Canadian Children's Book Week, May 2-8

The list is out! and what a  list...some of Canada's top creators will be out and about visiting schools and libraries in one way or another. Below are some of them

• Michelle Barker, My Long List of Impossible Things (9781773213644 PB/ 9781773213651 HC) 
• Paul Covello, Canada ABC 
• Kevin Sylvester, Follow Your Stuff (
• Nicola Winstanley, Mel and Mo’s Marvelous Balancing Act

You can see the full list here.

Shuggie Bain author at TIFA

Shuggie Bain is the heartrending story of a sweet and lonely boy growing up it the 1980's in Glasgow, Scotland. This beautiful novel is currently on the shortlist for the Booker Prize 2020 as well as the Kirkus Prize for Fiction 2020! On top of that, we are lucky enough to have author Douglas Stuart participating in this year's TIFA, which is completely virtual. Join Douglas in conversation with author Alex Pugsley in an event titled "Coming of Age," taking place on October 31st.  If you're planning a spooky night in for Hallowe'en, not to worry--the event will be available for three days following initial release.

2020 Booker Authors at TIFA!

The Toronto International Festival of Authors is online this year, and is hosting multiple authors who were shortlisted for the 2020 Booker and Booker International Prizes! Keep an eye out for:

- Maaza Mengiste, author of THE SHADOW KING, appearing in conversation with Emma Donoghue on October 25th for an event titled "Females on the Frontline"

- Fernanda Melchor, author of HURRICANE SEASON, appearing in an event titled "Tradition on Trial" on October 22nd.

- Shokoofeh Azar, author of THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE GREENGAGE TREE, appearing in an event titled "Home Sweet Homelands" on October 22nd, and doing a reading as part of the "Skin Hunger" event on October 27th.

The events will be available on line for three days following their initial release, so mark your calendars!

Toronto International Festival of Authors

Toronto International Festival of Authors has released their line up and it looks great! The authors appearing are phenomenal.. Andre Alexis, Anne Michaels, Catherine Hernandez, Colum McCann, Edwidge Danticat AND SO MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!! They will have order 200 free live stream events. So great!

Blue Spruce Awards Go Virtual!

The Blue Spruce Awards are going virtual! Visit Forest of Reading (see attachment for the link ; read-aloud schedule) to catch this years Blue Spruce Nominees!  These books will enrich young readers learning experiences with beautiful illustrations blended with fun, interesting, and exciting stories.

OLA Superconference 2020 Author Signings- HarperCollins/Harlequin

Please be sure to visit the HarperCollins (732/734) and Harlequin (730) Booths at the OLA Superconference this week! 

We have some great authors signing throughout the day on Thursday and Friday, and lots of great ARC giveaways and contests in-booth!

Thursday, Jan 30^th

• Molly Fader (The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season) 10:30am
• Kate Hilton (Better Luck Next Time) 10:30am
• Bryn Turnbull (The Woman Before Wallis) 11:30am 
• The Fan Brothers (The Scarecrow) 12:30pm 
• Hannah Mary McKinnon (Sister Dear) 2:30pm.

 Friday, Jan 31st

• Kelly Rimmer (Truths I Never Told You) 10:30am 
• Jessica Westhead (Worry) 10:30am
• Ken Oppel (Bloom) 11:30am 
• Kate Elizabeth Russell (My Dark Vanessa)- 12:30 pm 

Tune in tomorrow for a preview of some of the ARCs we'll have on hand at the HarperCollins booth!

Hope to see you at the conference!

Rosalyn

Tarnished Wisdom: John Waters, the First Filth Elder

The grotesque king sits upon his throne, and imparts as much wisdom as we can bear! John Waters, the pencil-mustache visionary behind such cult classics as Pink Flamingos and Hairspray, has been all over the US late-night talk shows recently, sharing some revelations and excerpts from his book, Mr. Know-It-All. An interview Mr. Waters did with Bill Maher can be found here, as well as a delightful chat with Terry Gross from NPR. Hopefully, we'll see the legend himself on CBC Q with Tom Power at some point in the future!

Head on over to  Farrar, Straus, and Giroux's website to order yourself a copy of John Waters' new book; or enjoy the summer air, and waltz on over to your nearest independent bookstore!

Dax DaSilva's Age Of Union - Anteism Books

The newest title from Anteism Books, Dax Dasilva's Age Of Union, is an entrancing work both aesthetically and thematically. Grounded in four pillars—leadership, culture, spirituality, and nature the book advocates—the book advocates that the time for change is now and that our choices are the catalyst.

Also, Anteism has opened up a new exhibition space! There's a nice shot of it below Dax's book. It's still under construction, but set to open up later in June. It's a 4000 square-feet level space on Beaubien Ave in the Mile X neighborhood in Montreal. They're planning to use the space to present installations around their new Fall titles, and Anteism hopes to eventually open an art book store!

Photo credits: Nik Mirus

  

Eve Ensler & The Apology: Toronto Talks

Eve Ensler, author of The Apology, and most known for her  bestseller-sensation The Vagina Monologues, was in Toronto yesterday (June 3rd) for an event with the "In Her Voice" series produced by Ben McNally Books. Taking place at Victoria College, and moderated by Denise Balkisoon, the event provided inspiring and moving insights to all those who attended. We wish Eve well as her book tour for The Apology, published by Bloomsbury Books, continues its route into Chicago!

Eve Ensler also had an interview with Anna Maria Tremonti for CBC The Current on the morning of June 4th which will  be broadcast on Tuesday, June 11. Topics of discussion included atonement, trauma, and sexual violence.

One more thing: Eve Ensler was interviewed by Judith Gerstel for Zoomer Magazine, which you can find here.

Follow Eve Ensler on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/eveensler/ 

Here's Eve's website: 

http://www.eveensler.org/

And finally, here's the Instagram for Eve's new book, The Apology:

https://www.instagram.com/theapology/

Human Rights, Crisis, and Writing

Immigration lawyer, magazine editor, a PhD in international human rights law - Oh, did we mention she's also a badass mystery fiction series writer? Ausma Zehanat Khan is a person of phenomenal talent, and yet stays incredibly down-to-earth. In this interview on Rungh.org, Zehanat Khan gets into the roots of her writing, what drives her, and how her real life research and experience has influenced her work. Her newest title, A Deadly Divide, hits shelves February 2019. Check out her past work here! 

Awesome Canadian Authors!

From vivid graphic novels and heart-warming picture books to white-knuckle murder mysteries and profound literary fiction, Canada's Authors are absolutely killing it! CBC Books kicked off July with their list of 100 Canadian writers you need to know, featuring a diverse mix of old favourites and incredible newcomers. Check out the full list here!

Canadian Indie Bookstore Day

Saturday April 28th, Canadian book lovers celebrate Independent Bookstore Day! Head on out to your local independent bookstore to meet authors, participate in activities, shop, and so much more. In an increasingly digital and big-box world, it's amazing how much you can discover and learn by connecting, browsing, and chatting within the book community - Let's make it a great day for our indie bookstores! 

Waiting for the Punch

Marc Maron hosts an awesome podcast: WTF. His book Waiting for the Punch goes on sale this week. It includes conversations with Amy Schumer, Mel Brooks, Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Sir Ian McKellen, Lorne Michels, Judd Apatow, Lena Dunham, Jimmy Fallon, RuPaul, Louis CK, David Sedaris, Bruce Springsteen, and most famuosly, President Obama. He was interviewed on Q.

Authors for Indies Day April 30th

Just a week away! Last the inaugural Authors for Indies Day was a smashing success and in fact was one of CBC's top book stories of the year. This year's promises to be even better with hundreds of authors participating. To find a participating bookstore go here.

Dream Home from the Property Bothers

Yahoo! I am so excited for this book!!! (aka Dream Home). This is their first book. I have read the advance and it is filled with great tips and ideas. The brothers will be coming to Toronto April 15th for media and appearances, In stores April 4th. House and Home has a sneak peek on the book.

The Pharos Gate: Griffin and Sabine’s Lost Correspondence lands today!

Nick Bantock's final book in the Griffin and Sabine series,The Pharos Gate,  is in stores today. It coincides with the 25th anniversary of when the first book came out in the series. In this PW article, Nick talks about his inspiration for the series which came from a walk from the post office where he was tired of getting only junk mail. He had the vision of a series of wonderful, enigmatic letters between a man and a woman. The rest is history!