Book*hug Wrapped 2025: Staff Edition

It is time for part two of the 2025 edition of our annual Book*hug Wrapped series, where we ask our staff what their favourite books of the year have been (which luckily coincides with gift giving season). We hope you enjoy this year's selections, and that some of these titles will end up on your [...] Continue reading

Reckless: The Playlist

Reckless: The Playlist is here!  Andrea MacPherson has curated a playlist of songs that inspired the writing of her poetry collection Reckless. We hope you enjoy! Find the full Spotify playlist here. Dunna—Mac Miller NASA—Ariana Grande Silver Springs—Fleetwood Mac Heart Shaped Box—Nirvana You Don’t Get Me High Anymore—Phantogram The Night We Met—Lord Huron Montero—Lil Nas X Stay—Mac […]

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women & roosters: The Playlist

women & roosters: The Playlist is here!  Fenn Stewart has curated a playlist of songs that inspired the writing of her brand new poetry collection women & roosters. Fenn has also written an introduction detailing the playlist's origins as a soundtrack for running in the forest, with detailed notes. We hope you enjoy! Take it [...] Continue reading

Behind the Book With Cary Fagan

Today, we invite Cary Fagan to the Book*hug blog to share the story behind how the five disparate stories in his new collection A Fast Horse Never Brings Good News came together to create a single book! Take it away Cary! ________________________________________________________________________________ You know that story about the elephant?  How one man feels its tail […]

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Soundtrack: The Playlist

Soundtrack: The Playlist is here!  Michael V. Smith has curated a playlist of songs that inspired the writing of his brand new lyric memoir Soundtrack. We hope you enjoy! Find the full Spotify playlist here. Just Like U Said It Would B—Sinéad O’Connor Why Can’t I Be You?—The Cure Hot Hot Hot!!!—The Cure You Don’t Need—Jane Siberry […]

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Behind the Book with Shani Mootoo

Today, we invite Shani Mootoo to the Book*hug blog to share the decades-long origin story behind her latest novel Starry Starry Night! Read on for insights into Shani’s earliest forays into writing, as well as the process of transforming Starry Starry Night into a work of autofiction. Take it away Shani! _____________________________________________________________________ One can say […]

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Behind the Essay with Tamara Jong

Today, we invite Tamara Jong to the blog to share the origin of two entries from her debut memoir Worldly Girls! Read on for insights into the inspirations and questions that led Tamara to write the essays  “Weight” and “Tell Me a Ghost Story”. Take it away Tamara! __________________________________________________ I first came up with the […]

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