder of a guerilla gardening collective that plants crops amid other criminal environmental activities, sets her sights on an evacuated farm as a way out of financial ruin. The only problem is the American billionaire Robert Lemoine has already laid claim to it as his end-of-the-world lair. After the same thing for polar opposite reasons, their paths cross and Robert makes Mira an offer that would stave off her financial concerns for good. The question is: can she trust him?

Birnam Woodwas shortlisted for the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• 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 CattondiscussesBirnam 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 Double Life of Benson Yuby Kevin Chong

The Double Life of Benson Yurecounts the difficult adolescence of the titular character growing up in a housing project in 1980s Chinatown. The story takes a metafictional twist, when Yu's grip on memory and reality falters. The unique structure provides a layered and poignant look into how we come to terms with who we are, what happened to us as childrenand that finding hope and healing lies in whether we choose to suppress or process our experiences.

The Double Life of Benson Yuwas shortlisted for the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• What happens when writers lose control of their own story? That happens in Kevin Chong's latest novel

Kevin Chong is a Vancouver-based writer and associate professor at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. His other books include the nonfiction bookNorthern Dancerand fiction titles likeThe PlagueandBeauty Plus Pity. Chong was announced asone of the jurors for the 2024 CBC Short Story Prize.He waslonglistedfor theCBC Nonfiction Prizetwice, in 2015 forEmpty Housesand in 2020 forWhite Space.

LISTEN | Kevin Chongdiscusses The Double Life of Benson Yu:

The Next Chapter16:05Kevin Chong exposes the long-lasting effects of abuse in his metafiction tale, The Double Life of Benson Yu

Ryan B. Patrick interviews Kevin Chong about his new novel about a writer who loses control of his narrative.

The Adversaryby Michael Crummey

The Adversaryfeatures two rivals who represent the largestfishing operations on Newfoundland's northern outpost. When a weddingthat would have secured Abe Strapp's hold on the shore falls apart it sets off a series of events that lead to year after year of violence and vendettas and a seemingly endless feud.

• Michael Crummey's latest novel digs into the inner world of power-hungry characters on the East Coast

Michael Crummeyis a poet and novelist from Newfoundland and Labrador. He is also the author of the novelsThe Innocents,SweetlandandGaloreand the poetry collectionsArguments with GravityandPassengers. Two of Crummey's novels have been shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction Sweetlandin 2014 andGalorein 2009.The Innocentswasshortlisted for the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize,the 2019 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prizeand the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction.

LISTEN | Michael CrummeydiscussesThe Adversary:

The Next Chapter13:17Sibling rivalry is at the heart of Michael Crummeys new novel, The Adversary

The Newfoundland author tells a story of a brother and sister who run the largest mercantile firms in the North Atlantic. As animosity and violence grows between the pair, their community becomes increasingly divided.

The Librarianistby Patrick deWitt

InThe Librarianist,retired librarian Bob Comet is content spending the rest of his days reading in his Portlandhome, until a chance encounter with an older woman in the supermarket brings him to the senior centre, where he begins volunteering. There, through conversations, reflection and a few funny characters, Bob's life story is slowly revealed.

• Patrick deWitt depicts the loneliness and fullness of an introvert's life

Patrick deWittis a novelist from Portland, Ore., by way of Vancouver Island. He has written severalnovels, includingThe Sisters Brothers,which won the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction, the Leacock Medal for Humour, the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and was a finalist for the Booker Prize and the ScotiabankGiller Prize. His other books includeUndermajordomo MinorandFrench Exit.French Exitwas onthe shortlist for the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

LISTEN | Patrick deWittdiscussesThe Librarianist:

The Next Chapter17:52Patrick deWitt on The Librarianist

Ryan B. Patrick interviews Patrick deWitt about his new novel, The Librarianist.

VenCoby Cherie Dimaline

VenCois a subversive and imaginative adult novel about a coven of modern-day witches. The book's protagonist, Lucky St. James, finds herself down on her luck when she and her grandmother Stella are set to be evicted from their apartment. One night, doing laundry in the building's basement, Lucky finds a tarnished silver spoon that features an illustration of a witch over letters that spell out S-A-L-E-M.

This alerts Lucky to Meena, someone who is part of VenCo, an international headhunting firm that seeks out exceptional women. An adventure unfolds involving secret witches, witch hunters, magic spoons and an epic road trip from Torontoto Salem, through Appalachia and into New Orleans.

• Cherie Dimaline's novelVenCofeatures witches and a wild road trip across America

Cherie Dimaline is a Mtis author and editor. Her other books includeRed Rooms,The Girl Who Grew a Galaxy,A Gentle HabitandEmpire of Wild. Her YA novelThe Marrow Thieveswas named one ofTime magazine's top 100 YA books of all time.The Marrow Thieveswas defended byJully BlackonCanada Reads2018.The Marrow Thievesalso won theGovernor General's Literary Award for Young people's literature textand theKirkus Prize for young readers' literature.

LISTEN | Cherie DImalinediscusses VenCo:

The Next Chapter8:26Cherie Dimalines VenCo is a spell-binding novel about a contemporary coven (Encore: February 03, 2023)

Cherie Dimaline is a bestselling Mtis author best known for her YA novel The Marrow Thieves. Her latest book, VenCo, is about a diverse, modern coven of witches on the rise.

Learned by Heartby Emma Donoghue

Learned by Heartis a riveting account of the boarding school romance between Anne Lister, a brilliant and headstrong troublemaker, and Eliza Raine, an orphanedheiress banished from India to England. The novel draws on Lister'ssecret journal and extensive research to craft the two womens'long-buried stories.

Learned by Heartwas shortlisted for the 2023 Writers' Trust Atwood Gibson Prize.

• Emma Donoghue'sLearned by Heartis a historical queer romance novel about forbidden young love

Donoghue is an Irish Canadian writer known for her novelsLanding,Room,Frog Music,The Wonder,The Pull of the Starsand the children's bookThe Lotterys Plus One.Roomwas adapted into a critically acclaimed film starring Brie Larson.

LISTEN |Emma Donoghue onAnne Lister, young queer loveandLearned By Heart:

Q23:39Emma Donoghue: Anne Lister, young queer love, and her new novel Learned By Heart

Emma Donoghues new novel has been decades in the making. Learned by Heart tells the story of two young teenagers, Anne Lister and Eliza Raine, who fall in love at their boarding school in England in 1805. Except these characters arent that of fiction they actually existed. Emma tells Tom about when she first discovered the story, how Anne Lister changed her life, and how it feels to finally finish this novel.

The Clarionby Nina Dunic

Siblings Peter and Stasiare struggling to find their place in the world in the novelThe Clarion. Peter is a trumpet player who also works in a kitchen and Stasiistrying to climb the corporate ladder.The Clarionlooks at themes of intimacy and performance and how far one must go to find or lose their sense of self.

The Clarionwas longlisted forthe 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• Nina Dunic explores the power of human connection in her debut novelThe Clarion

Nina Dunic is a freelance writer and journalist living in Scarborough, Ont. She has been longlisted for theCBC Short Story Prizefour times:in 2023forThe Artist, in 2022forYouth,in 2020 forBodiesand in2019 for an earlier version ofBodies. In 2023, she was named to theCBC Books Writers to Watchlist.

And Then She Fellby Alicia Elliott

And Then She Fellfollows a young woman named Alice who is struggling to navigate the early days of motherhood and live up to the unrealistic expectations of those around her.

• Alicia Elliott publishing first novel get the first look atAnd Then She Fellnow

Alicia Elliott is a Mohawk writer living in Brantford, Ont.Her writing has been published most recently in Room, Grain and The New Quarterly.She is the author of the nonfiction bookA Mind Spread Out on the Ground,a columnist for CBC ArtsandCBC Booksnamed hera writer to watch in 2019.She waschosen by Tanya Talaga as the 2018 recipient of the RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award.

LISTEN | Alicia Elliottdiscusses And Then She Fell:

The Sunday Magazine22:11Alicia Elliott on fiction, motherhood and mental illness

Following her acclaimed essay collection A Mind Spread Out on the Ground, Mohawk writer Alicia Elliott is back with a new novel that draws on her own deeply personal experiences to tell a story of motherhood, mental illness and intergenerational trauma. And Then She Fell follows Alice, a young Haudenosaunee mother who goes through a kind of looking glass, as she deals with postpartum depression and married life away from her family and traditions. Its a story of difficult truths, told with humour, horror and a bit of surrealism. Elliott joins Rebecca Zandbergen to talk about the novel, the personal experiences that inspired it, and best practices for sharing difficult stories both in fiction and beyond.

The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Societyby Christine Estima

The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Societyis a collection of connected stories traces the immigrant experience of an Arab family through multiple generations. From brave Syrian refugees to trailblazing Lebanese freedom fighters,Azuree knows she comes from a long line of daring Arab women.These stories follow her as she explores ideas oflove, faith, despair and the effects of war and what those family histories mean for her as an Arab woman in the 21st century.

• Who gets to be a part of Canadian history, asks Arab-Canadian writer

Christine Estima is a writer, playwright and journalist living in Toronto. Shewas longlisted for the 2015 CBC Short Story Prize.The Syrian Ladies BenevolantSocietyis her first book.

LISTEN | Christine Estimadiscusses The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society:

Here and Now Toronto8:20Tuesday Afternoon Book Club with Christine Estima

"The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society" is the debut novel of Toronto author Christine Estima. Estima was in our studio for Here and Nows Tuesday Afternoon book club.

Meet Me at the Lakeby Carley Fortune

Meet Me at the Lakefinds 32-year-old Fern Brookbanks stuck: shecan't quite stop thinking about one perfect day she spent in her 20s. By chance, she met a man named Will Baxter and the two spent a romantic 24 hours in Toronto, after which they promised to meet up one year later.But Will never showed up.

Now, instead of living in the city like she thought she would, Fernmanagesher mother's Muskoka resort by the lake, a role she promised herself she'd never take on.Disillusionedwith her life, Fern is shocked when Willshows up at her door, suitcase in hand, asking to help. Why is he here after all this time and more importantly, can she trust him to stay? It's clear Will has a secret butFern isn't sure if she's ready to hear it all these years later.

• Blockbuster Canadian romance writer Carley Fortune dives into summer love at the lake

Carley Fortuneis a Toronto-based journalist who has worked as an editor for Refinery29, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine and Toronto Life.Meet Me at the Lakeis her second novel following her debut,Every Summer After.

LISTEN | Carley Fortunediscusses Meet Me at the Lake:

The Next Chapter18:20Blockbuster Canadian romance writer Carley Fortune dives into summer love at the lake.

Ryan B. Patrick interviews bestselling author Carley Fortune about her hit novels, Meet Me At the Lake and Every Summer After and what inspired her to write them.

Tales for Late Night Bonfiresby G.A. Grisenthwaite

InTales for Late Night Bonfires, G.A. Grisenthwaite blends the Indigenous tradition of oral storytelling with his own unique literary style. From tales about an impossible moose hunt to tales about the "Real Santa," Grisenthwaite crafts witty stories each more uncanny than the last.

• G.A. Grisenthwaite's novelHome Waltzis a coming-of-age story about friendship, identity and acceptance

G.A. Grisenthwaite is Nekepmx, a member of the Lytton First Nation who currently lives in Kingsville, Ont. His 2020 debut novel,Home Waltz,was shortlisted for theGovernor General's Literary Award for fiction. Grisenthwaite made the2021 CBC Short Story Prize longlistforSplatter Pattern.

We Meant Wellby Erum Shazia Hasan

We Meant Wellis a novel that poses a difficult moral dilemma for its protagonist, Maya, an aid worker who must decide who to believe when her coworker at the orphanage, Marc, is accused of assaulting her former protg, Lele. Caught between worlds with protests raging outside the orphanage, Maya must also balance the fate of the organization against the accusations. Navigating around these variables provides both challenge and insight as the complexity of the situation reveals the character of everyone involved.

We Meant Wellwas longlisted for the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• Erum Shazia Hasan discusses the intimate power dynamics of charity in novel We Meant Well

Erum Shazia Hasan is a Toronto-based writer and a sustainable development consultant for various UN agencies.We Meant Wellis her first novel.

LISTEN | Erum Shazia Hasandiscusses We Meant Well:

The Next Chapter18:05We Meant Well explores how power dynamics and personal biases can undermine even the most noble of intentions.

Ali Hassan interviews bestselling Canadian author Erum Shazia Hasan about her 2023 Giller Prize-longlisted novel which takes a thought-provoking look at the innate complexities of doing good.

Instructions for the Drowningby Steven Heighton

Instructions for the Drowningis a short story collection explores themes of love and fear, delusion and idealism and the ironic ways we come up short despite trying our very best. In one, a man remembers his father's instructions for how to save someone who is drowning but then finds himselfconflicted when the moment arrives to act. In another, a man fixated by stories of freak accidents ends up bearing the brunt of one himself.

• The key to Steven Heighton's success as a Canadian poet and author is staying humble and true to the art

Steven Heighton was an Ontario novelist, short story writer and poet.He received the 2016 Governor General's Literary Award for poetry forThe Waking Comes Late.His recent books includeReaching Mithymna: Among the Volunteers and Refugees on Lesvos, afinalist for the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction, andSelected Poems 1983-2020. In 2021, Heighton released his first album,The Devil's Share. Heightondied in April 2022.

Linghunby Ai Jiang

Linghunis a debut novellawhich centres the lives of migrants through a gothic horror lens. Following the perspectives of three characters in the uncanny town of HOME, Wenqi is confused by her family, Liam becomes anunlikely ally and Mrs. seems to have been there forever.Linghunis a ghostly tale of those who are still holding onto the land of the living and burdened in death by their grief.

• 10 Canadian books to read during Asian Heritage Month

Ai Jiang is a Chinese-Canadian author and poet. She was a finalist for the 2022 Nebula Award for Best Short Story.Linghunis her debut novella.

Bad Creeby Jessica Johns

Bad Creeis a horror-infused novelthatcentres around a young woman named Mackenzie, who is haunted by terrifying nightmares and wracked with guilt about her sister Sabrina's untimely death. The lines between her dreams and reality start to blur whenshe begins seeing a murder of crows following her around the city and starts gettingthreatening text messages from someone claiming to be her dead sister. Looking to escape, Mackenzieheads back to her hometown in rural Alberta where she finds her family still entrenched in their grief. With her dreams intensifying and getting more dangerous, Mackenzie must confront a violent family legacy and reconcilewith the land and her community.

• Jessica Johns's novelBad Creeis a story about grief, guilt and healing

Jessica Johns is a Vancouver-based writer, visual artistandmember of Sucker Creek First Nation in Treaty 8 Territory in northern Alberta. Johns won the2020 Writers' TrustJourney Prizefor the short storyBad Cree, which evolved into the novel of the same name.

LISTEN | Jessica Johnsdiscusses Bad Cree:

The Next Chapter2:42Jessica Johns blurs the lines between dreams and reality in Bad Cree (Encore: February 25, 2023)

Jessica Johns reveals the inspiration behind her critically acclaimed debut novel.

Landscapes by Christine Lai

Landscapesis anovel set in our world in the near future amidst ecological disaster. Told through the narrative of Penelope as well as diary entries,Landscapesblends the country house novel with geopolitics.

• CBC Books' writers to watch: 30 Canadian writers making their mark in 2023

Christine Lai is a Vancouver-based writer with a PhD in English literature from University College London.Landscapesis her first novel.

On the Ravineby Vincent Lam

Vincent Lam's On the Ravineis a follow-up of sorts to his 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning short story collectionBloodletting & Miraculous Cures.InBloodletting & Miraculous Cures, readers met four medical students and were immersed in the challenges and transformations that unfolded as these students became young doctors.On the Ravinerevisits two of the characters from the earlier book Chen and Fitzgerald several years later in their career.On the Ravinereveals that Chen and Fitzgerald have remained close friends and have devoted themselves to the treatment of opioid addiction, each in a very different way. But when Claire, a talented violinist, comes under Chen's care, his desire to help her is intertwined with his own past and the demands of her medical care challenge Chen and Fitzgerald's delicately balanced friendship.

• Vincent Lam is back with new novelOn the Ravine

Vincent Lam is a Toronto-based short story writer, novelist and medical doctor. Hisbooks include Bloodletting & Miraculous CuresandThe Headmaster's Wager,a 2012 novel that was shortlisted for the 2012 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction and the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize.

LISTEN | Vincent Lam answers the Proust questionnaire:

The Next Chapter6:14Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning author Vincent Lam answers the Proust questionnaire

The Toronto author and physician shares his favourite authors, his love of bicycles and when hes less than truthful in The Next Chapters version of the Proust questionnaire.

The Futureby Catherine Leroux, translated by Susan Ouriou

The Futureset in an alternate historyDetroit where the French never surrendered the city to the U.S.It's residents deal with poverty, pollution and a legacy of racism. When a woman Gloria, a woman looking for answersabout her missing granddaughters arrives in the city she finds a kingdom of orphaned and abandoned children who have created their own society.

• Catherine Leroux imagines an alternate history of Detroit in her book, The Future

Catherine Lerouxis a writer,translator and journalist from Montreal.She was shortlistedfor the2016 ScotiabankGiller Prizefor her novelThe Party Wall, which is an English translation of her French-languageshort story collectionLe mur mitoyen.

Susan Ouriouis a French and Spanish to English translator, a fiction writer and a playwright.She has previously won the Governor General's Literary Award for translation for her work.

LISTEN | Catherine Leroux discusses TheFuture:

The Next Chapter12:23Catherine Leroux imagines an alternate history of Detroit in her book, The Future

Set in a world where the French never surrendered the Motor City to the U.S., a woman named Gloria searches for answers after her daughter is murdered and her grandchildren go missing.

Do You Remember Being Born?by Sean Michaels

Do You Remember Being Born?follows a famous poet named Marian Ffarmer,who after years of dedicating herself singularly to her art has started to question her life choices. After receiving an invitation to the Silicon Valley headquarters of one of the biggest tech companies in the world, Marian begins collaborating with a state-of-the-art poetry bot named Charlotte. What follows is a journey of self-discovery for both Marian and Charlotte, as the two begin to form a friendship unlike any Marian has ever known.

• Sean Michaels examines the tense relationship between artists and AI in new novel

Sean Michaelswas born in Stirling, Scotland and moved to Montreal, where he currently lives, when he was 18 years old. His first novel,Us Conductors, won the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2014 and was nominated for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award, the Kirkus Prize and the International Dublin Literary Award. Michaels is also the founder of the music blog Said the Gramophone.

LISTEN | Sean Michaelsdiscusses Do You Remember Being Born?:

The Next Chapter14:03Giller-Prize winning author Sean Michaels on the intersection of A.I and art in Do You Remember Being Born?

Sean Michaels in conversation with Ryan B Patrick about his novel, Do You Remember Being Born?

Silver Nitrateby Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silver Nitrateis the latest Gothic horror novel from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It's set in the film scene of the 1990s in Mexico City,Montserrat, a sound editor, has forever been in love with and ignored by her childhood best friend, Tristn. Abel Urueta is a legendary horror director who believes he is cursed after failing to finish his last film. Enlisting the help of Tristn and Montserrat, the three become entangled in a mysterious challenge to finish the film and find the occultist who cursed Urueta.Silver Nitrateexplores a haunting and magical story behind the film industry.

• Gothic horror onCanada Reads? Breaking boundaries is the norm forMexican Gothic author Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a Canadian author, who was born and raised in Mexico. She has written several speculative fiction novels, includingGods of Jade and Shadow,Velvet Was the NightandThe Daughter of Doctor Moreau. Her novelMexican Gothicwaschampioned by Tiktok creator Tasnim GeedionCanada Reads2023.

WATCH | Tasnim Geedi champions Mexican Gothic on Canada Reads:

Tasnim Geedi champions Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

1 year ago

Duration 1:01

On the opening day of Candaa Reads 2023, Tasnim Geedi argues that Mexican Gothic can help us examinedifficult topics like colonialism and white supremacy.

Sunshine Nailsby Mai Nguyen

A humorous and heartfelt novel,Sunshine Nailsis about a Vietnamese Canadian family who are trying to keep their family business, a nail salon called Sunshine Nails, open. In addition to increasing rent, a new chain salon store named Take Ten opens in the same neighbourhood, and the family's business struggles to remain running.Family relationships are put to the test as they work together to save their nail salon.

• Halifax-raised author paints nail-salon experience with honest brush in new book

Mai Nguyen was raised in Halifax and currently lives in Toronto. She has written for publications such as Wired, The Washington Post, The Toronto Star as a journalist and copywriter.Sunshine Nailsis her debut novel.

LISTEN | Mai Nguyen discusses Sunshine Nails:

The Next Chapter16:57Mai Nguyen on a familys struggling salon in Sunshine Nails

Toronto writer Mai Nguyens parents opened a nail salon in Halifax when they immigrated from Vietnam. Its where Mai spent a lot of her time growing up, and now it is the inspiration for her debut novel Sunshine Nails. Ali Hassan talks with the author about the story of a family business struggling to stay afloat.

A History of Burningby Janika Oza

A History of Burningis an epic novel about how one act of rebellion can influence a family for generations. It's 1898 and a 13-year-old boy in India named Pirbhai needs to make money to support his familyand ends up inadvertently being sent across the ocean to be a labourer for the British. He has a choice to make, and what he does will change the course of his life, and his family's fate, for years to come. The story takes readers to Uganda, India, England and Canada in the wake of Pirbhai's choice as the novel explores the impacts of colonialism, resistance, exile and the power of family.

A History of Burningwas shortlisted for the 2023 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction.

• Janika Oza'sA History of Burningis a multigenerational saga exploring the impacts of colonialism and exile

Janika Oza is a writer, educator and graduate student based in Toronto. She won the 2019 Malahat Review Open Season Award in fiction for her short storyExile, the 2020 Kenyon ReviewShort Fiction Award and the 2022 O. Henry Award. Oza made the2019 CBC Short Story Prize longlistfor her storyThe Gift of Choice,which is a chapter inA History of Burning.

LISTEN | Janika Oza discusses A History of Burning:

The Next Chapter21:26Janika Ozas buzzworthy debut novel is an intergenerational family saga that explores colonialism and exile

Ryan B. Patrick interviews Janika Oza about her debut novel, A History of Burning.

The Berry Pickersby Amanda Peters

InThe Berry Pickers, a four-year-old girl from a Mi'kmaq family goes missing in Maine's blueberry fields in the 1960s. Nearly 50 years later, Norma, a young girl from an affluent family is determined to find out what her parents aren'ttelling her. Little by little, the two families' interconnected secrets unravel.

The Berry Pickerswas shortlisted for the 2023 Writers' Trust Atwood Gibson Prize.

• A dark family mystery unravels as one woman searches for the truth in Amanda Peters' novel The Berry Pickers

Amanda Peters is a writer of Mi'kmaq and settler ancestry living in Annapolis Valley, N.S. She was thewinner of the 2021 Indigenous Voices Award for Unpublished Proseand a participant in the2021 Writers' Trust Rising Starsprogram.

LISTEN | Amanda Petersdiscusses The Berry Pickers:

The Next Chapter3:10Amanda Peters on The Berry Pickers

Amanda Peters on the inspiration behind her novel, The Berry Pickers

A Grandmother Begins the Storyby Michelle Porter

A Grandmother Begins the Storytells the story of five generations ofMtiswomen as they raise children, reclaim lost heritage, heal past traumas, tell stories that will carry healing forward and make peace in the afterlife. Introducingthe women at different life stages, including after death, the book showcases a diversity of voices and personalities.

A Grandmother Begins the Storywas shortlisted for the 2023 Writers' Trust Atwood Gibson Prize.

• 'The land had to have a voice:' Mtis author Michelle Porter discusses her debut novel

Michelle Porter also wrote the memoirScratching River, the nonfiction bookApproaching Fire,which wasshortlisted for the Indigenous Voices Award in 2021and a book of poetry,Inquiries,which wasshortlisted for the Pat Lowther Memorial Award. She lives in Newfoundland and Labrador. Porter made the2019 CBC Nonfiction Prize longlistfor her storyFireweed. Before that, she'd also made the2017 CBC Poetry Prize longlistforSlicing Lemons in Apriland the2016 CBC Poetry Prize longlistforBetween you and home.

LISTEN | Michelle Porterdiscusses A Grandmother Begins the Story:

The Next Chapter19:12Michelle Porter on A Grandmother Begins the Story

The Metis author Michelle Porter talks to Shelagh Rogers about her debut novel, A Grandmother Begins the Story, which features a multiplicity of voices, human and otherwise.

The Rooftop Gardenby Menaka Raman-Wilms

The Rooftop Gardenfollows Nabila and her childhood friend Matthew, who played on Nabila's rooftop garden in an imaginary world that has flooded from climate change. Nabila comes from an educated, middle-class family, while Matthew had been abandoned by his father and was often left to deal with things on his own. Their childhood experiences reveal how their lives are on different trajectories, even at an early stage.

The Rooftop Gardenwas longlisted for the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• How the collision of nature and urban spaces inspired Menaka Raman-Wilms's debut book

Menaka Raman-Wilms is a writer and journalist based in Toronto. She's the host of The Decibel, the daily news podcast from the Globe and Mail. She's also worked as a parliamentary reporter for the Globe and as an associate producer atCBC Radio One.Raman-Wilms was shortlisted for the 2019 CBC Short Story Prizefor her storyBlack Coffee.

River Mummaby Zalika Reid-Benta

River Mummais a magical realist storyinspired by Jamaican folklore. The main character is a young Black woman having a quarter-life crisis whileadventuring through the streets of Toronto. The story follows Alicia, a young womanwho still lives at home with her mom and has no career prospects. One evening, River Mumma, the Jamaican water deity, appears to inform Aliciathat she has 24hours to find her missing comb in the city.

Why River Mumma chose her is a mystery. Alicia barelyremembers the legends she was told about the deity as a child. Still, Alicia embarks on her quest through the city which turns into a journey through time to find herself, but also what the river carries.

• Zalika Reid-Benta's new novelRiver Mummais a magical realism take on the quarter-life crisis

Zalika Reid-Benta is a Toronto-based author who explores race, identity and culture through the lens of second-generation Caribbean Canadians in her work.The Columbia MFA graduate's debut novelFrying Plantainwas on the2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist.CBC Booksnamed Reid-Bentaa writer to watch in 2019and she served asjury chair for the2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

LISTEN | Zalika Reid-Bentaon Q:

Q18:59How staying true to herself helped Zalika Reid-Benta become an award-winning author

The author Zalika Reid-Benta was only 28 when she took the book industry by storm. Her debut book, Frying Plantain, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. But heres the thing: Zalika almost didnt finish that book after some initial feedback deemed the manuscript too Jamaican and too Canadian. Now, shes back with her second book and debut novel, River Mumma a fantasy that unequivocally pays homage to her roots. She talks to Tom about her new novel and how her unwavering commitment to her roots paid off.

All The Colour In The Worldby CS Richardson

All the Colour In the Worldis a story of a young boy named Henry who discovers a passion for art which carries him through the many misadventures of his life in the 20th century. From his first set of colouring pencils he is gifted at his grandmother's place to the worlds of academia, war and sweeping romance, Henry's art stays alongside his enduring story.

• CS Richardson weaves art history with memory in the Giller Prize-finalist novel All the Colour in the World

CS Richardson is a Toronto-based writer and award-winning book designer.All the Colour In the Worldwas shortlisted for the 2023 ScotiabankGiller Prize. His previous novels includeThe End of the Alphabet,which won the 2008 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book, andThe Emperor of Paris,which was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2012.

LISTEN |CS RIchardsondiscusses All The Colour In the World:

The Next Chapter12:17Sometimes judge a book by its cover

Award-winning designer C.S. Richardson has been creating book covers for decades but when it comes to his own work, its a different story. The Giller Prize-shortlisted author talks about inspiration and creating his latest book All the Colour in the World with Ryan B. Patrick.

The Damagesby Genevieve Scott

In hernovelThe Damages, Genevieve Scott uses the late-1990s grunge and girl power movementsas the backdrop for a story about consent, trauma and the cost of lies.Protagonist Ros is excited to go to university in Ontario and totally reinvent herselfbut when she meets her roommate Megan, Ros knows she is a social liability. Duringanintense ice storm, Megan goes missingand Rosis shunned by her newfound friends. Two decades later, Lukas Ros's exand the father of her young son is accused of sexual assault and Ros is forced to face her mistakes from the past and reflect on the era she grew up in through a post-#MeToo lens.

• Genevieve Scott explores sex, consent and the 'duplicity & dishonesty' of the late-90s in novelThe Damages

Genevieve Scott is a Canadian author and teacher based in California. Her previous workwas the novelCatch My Drift.

LISTEN | Genevieve Scott discussesThe Damages:

The Next Chapter19:44Genevieve Scott explores the complicated sexual dynamics of the 90s in The Damages

Set in the 1990s era of girl power, sex positivity and the ClintonLewinsky scandal, the novel tells the story of a Canadian student named Megan who mysteriously disappears.

In The Upper Countryby Kai Thomas

In The Upper Countryis the story of young Lensinda Martin, whois summoned to interview an oldwoman who has shot and killeda slave hunter.The woman, who recently arrived in Dunmore, Alta., via the Underground Railroad, refuses to confessbut instead proposes a deal: a story for a story. Through these stories, the interwoven nature of Indigenous and Black histories in North America become apparent and Lensinda's destiny could be changed forever.

In The Upper Countrywon the 2023 Writers' Trust Atwood Gibson Award for fictionand was shortlisted for the 2023 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction.

• Kai Thomas's novel In the Upper Country is a fresh take on Black Canadian history & the Underground Railroad

Kai Thomas is a writer, carpenter and land steward. Born and raised in Ottawa, he is of Black and mixed heritage descended from Trinidad and the British Isles.CBC Booksnamed Thomas aBlack writer to watch in 2023.

LISTEN | Kai ThomasdiscussesIn the Upper Country:

The Next Chapter13:02Kai Thomas on Upper Country

TNC contributor Ryan B. Patrick interviews Kai Thomas about his historical fiction novel, Upper Country.

Wild Hopeby Joan Thomas

Wild Hopefollows Isla and Jake, acouple who are slowly drifting apart. Isla's farm-to-table restaurant is failing and visual artist Jake is haunted by his late father's legacy in the oil and gas industry.Jake's childhood friend-turned-enemy Reg Bevaquais a local bottled-water baron and harbours a seething resentment toward Jake. Reg is a demanding regular at Isla's restaurant and Jake is keeping a closeeye on him. When Jake disappears after awinter camping trip all signs point to Reg and his magnificent Georgian Bay property and Isla is determined to get to the bottom of it.

• Joan Thomas's novel Wild Hope is a page-turning mystery about wealth, water and art

Joan Thomas is the author of four previous novels. Her first novel,Reading by Lightning,won the Commonwealth Prize for Best First Book (Canada and the Caribbean) and the Amazon First Novel Award. Her novelFive Wiveswon the2019 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction. Her novelThe Opening Skywas a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction in 2014.

LISTEN | Joan ThomasdiscussesWild Hope:

The Next Chapter13:44Joan Thomas explores privilege and the perils of ambition in Wild Hope

The follow-up to her Governor Generals Literary Award winner Five Wives is a gripping and nuanced story of entitlement, corporate greed and vengeance.

Chrysalisby Anuja Varghese

Chrysalisis a short story collection examines the ways in which racialized women are undermined and exploited and the ways in which they reclaim their power. Blending realism with elements of fantasy, Varghesetells stories of a womandying in her sleep repeatedly until she finds an unexpected refuge or a couple in a broken marriage encountering spiritual direction. Each story looks at family, sexuality, cultural norms and the ties that bind.

Chrysaliswon the 2023 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction and the Writers' Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ+ emerging writers.

• Anuja Varghese's short story collection Chrysalis among $25K Governor General's Literary Award winners

Anuja Vargheseis a Hamilton, Ont.-based writer and editor. Her stories have been recognized in the Prism International Short Fiction Contest and the Alice Munro Festival Short Story Competition and nominated for the Pushcart Prize.

LISTEN | Anuja Varghese discussesChrysalisonThe Next Chapter:

The Next Chapter13:48Anuja Varghese's short story collection sizzles with desire and transformation

Hamilton-based writer Anuja Varghese shares the inspiration behind her debut short story collection, Chrysalis.

The Circleby katherena vermette

The Circleis the third and final book set in the worldofThe StrangersandThe Break,featuring some of the same characters. With Phoenix set for release from prison for the assault she committed inThe Break, the news is sending ripples through the community. Her sister Cedar hasbeen both dreading and longing forher return, while M, the girl Phoenix assaulted is triggered by the news.When Phoenix goes missing shortlyafter her release, past grievances, revenge plots and accusations begin swirling and thecommunity and the people who live there all search for healing in their own ways.

• katherena vermette's novelThe Circleis about healing, justice and belonging

katherenavermette is a Mtis writer from Winnipeg. Her books include the poetry collectionsNorth End Love Songsandriver woman,the novelThe Breakand the four-book graphic novel seriesA Girl Called Echo.North End Love Songswon the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry.The Breakwas a finalist for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction. It was defended by Candy Palmater onCanada Reads2017.

LISTEN |katherena vermette discussesThe Circle:

The Sunday Magazine20:52Trauma, healing and justice: katherena vermette closes The Circle

When Mtis author and poet katherena vermette finished writing her debut novel, The Break, she had no idea the profound effect the characters she created would have on her life. Seven years later, vermette's third and final companion book in the series, The Circle, returns to two families struggling to hold things together when they're forced to reckon with deep wounds that have haunted them for years. Vermette joins Piya Chattopadhyay to discuss how, even though her books are fiction, the situations and choices that her characters face are very real for many Indigenous people in Canada.

The Book of Rainby Thomas Wharton

The Book of Rainis a sci-finovelset 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 Alberta 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 friendMichioto help get her back and all they need to do is break the laws of physics.

The Book of Rainwas shortlisted for the 2023 Atwood Gibson Fiction Prize.

• Thomas Wharton explores the natural world through a lens of fantasy and science fiction

Edmonton author and professor ThomasWharton 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 Literary Award for fiction and was also a finalist for the Writers' Trust Fiction Prize the same year.

LISTEN |Thonas WhartondiscussesThe Book of Rain:

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.

Girlfriend on Marsby Deborah Willis

Girlfriend on Marsis a story about love in the age of commercial space travel. Amber Kivinen is one of 23 reality TV contestants vying for two spots aboard the first commercial trip to Mars aboard MarsNow, a space shuttle commissioned by the billionaire Geoff Task. Amber is surrounded by a cast of unlikely characters, including an Israeli soldier and social media influencers, while her long-term partner, Kevin, stays at home with the plants and starts to wonder: why does his girlfriend feel such a desire to leave the planet?

• Reality TV and commercial space travel collide in Deborah Willis's novel Girlfriend on Mars

Deborah Willis is a writer from Calgary. Shedebuted in 2009 withVanishing and Other Stories,which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award. She followed it up with a collection of short fiction calledThe Dark and Other Love Storiesin 2017, which was longlisted for the ScotiabankGiller Prizeand won the Georges Bugnet Award for best work of fiction published in Alberta.

Denison Avenueby Daniel Innes & Christina Wong

Set in Toronto's Chinatown and Kensington Market,Denison Avenueis a moving portrait of a city undergoing mass gentrification and a Chinese Canadian elder experiencing the existential challenges of getting old and being Asian in North America. Recently widowed, Wong Cho Sum takes long walks through the city, collecting bottles and cans and meeting people on her journeys in a bid to ease her grief.

• 20 Canadian comics to check out in the first half of 2023

Daniel Innes is a multidisciplinary artist from Toronto.

Christina Wong is a Toronto writer, playwright and multidisciplinary artist who also works in sound installation, audio documentariesand photography.