In Review: The Week of September 7th

On the Blog

~ All Lit Up staffers share our fall book picks from poetry to non-fiction.~ The Burden of Gravity (Caitlin Press), a disarming debut that gives poetic voice to the many forgotten residents of BC’s infamous Woodlands School.~ Author Steven Heighton shares the significance of the Leonard Cohen quote that begins Reaching Mithymna (Biblioasis), a memoir about his experience as a volunteer during the Syrian refugee crisis: “Does one actually come to, or arrive at, love in the same way you reach a shore or border in hopes of refuge?” ~ Debut alert! Vanessa Farnsworth’s The Haweaters (Signature Editions) is a historical novel that’s one part The Sisters Brothers, two parts The “Black” Donnellys and all parts thrilling.

Around the Web

~ The 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist was announced which included four ALU favourites: Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi (Arsenal Pulp Press); Here the Dark by David Bergen (Biblioasis); Polar Vortex by Shani Mootoo (Book*hug Press), and Dominoes at the Crossroads by Kaie Kellough (Véhicule Press) ~ New Brunswick’s publishing community is crowning September 19 as “I’m Buying a NB Book” day — a day dedicated to purchasing books by New Brunswick authors. ~ This year’s TIFF includes seven literary-inspired adaptations, including Thomas King’s An Inconvenient Indian and Eden Robinson’s Son of a Trickster.

ICYMI (last week)

Poetry in Motion: Kama La Mackerel

Kama La Mackerel talks about ZOM-FAM (Metonymy Press), their a debut poetry collection that mythologizes a queer/trans narrative of and for the author’s home island, Mauritius.