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A black and white photo of writer James Cairns. He is a light skin toned man with longer dark hair that curls at the ends, sticking out from under a toque. He wears horn-rimmed glasses and stubble, and is laughing, almost in profile. He is pictured in front of a bookcase.

Author Interview

Writer’s Block: James Cairns

In his new book In Crisis, On Crisis: Essays in Troubled Times (Wolsak & Wynn) that examines our collective understanding of crisis โ€“ as well as the many crises going on right now โ€“ย James Cairns hopes to help readers “think in new ways about the nested character of the crises in their lives.” We talk to James about the book, as well as sobriety, parenthood, and other books he’d recommend in today’s writer’s block.

Behind the book

Under the Cover: From Hockey to Poetry in Ben von Jagow’s Goalie

The cover of Out of the Ordinary by Tom Wayman, featuring an illustration of a Christmas Cactus with pink flowers.

Read poetry

Two Poems: Out of the Ordinary

More from our editors

Freshly Published!

Browse what’s new on the ALU shelves this week.

Happy Pride!

What are we reading for Pride Month? Browse our list of new-and-notable books from LGBTQ2SIA+ writers
as part of your Pride celebrations.

Eraser

By (author): Bilal Baig, Sadie Epstein-Fine

With: Christol Bryan, Marina Gomes, Yousef Kadoura, Tijiki Morris, Anthony Perpuse, Nathan Redburn

Illustrated by: Cleopatria Peterson

NOAH: Jihad, tell her. JIHAD: / What? TARA: Guys I think she knows youโ€™re talking about her. NOAH: Communicate in y….

Under All the Lights

By (author): Maya Ameyaw

A songwriter wrestles with instant stardom and his bisexuality in this raw and propulsive novel for fans of If This Gets….

I Remember Lights

By (author): Ben Ladouceur

The first novel from award-winning poet Ben Ladouceur, I Remember Lights depicts a time when the world promised everythi….

Home Fires Burn

By (author): Anthony Bidulka

In the conclusion of the award-winning Merry Bell trilogy, a celebrated philanthropist is found slumped against his car,….

Green by Zachari Logan

An exciting new collection of ekphrastic poems accompanied by a compilation of green sketches via the lens of a queer po….

This Report is Strictly Confidential

By (author): Elizabeth Ruth

Presented in four linked sections, this debut poetry collection from award winning writer Elizabeth Ruth offers readers ….

Subterrane

By (author): Valรฉrie Bah

A speculative comedy comprised of a carousel of Black and Queer voices being pushed further underground by urban prosper….

a body more tolerable

By (author): jaye simpson

Ferocious and vulnerable poems about redefining acts of creation, destruction, deconstruction, and recreation, from a si….

Gay for Pay

By (author): Curtis Campbell, Daniel Krolik

In Gay for Pay with Blake & Clay, two out-of-work gay actors teach straight men how to play the gay roles that lead to a….

In Your Nature

By (author): Estlin McPhee

Poems that show us a world in which precedent for gender transition is everywhere if you know how to look.”I delete my h….

Winging It

By (author): Jen Desmarais

A wedding and a summer camp that Tommy and Carter are never going to forget.Tommy discovers magic exists, his boyfriend ….

West of West Indian

By (author): Linzey Corridon

Shortlisted for the OCM Bocas Prize, Poetry, 2025West of West Indian constructs the Queer Caribbean experience as simult….

Hag Dances

By (author): Susan Wismer

Hag Dances….

How I Bend Into More

By (author): Tea Gerbeza

Based on Tea Gerbezaโ€™s experience with scoliosis,ย How I Bend Into Moreย re-articulates selfhood in the face of ableis….

Soft Shelters

By (author): Marie Specht

A compassionate meditation on the transformative power of relationships, Soft Shelters examines what it is to become hom….

Openly Karl

By (author): Karl Wells

Openly Karl is a frank and generous memoir by one of Newfoundland and Labradorโ€™s most well-known media figures. Dive i….

Stages of Tanning Words and Remembering Spells

By (author): Tawahum Bige

In their second poetry collection, Tawahum Bige explores belonging and voice of a Two-Spirit Dene youth. These poems are….

Lily

By (author): Ryan Owen, Kat Simmers

“Pass Me By feels like something David Bowie would have created if he made comics instead of music: original. Ahead of i….

One Box

By (author): Andi Vicente

Illustrated by: Allan Matudio

One Boxย is a childrenโ€™s counting story about a migrant worker sending a box of gifts and supplies to their lo….

Bebรญas Into ?hndaa Ke

By (author): Kleo P. Skavinski, Sydney Rae Krill

Bebรญas Into ?hndaa Ke: Queer Indigenous Knowledge for Land and Community is a powerful collection of essays, stories an….
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Popular Categories

Literary Fiction
short stories
mystery / thriller
poetry
memoir / biography
canadian plays

Indigenous Litspace

Discover fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and kids’ books by Indigenous authors and #ReadIndigenous.

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Poetry Litspace

We don’t tell you what the poets are doing, we show you with a dedicated home for poetry recordings, interviews, excerpts, and more.

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Kids Litspace

The ALU Kids Litspace is a home for the finest in kids lit, for young, middle-grade, and teen readers (and all of those who are young-at-heart).

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Congratulations to the Amazon First Novel Award finalists!

These books from independent Canadian literary publishers are up for debut fiction’s top prize in 2025.

Juiceboxers

By (author): Benjamin Hertwig

A finalist for the Amazon Canada First Novel Award, a powerful debut novel about four young soldiers serving in Afghanis….

Subterrane

By (author): Valรฉrie Bah

A speculative comedy comprised of a carousel of Black and Queer voices being pushed further underground by urban prosper….

When We Were Ashes

By (author): Andrew Boden

When the grey bus came to take Rainor Schacht and his friends in the ward for disabled children to a remote hospital cal….
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Globe Spring Picks

The Globe and Mail highlighted these books from independent Canadian publishers as must-reads for the
season ahead.

Horsefly

By (author): Mireille Gagnรฉ

Translated by: Pablo Strauss

๏ปฟ๏ปฟ๏ปฟ๏ปฟA chilling tale about what happens when we mess with nature.In 1942, a young entomologist, Thomas, is sent o….
The cover of I Want to Die in My Boots by Natalie Appleton

I Want to Die in My Boots

By (author): Natalie Appleton

A debut novel by an exciting new voice in Canadian literature, I Want to Die in My Boots weaves fact and fiction to tell….

I Remember Lights

By (author): Ben Ladouceur

The first novel from award-winning poet Ben Ladouceur, I Remember Lights depicts a time when the world promised everythi….

Skin

By (author): Catherine Bush

Now, for the first time, a blistering book of short fiction from one of Canadaโ€™s most loved novelists. In Skin, Ca….

Old Romantics

By (author): Maggie Armstrong

Shortlisted for the Kate O’Brien Award โ€ข Shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year….

Ripper

By (author): Mark Bourrie

As Canada heads towards a pivotal election, bestselling author Mark Bourrie charts the rise of Opposition leader Pierre ….

Encampment

By (author): Maggie Helwig

An activist priest provides sanctuary for an encampment of unhoused people in her churchyardWe think, maybe, that homele….
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Congratulations to the books on the
Dublin Literary Award longlist!

As chosen by librarians all over the world, these books from independent Canadian literary presses are literally world famous!

ebooks for everyone

In 2022 All Lit Up launched the ebooks for everyone collection: 600+ books that were converted to fully-accessible epub formats for readers with print disabilities. Browse some handpicks from our collection below.

VIEW ALL accessible EBOOKS