"LONG EXPOSURE” is a book-length poem that fluidly reflects on tragedy, depictions of thoughts & feelings, & uncomfortable spaces between self and other. Stephanie Bolster reads from her newest work w/ @palimpsestpress.bsky.social at: alllitup.ca/poetry-in-motion-stephanie-bolster-long-exposure

"“We can return to the poem, but we don’t live there.” We chat with @margolapierre.bsky.social about her new book AJAR (@guernicaeditions.bsky.social), a collection exploring the intersections of womanhood, bipolar psychosis, and gendered trauma. alllitup.ca/we-can-retur...

For In House, Richard-Yves Sitoski of @kegedoncepress.bsky.social shares the storied history behind the award-winning Indigenous-owned and -operated publishing house that involves Indigenous people in all aspects of its book production. Read more here: alllitup.ca/in-house-with-kegedonce-press/

Author Neal Davis Anderson (Signature Editions) talks about his new novel LAUNCH, a pre-apocalyptic exploration of collective trauma & fragile hopes for a future. We chat about his writing process & what happens when you give characters full autonomy. Read more at: alllitup.ca/writers-bloc...

Closing out Halloweek, Métis author Griffin Bjerke-Clarke shares four contemporary classics you may have missed. These haunting selections remind us that any good tragedy has the potential to create a happy ending. Find the picks here: alllitup.ca/book-week-yo...

Today's roundup of spooky reads is from thriller writer M.S. Berry who recommends four cerebral slow-burns that trade jump scares for something more insidious. alllitup.ca/book-week-your-guide-to-thrilling-reads-with-m-s-berry/

Continuing Halloweek, scientist and speculative fiction author @premeemohamed.com reminds us that horror can be both thrilling and thought-provoking with her list of six frightfully delightful reads. #halloweenreads #horror #spookyseason #canlit alllitup.ca/book-week-yo...

Brit Griffin (THE HAUNTING OF MODESTO O'BRIEN, @latitude46pub.bsky.social) and Mackenzie Nolan (VEAL, @ecwpress.bsky.social) talk monsters, small towns, and the art of the ending in our final instalment of #ALUWomenAskingWomen. alllitup.ca/women-asking...

Looking for something to haunt your reading list? Horror writer @peterbcounter.com comes through with five unsettling (and empowering) book recommendations for Halloweek. alllitup.ca/book-week-your-guide-to-spooky-reads-with-peter-counter/

Angela Antle and Susan Grundy interview each other about their new novels THE SALTBOX OLIVE (@breakwaterbooksltd.bsky.social) and BLACK CREEK (Inanna Publications) for #ALUWomenAskingWomen, and discuss intergenerational memory, history, and writing. alllitup.ca/women-asking...

Thriller writers Michelle Berry, aka M.S. Berry (THE TENANT, Turnstone Press) and Terry Kirk (PITFALL @atbaypress.bsky.social) chat about life, daily routines, and making a living as a writer for #ALUWomenAskingWomen. alllitup.ca/women-asking-women-michelle-berry-terry-kirk/

In BLOOD LETTERS (@greatplainspress.bsky.social), co-authors @ariel-gordon.bsky.social & @gmbchomichuk.bsky.social tell the story of siblings separated by flesh-eating fog & mechanical monsters. Tune into the #mixtape inspired by their oddly hopeful dystopian story: alllitup.ca/mixtape-bloo...

Giller-nominated novelist Joanna Cockerline (STILL, The Porcupine's Quill) and poet Steffi Tad-y (NOTES FROM THE WARD, Gordon Hill Press) talk about how community, recovery, and writing in today's #ALUWomenAskingWomen. alllitup.ca/women-asking...

Author & illustrator Kayla Williams (@kegedoncepress.bsky.social) answers our #writersblock questionnaire and talks about her debut picture book, AURORA’S JOURNEY, the Labrador landscapes that inspired it, and how lived experience shapes her storytelling. Read more at: alllitup.ca/writers-bloc...

Playwrights Andrea Scott and Kamila Sediego discuss the stories behind GET THAT HOPE (Scirocco Drama) and HOMECOMING (@playcanpress.bsky.social), two plays that explore how family and identity in today's #ALUWomenAskingWomen: alllitup.ca/women-asking-women-andrea-scott-kamila-sediego/

Check out today’s #ALUWomenAskingWomen conversation with Shawna Lemay (APPLES ON A WINDOWSILL, @palimpsestpress.bsky.social) and Margaret Macpherson (TILTING TOWARDS JOY, Signature Editions), as they reflect on books, inspiration, and how writing connects the meaningful with the ordinary.

In their collaborative memoir BLOOM: LETTERS: LETTERS ON GIRLHOOD (@caitlinpress.bsky.social), authors @nicolebreit.bsky.social & Claire Sicherman share conversations about growing up, self-discovery, & the power of connection. Hit play on today's coming-of-age #mixtape: alllitup.ca/mixtape-bloom/

Heather Birrell and Meg Todd talk about writing from the inside out and what the means in their books BORN (@coachhousebooks.bsky.social) & MOST GRIEVOUS FAULT (@nightwoodeditions.bsky.social) in today's #aluwomenaskingwomen: alllitup.ca/women-asking-women-heather-birrell-meg-todd/

Read a passage from Vanessa F. Penney’s THE WITCH OF WILLOW SOUND (@ecwpress.bsky.social), an atmospheric novel about women called witches, inspired by East Coast traditions and witch lore. alllitup.ca/excerpted-the-witch-of-willow-sound/

Today's #ALUwomenaskingwomen chat is b/t Keiko Honda and Kayla Williams who talk about how stories connect us across generations. Read their Q&A and more about their books THE BROKEN MAP HOME (@caitlinpress.bsky.social) & AURORA'S JOURNEY (@kegedoncepress.bsky.social): alllitup.ca/women-asking...

Author & illustrator @elainemwill.bsky.social answers our #writersblock questionnaire and talks about her new book, THE LAST BAND ON EARTH (@renegadeartsent.bsky.social), mental illness, and the punk-rock spirit that keeps her creating. alllitup.ca/writers-block-elaine-m-will/

For #aluwomenaskingwomen, Zilla Jones and Elise Levine reflect on the art of writing women and explore how personal history shapes their new books THE WORLD SO WIDE (@cormorantbooks.bsky.social) and BIG OF YOU (@biblioasis.bsky.social). alllitup.ca/women-asking-women-zilla-jones-elise-levine/

QUEERS AT THE TABLE (@arsenalpulp.bsky.social) is a full-colour anthology of essays, comics, and illustrated recipes celebrating how food connects queer lives and stories. Co-editors Alex D. Ketchum & Megan J. Elias and designer Jazmin Welch share how it came together: alllitup.ca/beautiful-bo...

Cartoonist Joana Mosi (THE MONGOOSE, @powpowpress.bsky.social) & novelist Miranda Schreiber (IRIS AND THE DEAD, @bookhugpress.bsky.social) interview each other about their books & talk grief and writing in today's #aluwomenaskingwomen. alllitup.ca/women-asking-women-joana-mosi-miranda-schreiber/

Debut authors Rebecca Morris (OTHER MAPS, @llpmtl.bsky.social) and Nadia Staikos (UNTIL THEY SLEEP, @guernicaeditions.bsky.social) talk fairy tales and balancing writing with motherhood in our latest #ALUWomenAskingWomen. alllitup.ca/women-asking-women-rebecca-morris-nadia-staikos

Sasenarine Persaud’s A SCENT OF INDIA (@mawenzihouse.bsky.social) traces India’s influence from the Caribbean to North America through vivid and evocative poetry. Read two poems from the book here: alllitup.ca/two-poems-a-scent-of-india/

For #WomensHistoryMonth, our #ALUWomenAskingWomen series pairs women writers in conversation. First up: Ellen Chang-Richardson (BLOOD BELIES, @wolsakandwynn.bsky.social) & Leila Marshy (MY THIEVERY OF THE PEOPLE, Baraka Books) on identity & belonging, and writing. alllitup.ca/women-asking...

On the eve of Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada, we recommend five books to read and reflect on from @arsenalpulp.bsky.social, @ecwpress.bsky.social, @gooselane.bsky.social, @talonbooks.bsky.social, and @nightwoodeditions.bsky.social. Browse our full list here: alllitup.ca/book-list/re...

Olga Ravn’s THE WAX CHILD (@bookhugpress.bsky.social) is a haunting story of seventeenth-century Danish noblewoman Christenze Kruckow, accused of witchcraft. Read an excerpt from the English translation by Martin Aitken. alllitup.ca/excerpted-the-wax-child/

"A PHIAL OF PASSING MEMORIES is a literary archive of journeys, passages through the many seasons of life, and the different geographies that delineate them." James Yékú reads from his new collection w/ @mawenzihouse.bsky.social alllitup.ca/poetry-in-motion-james-yeku-a-phial-of-passing-memories/

"The more-than-human world that I looked at every day was simply enacting its own rhythm, and I was able to listen in." Jason Purcell reflects on writing CROHNIC (@arsenalpulp.bsky.social) & explores how illness, treatment & nature intertwine in cycles of pain & renewal. alllitup.ca/under-the-co...

Marilyn Bowering answers our #writersblock questionnaire on her new book THE UNFINISHED WORLD (@llpmtl.bsky.social), the books she turns to for lessons in tragedy and resilience, and, well, writer's block itself. Read our interview with Marilyn here: alllitup.ca/writers-bloc...

In NOTES FROM THE WARD (Gordon Hill Press), poet Steffi Tad-y confronts the realities of bipolar disorder and psychotic break, drawing from lived experience to strip away the medicalized narratives that often dominate. Read two poems from the book here: alllitup.ca/two-poems-notes-from-the-ward/

"When a poem isn’t working, sometimes I introduce a new image that may be unrelated to the work." Joanna Streetly tells us about her writing process and reads from her new collection ALL OF US HIDDEN (@caitlinpress.bsky.social) alllitup.ca/poetry-in-motion-joanna-streetly-all-of-us-hidden/

For Under the Cover, @jenwinsorauthor.bsky.social reflects on journaling, finding her voice, and the stories that led to her memoir SHIP MOMS (@breakwaterbooksltd.bsky.social) about the women who became mothers while working at sea. alllitup.ca/under-the-cover-with-jen-winsor-author-of-ship-moms/

Today, Gail Sidonie Šobat answers our #writersblock questionnaire: about dream collaborations, early writing affirmations, and her new novel set in Canada and Central Europe, SONGS FROM THIS AND THAT COUNTRY (@greatplainspress.bsky.social). alllitup.ca/writers-bloc...

Today we're celebrating All Lit Up's 11th birthday with cake and a 10% discount on ALL BOOKS site-wide! (Promo code ALU11 at checkout.) www.alllitup.ca THANK YOU! We literally wouldn't be here with you.

A Canadian restaurateur in 1959 Vilnius finds himself running a Soviet café, where absurdity and suspicion share the menu. Read an excerpt from Antanas Sileika’s comic Cold War novel THE SEASIDE CAFE METROPOLIS (@cormorantbooks.bsky.social). alllitup.ca/excerpted-th...

Guy Elston's debut collection of poems THE CHARACTER ACTOR CONVENTION (The Porcupine's Quill) offers a playful, surreal chorus of voices to explore shifting identities. Guy reads two poems from the book at the click: alllitup.ca/poetry-in-mo...

"The modern queer voice is broad and dynamic." In his new novel WE ARE ALL OF US LEFT BEHIND (Freehand Books), Bradley Somer writes a story that celebrates a life that's queer, not just a queer life. Read his essay about queer representation in literature here: alllitup.ca/under-the-co...

Written as a "mob novel from the moll's perspective," Lisa de Nikolits's new novel MAD DOG AND THE SEA DRAGON (Inanna Publications) contains a cast of wild characters embroiled in a twisty plot. Hear Lisa's #mixtape of songs that embody her characters at the click: alllitup.ca/mixtape-mad-...

Poet @paulvermeersch.bsky.social ch.bsky.social is today's #PoetryInMotion artist with his new collection NMLCT (@ecwpress.bsky.social), an exploration of our relationship between organic and artificial existences. Watch Paul read "On Monstrosity" from the book here: alllitup.ca/poetry-in-mo...

"Any strength, in excess, becomes a weakness." @anncavlovic.bsky.social shares her personal and painful journey to publishing her novel COUNT ON ME (@guernicaeditions.bsky.social) in #UndertheCover: alllitup.ca/on-persistence-and-the-courage-to-lie-down-under-the-cover-with-ann-cavlovic/

We got a special behind-the-scenes peek at @breakwaterbooksltd.bsky.social's snazzy new office space in Downtown St. John's and a little history of the press. alllitup.ca/in-house-with-breakwater-books-a-storied-history-and-a-new-home/

"It worked out well for us...but I always toyed with the thought of 'what if…?'" MS Berry tells us about a fateful family trip to Germany that inspired her new domestic thriller THE TENANT (Turnstone Press). Read our full #writersblock interview here: alllitup.ca/writers-bloc...

We peeked some dreamy and breezy reading spots where Canadian authors love to read. Patios, library corners, balconies aplenty! Plus: a look at some of the books keeping them company. alllitup.ca/hot-days-cool-spots-where-and-what-authors-read-this-summer

We're looking ahead to fall: crunching leaves, spiced coffees, and the six books on our 2025 Fall Preview list, chosen by ALU staff and ready to be added to your TBR: alllitup.ca/the-all-lit-...

What’s it like to unexpectedly find yourself working in your family’s publishing house? Assistant publisher Phoebe Finbow of @renegadeartsent.bsky.social shares her path into small press publishing, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. alllitup.ca/in-house-wit...

If you loved our Aug. #alubookclub pick WHERE THE JASMINE BLOOMS (@fernpub.bsky.social) by @zslong.bsky.social, try these four follow-up reads from @nightwoodeditions.bsky.social, @llpmtl.bsky.social, Baraka Books, and Inanna Publications next. alllitup.ca/alu-summer-b...

Take a poetry minute! Read two poems from ARABIC, BETWEEN LOVE AND WAR (@tracepress.bsky.social), a collection of poems from Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Lebanon, Syria and Tunisia and their diasporas with English translations, right here: alllitup.ca/two-poems-arabic-between-love-and-war/