Congratulations to Alisa Smith, whose novel Speakeasy is on the UK-based Walter Scott Prize Academy’s recommended reading list for 2018. The list of 20 books includes historical novels from across the UK, Ireland, and Commonwealth countries.
We’re thrilled for Roz Nay, whose debut thriller Our Little Secret has been receiving fantastic reviews.
The thriller has also popped up on Us Weekly‘s list of Four Killer New Thrillers, Entertainment Weekly‘s 20 New Books to Read in April, and BookBub‘s list of 26 Books Like Gone Girl Coming in 2018.
The movie adaptation of Richard Wagamese’s novel Indian Horse, which boasts Clint Eastwood as Executive Producer, has been called, “so much more than just another Canadian movie” by Maclean’s. To read the full review, click here.
David Chariandy’s second novel Brother takes place in Scarborough, Ontario but the prize-winning work of fiction has grabbed the attention of critics across the pond. The Gaurdian‘s Dina Nayeri calls it, “an exquisite novel, crafted by a writer as talented and precise as Junot Díaz and Dinaw Mengestu. It is elegant, vital, indubitably dope – the most moving book I’ve read in a year.” In The Observer, Arifa Akbar calls the novel “A breathtaking achievement … a compulsive, brutal and flawless novel that is full of accomplished storytelling with not a word spare.”
We are thrilled for David Chariandy whose novel Brother won the 2018 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize.
Chariandy grew up in Toronto and lives and teaches in Vancouver. His debut novel, Soucouyant, received stunning reviews and nominations from eleven literary awards juries, including a Governor General’s Literary Award shortlisting, a Gold Independent Publisher Award for Best Novel, and the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist. Brother is his second novel.
Christine Higdon’s debut novel The Very Marrow of Our Bones is off to a great start. Kirkus calls it, “an ambitious debut novel that will make you cry, cringe, and laugh.” And in an interview with Higdon, Open Book called the novel “a deeply compelling story of secrets, ambitions, identity, and loss, told with insight and honesty and laced with bright moments of hope and humour.” The Very Marrow of Our Bones has also been reviewed in Toronto Star, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist.
The most recent book in Steve Burrows’ Birder Murder Mystery Series, A Shimmer of Hummingbirds, received a starred review in Kirkus! “Skillfully written, full of moral ambiguities and artful puzzles, with a spine-tingling final sentence.” Click here to read the full review.
Eat This! How Fast Food Marketing Gets You to Buy Junk (And How to Fight Back), Andrea Curtis’ follow-up to her bestselling book, What’s For Lunch?, has received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal.
Congratulations to Joel Thomas Hynes whose novel, We’ll All Be Burnt in Our Beds Some Night, won the 2017 BMO Winterset Award!
The Award, which celebrates excellence in Newfoundland and Labrador writing, is composed of a partnership between the BMO Financial Group, ArtsNL, and the project’s founder, writer Richard Gwyn.
We are thrilled for Mark Sakamoto and his book Forgiveness, winner of the 2018 Canada Reads debates. The book which originally published in 2014 and was shortlisted for the Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction, is in its eighth week on the bestseller list since being nominated. Sakamoto’s recent win has led to renewed interest including coverage in the National Post and Maclean’s.
Congratulations Mark – we are so proud to have you here at Westwood Creative Artists!