The novel Oil People is about a family in southwestern Ontario with deep connections to the oil industry. Oil is their present-day livelihood and heritage, but it might also be poisoning them physically and spiritually. David Huebert speaks to Mattea Roach about writing Oil People.

Sloane Crosley’s jewelry was stolen from her home, and one month later, her best friend, Russell, died. She writes about these experiences in the memoir Grief is For People, which is witty and heartbreaking. Sloane joined Mattea Roach to talk about her grief, her best friend and writing about it all.

The Paris-based Turkish writer spoke with Mattea Roach about her new novel, The Anthropologists, which centers on a young immigrant couple in an unnamed city, navigating love, friendships and the guilt of being away from family. 

When Alison McCreesh was 21, she left her Quebec hometown and hitchhiked to the Yukon searching for something she couldn't quite put her finger on — and hasn't left. She talks to Mattea Roach about her graphic novel Degrees of Separation, which reflects on the everyday lives of people in the North... and how it's changed during her time there.

Poet Aldona Dziedziejko's Ice Safety Chart: Fragments is a beautiful, experimental essay about different moments from Aldona's life in the Northwest Territories. The writer, who now lives in Alberta, spoke to Mattea Roach about their life, literary inspirations and her big win.

Casey McQuiston is a blockbuster queer romance author who hit it big with their 2016 novel Red, White and Royal Blue. Casey’s latest is The Pairing, about childhood friends-turned-exes who reconnect on a sexy European adventure. Casey has an open conversation with Mattea Roach about queer love, blending joy with sadness and what the future holds for romance writing.

Annie Carpenter's life was upended by colonialism, the Indian Act and the residential school system. For 80 years, her family tried to find out what happened to her. Now, journalist and filmmaker Tanya Talaga is telling her great-great grandmother's story in her new book and documentary series, The Knowing. She talks to Mattea Roach about the struggle to find her relative, crossing paths with the Pope, and what she believes will help move us forward on the road to reconciliation.

When Montreal author Eric Chacour wrote his first book, he didn't expect it to become a huge hit in France. Translated from French to English by Pablo Strauss, What I Know About You is a novel set in Cairo and Montreal, exploring sexuality as well as family secrets and pressures. It's nominated for this year's Giller Prize and Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Eric and Mattea Roach discuss the inspiration behind his debut novel. 

In Anne Fleming's new novel, Curiosities, an amateur historian becomes fascinated by the lives of two girls from 1600s England. But as she pieces their stories together, the very nature of truth itself comes into question. Curiosities is a finalist for the 2024 Giller Prize. Anne and Mattea Roach discuss the pull of the 17th century and the exploration of gender and identity at the heart of the novel.

When Paula Hawkins dropped her pen name and switched from writing romantic comedies to thrillers, she wrote The Girl on the Train. Now she has a new book called The Blue Hour. It follows a reclusive painter named Vanessa Chapman and reflects on themes of power and legacy. Paula and Mattea Roach talk about the motivations and inspiration behind the women at the centre of her stories. 

In the graphic memoir All Our Ordinary Stories, Teresa Wong uses spare black-and-white illustrations and thought-provoking prose to unpack how intergenerational trauma and resilience can shape our identities. Teresa and Mattea Roach discuss the art of cartooning and the intricate, often challenging journey of piecing together family history.

The novel Peggy fictionalizes the life of art collector Peggy Guggenheim and is Rebecca Godfrey's final project. Rebecca worked on Peggy for ten years before she died from lung cancer, leaving behind an unfinished manuscript and notes. Her close friend, writer Leslie Jamison, stepped in to fulfill Rebecca’s wishes and complete the book. Leslie talks to Mattea Roach about bringing Peggy's story to life and honouring her friend's legacy.

Nalo Hopkinson’s latest work, Blackheart Man, is a dynamic sci-fi story that took 15 years to complete. The novel takes readers to the fantastical land of Chynchin, which was inspired by Afro-Caribbean histories and traditions. Nalo joins Mattea Roach to discuss the folktale-inspired world her characters live in, and the process of crafting a utopian novel while battling financial insecurity and chronic illness.

Charles Burns's latest graphic novel, Final Cut, revolves around a group of teens in the 1970s and draws on his favourite sci-fi and horror movies. Charles joins Mattea Roach to talk about his evolution as an artist and how Final Cut was inspired by his own youth.

The Canadian author's new novel, All You Can Kill, opens with the narrator floating through the sky and landing in an erotic wellness retreat --- and it only gets stranger from there. Pasha speaks with Mattea Roach about the nuances of writing about identity and the joy of a story with no rules.

The Canadian graphic novelist talks with Mattea Roach about life with their late partner, who had an assisted death, and using art to confront grief in Something, Not Nothing

Bryan talks to Mattea about the legacy of the hit comic book series, the inspiration behind some of his most iconic characters, and his nostalgia for Toronto in the early aughts. 

The bestselling Maid mystery series has a new festive novella, and Nita Prose joins Mattea Roach onstage for the first Bookends live show. 

This week on Bookends, we revisit Eleanor Wachtel's conversation with Samantha Harvey, the winner of the 2024 Booker Prize. They spoke on Writers & Company in 2015 about Samantha's novel Dear Thief, which was inspired by a Leonard Cohen song. Samantha also explores her interest in themes of aging, why she writes about the unfamiliar, and infusing her work with philosophical questions.

This episode features highlights from interviews with Teresa Wong, Casey McQuiston, Eric Chacour, Jenny Heijun Wills, and Matt Haig.

Music featured in this episode: "Rainy Days and Mondays" written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols, performed by Carpenters, from the 1971 self-titled album Carpenters, produced by Jack Daugherty.

If you could ask your favourite author one question, what would it be? If that author is Adrian Tomine, your question might be answered in his latest book, Q&A. The cartoonist talks to Mattea Roach about what he’s learned from his readers and why you might want to think twice about becoming a professional cartoonist.

The profound impact of romantic loss doesn’t always get taken seriously, but Zoe Whittall is here to tell you that she gets it. The Canadian author talks to Mattea Roach about her latest book, No Credit River, and why she’s sharing her experiences with queer breakups, anxiety, and miscarriage. 

Rachel is a teacher from Toronto. Her students didn’t even know she was a writer — until she won the 2024 CBC Poetry prize. Her poem, Palimpsest County, is inspired by Ontario landscapes and speaks to colonialism, climate change, and how our responsibility to protect the natural world is a key part of reconciliation. Rachel talks to Mattea Roach about approaching reconciliation as a non-Indigenous person and how her job inspired her winning poem.

The CBC Poetry Prize is one of three literary prizes that CBC Books offers for aspiring Canadian writers. The CBC Nonfiction Prize is open right now. You could win $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and have your work published by CBC. Head to CBCBooks.ca for all the details.

Judith Butler is one of the foremost gender and political theorists of the 21st century — an academic celebrity. Their latest book, Who’s Afraid of Gender?, explores gender in today’s polarized world and how the word itself is being used to incite political passions. Judith joins Mattea Roach to tackle the book’s titular question and discuss their influential body of work.

Rumaan Alam’s latest novel, Entitlement, is about a young woman hired to help an aging billionaire give away his fortune — and it asks a lot of questions about the cash-driven world we live in. Rumaan joins Mattea Roach to talk about wealth, morality and how much money a billion dollars really is.

You might be surprised to learn that Emma Knight’s new book, The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus, isn’t about marine life at all. The novel follows two Canadian students finding their way in Scotland as they navigate family secrets and first love. Emma joins Mattea Roach to talk about coming of age abroad, the freedom of the pre-smartphone age, and her interest in imperfect mothers. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Fawn Parker: Blending her own grief with fiction in new novel Hi, It’s Me
• Alan Hollinghurst: Coming of age in Britain and writing through the gay gaze

Imani Perry’s latest book, Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People, is an evocative exploration of what the colour can tell us about being Black in the United States today — and the extraordinary human capacity to find beauty in the face of devastation. Imani speaks to Mattea Roach about tracing blue through history, music, and her own life.

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Nalo Hopkinson: How Caribbean folktales inspired her fantastical novel, Blackheart Man
• Tanya Talaga: Searching for her great-great grandmother — a story of family, truth and survival

The latest volume of Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Date Book series is made up of pages from his personal sketchbooks, providing a window into his ideas, obsessions and insecurities. Chris tells Mattea Roach about his career as a cartoonist, staying in touch with childhood and why his daughter is the star of the comics in this book.

When Amy Lin’s husband died suddenly, even the simplest parts of daily life became a struggle — but through it all, she took refuge in writing. Amy’s debut memoir, Here After, is a searing portrait of grief and a tribute to the love she shared with her husband. Amy joins Mattea to talk about the intensity of grief, the widowhood effect and confronting the death of a loved one.

When Kate Gies was born without an ear on one side, a plastic surgeon told her parents that he could “fix” her. In her new memoir, It Must Be Beautiful to Be Finished, Kate recounts her harrowing journey through numerous surgeries, many of which failed — and questions what it really means to “fix” a body. Kate joins Mattea Roach to talk about blurry medical boundaries, growing up with a congenital difference and pushing back against oppressive beauty standards.

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Amy Lin: Widowed at 31, she looks for the beauty in grief
• Jenny Heijun Wills: Sharing her journey of transracial adoption and self-discovery in her moving essay collection

In I Might Be in Trouble, a struggling writer wakes up to find last night’s date dead in his bed — and it only gets worse from there. The novel is YA writer Daniel Aleman’s first foray into adult fiction and it touches on themes of loneliness, the trials of modern dating and the lengths we go to find connection in a fragmented world. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Rumaan Alam: How would you spend a billion dollars?
• Pasha Malla: Parodying a wellness resort with horror and humour

If you feel like your phone is tracking your every move, or that AI is getting a little too advanced for comfort… You’re not the only one. Helen Phillips’ latest dystopian thriller, Hum, is set in a near future where climate change has devastated life as we know it — and superintelligent robots have become an irreplaceable part of society. Helen talks to Mattea Roach about her complicated relationship with technology, parenting in the digital age and reclaiming our humanity through the little joys. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Jeff VanderMeer: How his blockbuster Southern Reach series reflects our own fight against climate change
• Nalo Hopkinson: How Caribbean folktales inspired her fantastical novel, Blackheart Man

In The Riveter, Jack Wang explores the untold stories of Asian Canadians during the Second World War. The novel follows Josiah Chang, a Chinese Canadian soldier navigating the horrors of war while facing discrimination at home. Jack joins Mattea Roach to talk about the historical context of the novel, the complexities of writing about war and the value of diverse perspectives.

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• V.V. Ganeshananthan: Exploring the complexity of Sri Lanka's civil war in her prize-winning novel, Brotherless Night
• Teresa Wong: Illustrating her family's past — in all its ordinary and epic moments

Nnedi Okorafor’s latest book is about a writer whose new science fiction novel brings her unexpected literary fame — and it asks a lot of questions about what it means to be a storyteller today. Nnedi joins Mattea Roach to talk about metafiction, the crossroads of disability and technology and how her experiences as a Nigerian American shaped her story. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Nalo Hopkinson: How Caribbean folktales inspired her fantastical novel, Blackheart Man
• Helen Phillips: In a world run by AI, what makes us human?

For Emily Austin, living like a rat means embracing the small joys and avoiding societal expectations — and that idea is at the centre of her new novel, We Could Be Rats. The book follows two sisters as they reckon with mental health struggles, their relationship to each other and the difficulties of growing up in a small town.  

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Zoe Whittall: Why heartbreak is a valid form of grief
• Fawn Parker: Blending her own grief with fiction in new novel Hi, It’s Me

A famous rapper, an Al Pacino movie and a captive whale named Lolita seemingly don’t have much in common. But in Jennine Capó Crucet’s latest novel, Say Hello to My Little Friend, she manages to bring them all together in an ode to the magic of Miami. Jennine joins Mattea Roach to talk about the wild ride of writing the book and how her own experiences as a Cuban American are reflected in the story.  

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Teresa Wong: Illustrating her family's past — in all its ordinary and epic moments
• Kaveh Akbar: Finding meaning in sobriety and writing his bestseller, Martyr! 

H. Nigel Thomas’ latest novel, A Different Hurricane, is set on the lush Caribbean island country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It’s about two young men who become secret lovers until society forces them apart — and it draws on Nigel’s own experiences as a gay man who left Saint Vincent for Montreal when he was just 21.

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Aysegul Savas: Finding home in foreignness and capturing the uncertainty of early adulthood
• Eric Chacour: Exploring the power of familial expectations and forbidden love

Years before he coined the term “enshittification,” Cory Doctorow was just a kid who was fascinated by computers — until he saw how profit and monopoly tainted the industry. Now, Cory is a leading policy advocate and writer who uses fiction to explore how things could be different. His latest novel, Picks & Shovels, is the third in his series about forensic accountant Martin Hench, who investigates financial crime in Silicon Valley. Cory joins Mattea to talk about the dawn of the PC, how the promise of computing got so off track and why jail-breaking your Tesla might be the best response to U.S. tariffs. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Helen Phillips: In a world run by AI, what makes us human?
• Rachel Kushner: In Booker Prize finalist Creation Lake, an agent provocateur faces deep questions about how to live

Have you ever met someone who felt like a mirror of you? In Katherine Brabon’s new novel, Body Friend, the protagonist meets two women named Frida and Sylvia. All three are living with chronic illness and they’re in profound pain. But when it comes to dealing with that pain, Frida and Sylvia are polar opposites — and our protagonist is caught in the middle. Katherine knows these difficulties firsthand. She joins Mattea Roach to talk about living with and writing about chronic pain. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Kate Gies: Reclaiming her body after years of medical trauma
• Sarah Leavitt: Illustrating grief too wide for words

Curtis Sittenfeld is a master at crafting characters that feel like real people, in all their messy, complicated glory. These characters are front-and-centre in her new short story collection, Show Don’t Tell. The book features stories about women, mostly in middle age, as they face life’s absurdities, joys and disappointments. Curtis and Mattea talk about the tricky boundaries of celebrity, the label of “women’s fiction” and how her characters are inspired by famous people. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Casey McQuiston: Celebrating queer love and joy and navigating the future of romance
• Daniel Aleman: Loneliness inspired a novel about a Grindr date gone fatally wrong

There’s a famous black-and-white photograph of a train bursting through the side of a building and falling onto the pavement below. It was taken in 1895 — and Emma Donoghue’s latest novel, The Paris Express, reimagines the story behind that moment. In her retelling, the Irish Canadian writer fills the train with her own vibrant characters. From wealthy politicians to young anarchists, she dives into the complexities of the time as the train races toward its demise.

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Jack Wang: Reimagining the lost stories of Chinese Canadians during WWII 
• Paula Hawkins: Exploring the dark side of the art world in new thriller The Blue Hour

The great Canadian book debate is underway, so we're revisiting our 2024 conversation with Canadian writer and former Canada Reads winner, Heather O'Neill.

Heather’s latest novel, The Capital of Dreams, follows a young girl hunting for her mother’s lost manuscript during a war. She spoke with Mattea Roach about taking inspiration from her own daughter, her love of imperfect art and how famous philosophers inspired a talking goose.

Find everything you need to know about Canada Reads at cbcbooks.ca.

Linwood Barclay’s literary journey started with writing fanfiction on a typewriter. Over 20 books and millions of copies later, he’s one of Canada’s most successful living writers. His intricate thrillers have captivated audiences around the world — and his newest book, Whistle, comes out in May. Linwood joins Mattea Roach to talk about how he dreams up big thrillers, being mentored by the greats and why he loves model trains. 

You can also catch Linwood this week as a panellist on Canada Reads 2025. He’s championing the book Jennie’s Boy by Wayne Johnston. Canada Reads airs from March 17th to 20th. Find out more at cbcbooks.ca.

Heather O'Neill is an icon in Canadian literature who has won a ton of awards. And now she has a new novel. It’s called The Capital of Dreams and it’s about the influence of art and literature on our lives. It follows 14-year-old Sofia as she hunts for her mother’s lost manuscript during the chaos of war. Heather speaks to Mattea Roach about her latest novel and living a creative life.

Iranian American writer Kaveh Akbar and his novel Martyr! are everywhere these days. Martyr! made the New York Times bestseller list and several summer reading lists, including Barack Obama's. Drawing on Kaveh's own experience with addiction and recovery, it's about Cyrus, a 20-something Iranian American poet who’s in the early years of sobriety. Cyrus is a little lost…and a lot depressed…and he becomes interested in the stories of historical martyrs. In this very first episode of Bookends, Kaveh speaks with Mattea about how his own journey inspired the novel.

When the book ends, the conversation begins. Mattea Roach speaks with writers who have something to say about their work, the world and our place in it. You'll always walk away with big questions to ponder and new books to read. Beginning Sept. 8 on CBC.

In 2022, Kate Bush’s song Running Up That Hill topped charts around the world … nearly 40 years after its initial release. The resurgence came after the song was featured on the Netflix series Stranger Things — but according to the musician and writer Leah Kardos, the entire album is a masterpiece. Leah’s new book, Hounds of Love, is a deep dive into Kate’s 1985 album of the same name. It tells the remarkable story of how the album came to be, explores Kate’s enduring appeal and paints a portrait of Kate as a visionary musician and storyteller. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Why Heather O’Neill believes in magic
• Leslie Jamison: Capturing Peggy Guggenheim in fiction and honouring a friend's dream 

The poet and author Otoniya J. Okot Bitek’s debut novel, We The Kindling, weaves together stories of women who were abducted as children by a rebel militia in northern Uganda. The novel doesn’t have just one protagonist — each powerful voice adds to a chorus that tells a haunting story of loss, survival and what it means to hold on to hope, no matter how small. Otoniya joins Mattea to talk about her own writing journey, the complex history behind the novel and what she means by the “cartography” of stories. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• V.V. Ganeshananthan: Exploring the complexity of Sri Lanka's civil war in her prize-winning novel, Brotherless Night
• In the Caribbean, secret lives come at a cost

You might know John Green as the author of bestsellers such as The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska, or from the hugely popular Crash Course and Vlogbrothers Youtube channels. John’s latest obsession is tuberculosis, the deadliest disease in the world — and he writes all about it in his book, Everything is Tuberculosis. John and Mattea Roach dive into the wild history of the disease, why it persists today and John’s personal relationship with a young tuberculosis patient from Sierra Leone. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Bryan Lee O’Malley: 20 years of Scott Pilgrim
• Judith Butler: Breaking down why people fear gender

After years in the Internet trenches, Scaachi Koul is no stranger to a good fight — but her latest essay collection is all about knowing when to walk away. In Sucker Punch, Scaachi examines her recent divorce with her signature ruthless humour, picking apart what the end of her marriage made her realize about her self-worth, upbringing and love of conflict. Scaachi joins Mattea to talk about divorce in the public eye, challenging her previous work and why her mother is at the centre of the new book. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Curtis Sittenfeld is fascinated by fame 
• Zoe Whittall: Why heartbreak is a valid form of grief