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Author: ALU Editor
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Where in Canada: The Strange Scent of Saffron
Taking place in a mostly rural region of Québec known as Bas-Saint-Laurent, The Strange Scent of Saffron by Miléna Babin, translated by Oana Avasilichioaei (Guernica Editions) juxtaposes life in a small town setting with the vibrancy of India and the world of illegal saffron trafficking
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Character Study: Half Brothers
We teamed up with author Bill Stenson to dream up a film adaptation of his new novella Half Brothers (Mother Tongue Publishing)—contained in his new book of stories—about the lives of two brothers left unchanneled by parental review. Read on for more about the book and our casting choices, including none other than the brilliant Frances McDormand.
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Writer’s Block: Lauren B. Davis
In her latest novel, Even So (Dundurn Press), Lauren B. Davis explores the challenge and necessity of loving difficult people. Lauren joins us in this edition of Writer’s Block to talk more about why difficult people are worth caring about and the rewarding moment when her characters—even messy ones—come to life in ways that offer us a…
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First Fiction Friday: The Walking Shadows series
Brenden Carlson is a science fiction writer to watch for: The Walking Shadows series is a gritty, tech-noir version of 1930s Manhattan with mobsters, killer machines, and Elias Roche, former police officer turned Mafia enforcer. In his follow-up to Night Call, Midnight brings Brenden’s fresh new voice to the genre, expanding its boundaries and capturing the attention of those who…
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Poetry in Motion: Sheniz Janmohamed + Reminders on the Path
Growing up just outside of Toronto, Sheniz Janmohamed never felt like she belonged. But Kenya, as the place her ancestors emigrated to from India, felt familiar. In Sheniz’s new poetry collection Reminders on the Path (Mawenzi House) she explores the varied intersections of her own identity in the present while honouring the unknowns of her…
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All Lit Up Fall Preview 2021: Staff Picks
From literary debuts to gothic short stories and performance poetry, here’s a list of staff picks to stave off our end-of-summer blues.BEST OF THE BLOG 2021
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Under the Cover: Jack Hannan on Writer’s Block and I Am the Earth the Plants Grow Through
Montreal-based novelist and poet Jack Hannan struggled to put pen to paper for years before coming across one of John Berger’s book during a bookstore shift: “It lit a match to my imagination, and I was looking for books that were like candles, the way you can spend a lot of time touching a finger…
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Dual Role: Creator Vs. Advocate
Write what you know.It’s one of the first pieces of advice we hear when we set out to create. Whether it’s that great novel, lyrical verse, an academic argument or a manuscript—a writer’s life experience plays a big factor in the type of character, emotion, imagery or viewpoint conveyed on the page.
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Off/Kilter: Books Based on Myth
Myth has long been a way to contextualize the present—ancient stories and folklore from the past that show us something of our own truths. The books below give new life to old tales full of mythical creatures and characters, blurring the lines between human and monster, the real and the magical.Stay weird and stay well,—Your…
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ALU Summer Book Club: Follow-Up Reads After Monster Child
As the last of summer slips away, we’re looking for anything that can help us hang on to those sweet, sweet summer book club vibes. If you enjoyed our August read Monster Child by Rahela Nayebzadah (Wolsak and Wynn), we’ve compiled a few follow-up recommendations that offer more stories about complex family bonds and the…
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Poetry in Motion: Charlie Petch + Why I Was Late
Spoken word poet Charlie Petch’s debut Why I Was Late (Brick Books) is a collection that fuses text and performance in a rich exploration of queer love, gender politics, and heroes in unexpected places. Petch brings a transmasculine wisdom and humour to a range of subjects from grief, disability, kink, sexuality, gender politics—nothing is off limits. Below, they…
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Reflections on Writing and Newfoundland from the contributors of Land of Many Shores
One of the reasons we love anthologies is the multitude of distinct voices that get to shine; that’s why we virtually chatted with six of the twenty-five authors contained in Land of Many Shores: Stories from a Diverse Newfoundland and Labrador, edited by Ainsley Hawthorn, (Breakwater Books) a non-fiction collection that debunks the myth of a homogeneous Newfoundland…
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Where in Canada: Iqaluit
Set in contemporary Canada, Felicia Mihali’s Pineapple Kisses in Iqaluit (Guernica Editions) is a considerably researched historical novel that delves into the dual history of Iqaluit and the Northwest Passage. The novel follows a cynical teacher in her early 30s who moves up to the Far North hoping for new experiences to heal old wounds, and ultimately learning…
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ALU Summer Book Club: Interview with Rahela Nayebzadah
Week three of our August book club has us in the chatting with author of Monster Child Rahela Nayebzadah about writing an adult novel with child narrators, which of her characters she connected with most, dialogue, and more.
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Poetry in Motion: Bramah and the Beggar Boy
Renee Sarojini Saklikar’s epic journey, Bramah and the Beggar Boy (Nightwood Editions), is the first in a multi-part fantasy series in verse. This instalment, The Heart of This Journey Bears All Patterns (THOT J BAP) is steeped in the tradition of fairytales where a small band of resisters and survivors meet heartbreak and destruction with rhymes and resourceful skills…