Laura Pratt, author We had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Pratt, author of Heartbroken: Field Notes of a Constant Condition, published by Penguin Random House. Laura is a long-time journalist, writer and editor. Her first memoir, The Fleeting Years, was published in 2004. She is a 2020 graduate of the University of King’s College’s creative nonfiction MFA. She won an honourable mention in Prairie Fire’s 2020 CNF contest and was shortlisted for The Fiddlehead’s 2019 CNF contest. What is one important takeaway you want the reader to get from reading your book? More t ..read more

This post was originally published on the 11th Floor Writers website on February 9, 2016. The bio has been updated. Dennis Bock has penned many highly acclaimed books, including The Ash Gardens. His novel, Going Home Again, was short-listed for the 2013 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Dennis’s newest novel, The Good German, was released in fall 2020. Dennis also teaches Creative Writing classes, including “Writing the Literary Novel: Master Class” at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. When it comes to offering advice to aspiring and emerging writers, Dennis doesn’t pull pun ..read more

Join us on May 5, 2022, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET. We will begin with a short reading followed by a group discussion and Q & A. Register for this exclusive free event by emailing us at info@theauthorsbookclub.ca. Spacing is limited to 12 guests. Lee Gowan is the author of the novels Confession, The Last Cowboy, (published in France as Jusqu’au bout du ciel), and Make Believe Love, which was nominated for the Trillium Award for best book in Ontario.  He also published the critically acclaimed story collection Going to Cuba, and wrote the award-winning ..read more

Guest Post by Syeda Shanzay Kamran It’s been a year since David took a break from The Authors Book Club, an initiative he co-created in January 2019. In this interview, we catch up with him to see how he’s been doing. Photo credit: David Albertyn Shanzay: Undercard, released in 2019, was on the Crime Reads 2020 must-read list of 8 Debut Novels, was a finalist in the 2020 Evergreen Award, and one of 49th Shelf’s top fiction titles of 2019. How has the journey into the writer’s world been? Were you surprised by anything? David: Coaching tennis has basically been my day job since I finished unive ..read more

  Ami Sands Brodoff, author of The Sleep of Apples Guest Post by Chelsea Kowalski I had the pleasure of interviewing Ami Sands Brodoff, the author of a Re-Lit Award finalist, Bloodknots, and a Pushcart Prize nominee, Can You See Me? We spoke about her newest book, The Sleep of Apples (to be released on September 30, 2021). Ami’s novel-in-stories focuses on nine closely linked characters who face challenges around mental illness, mortality, and gender identity. Ami talks about where her writing inspiration comes from, her ties to the Montreal literary community, and how she’s adapting he ..read more

Cathrin Bradbury, author of The Bright Side Guest Post By Chelsea Kowalski This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Cathrin Bradbury, currently a Senior News Director at CBC News and the newest addition to The Author’s Book Club. Cathrin’s debut novel, The Bright Side, is the story of just one year of Cathrin’s life in which she faced immense grief over the death of both her parents, the end of her 25-year marriage, and the disappointment of a new romance gone sour. But amongst the dark times came points of light and even a miracle (maybe), including her brother’s return to sobriety, old ..read more

Samantha M. Bailey, author of Woman on the Edge Guest Post By Chelsea Kowalski Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing established author, Samantha Bailey, about her latest book, Woman on the Edge, as well as her life in the pandemic, her writing process, and even a peek into her new book (coming in 2022). Samantha has worked as a journalist, a freelance editor, and has written five books. Her latest, Woman on the Edge, is a psychological thriller, and became an instant Canadian hit. Her novel spent twenty-two weeks on the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail bestseller lists, received a starr ..read more

More than a year later, we continue to reimagine ways to connect readers with authors living and working in Canada. We have encouraged virtual book club meetings and tried new and creative ways to bring people together, including our first “Book Tasting Event” co-hosted with The Soap Box Press. Authors Hannah Mary McKinnon, Victoria Hetherington, Cindy Aronson and Tamara Herman recommended food and drinks to pair with their books. They met with guests in private virtual rooms for this highly interactive experience. New Releases Highlights Early 2021 brought us new reads like the mysterious Son ..read more

Join us on May 20, 2021, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. ET. We will begin with a short reading followed by a group discussion and Q & A. Register for this exclusive free event by emailing us at info@theauthorsbookclub.ca. Spacing is limited to 12 guests. Sonya is a Canadian writer of Indian heritage. She studied law in her hometown of Saskatoon and at Columbia University in New York, and later completed an MA in creative writing and publishing at City, University of London. Sonya has a black belt in taekwondo and loves travel, yoga, and cocktail bartending. She lives in Toronto with her husband. Visit ..read more

Post by Fiona Ross When I was five years old my mother and I used to fight about reading on a daily basis. She was an elementary teacher and I think the thought that her own child was not a “good” reader was an impossibility she was not willing to accept. It was Scotland in the 1970’s. Early readers on loan from the school were to be meticulously wrapped in brown paper or wallpaper samples. I am sure they were appallingly racist and sexist but I just remember the battles with my mother. Which, where and with were my Achilles heels. I still remember the tears to this day.&nb ..read more