The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing

Will Ferguson began his career as a travel writer. Since then he's written more than a dozen books and won some of the biggest literary prizes a Canadian writer can win. Along the way, he never gave up travel writing, and still uses it to inform his fiction. His books stretch across genres, allowing his work to follow wherever his interests take him, always with an underpinning thread of humour. Growing up in a small town in Northern Alberta, books were his first ticket to seeing the outside world. He'll break down which books have influenced his life and career the most in a segment of My Life in Books.

Books discussed on this week's show include:
Meanwhile, Back in Nokomis by Will Ferguson
Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
Satellite Love by Genki Ferguson

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The books that made Andrew Phung fall in love with storytelling

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For most of her writing life Patricia Finn wrote and polished other people’s stories. But this spring she stepped out of the shadows with the publication of her debut novel. It’s called The Golden Boy and it follows a television executive who, after losing his job, inherits the grandchildren of his deceased friend. Patricia joins the show to tell us about The Golden Boy and recommend a companion read. Plus, author Uzma Jalaluddin shares what Gen Z slang she's picked up from her kids while answering The Next Chapter's version of the Proust Questionnaire.

Books discussed on this week's show include:
No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
Moonlight Murder by Uzma Jalaluddin

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The author behind Lucky reveals how she helped cast Anya Taylor-Joy
The book that inspired Carley Fortune's writing career

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In April, two Canada Reads nominated authors took the stage in Whitehorse to discuss their books in front of a packed live audience. The evening featured a conversation between Loghan Paylor, author of The Cure for Drowning, and Billy-Ray Belcourt, the author of A Minor Chorus. Both novels explore what it means to find a sense of home, and how that quest can impact who we become. The event was called Homecoming, and with the help of CBC host Leonard Linklater, the authors sat down to discuss the themes of home, identity and belonging in their characters' lives, and in their own.

Books discussed on this week's show include:
The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor
A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt

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How iconic musician Tegan Quin plans to tackle Canada Reads
Why Elle-Maija Tailfeathers says A Minor Chorus is the story Canada needs to hear right now

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Ten years ago, more than 11 million Canadians tuned in to CBC for the live airing of The Tragically Hip’s final concert of their Man Machine Poem tour in Kingston, Ontario. Since then, this performance has held a special place in the minds of many Canadians and more. Michael Barclay is a writer and long time fan of the band. He wanted to make sure that the iconic Canadian band’s history was being documented, so he wrote a book. It’s called The Never Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip. It guides readers through the history of the band, their music and offers a window into the music scene at that time. He talks about the band's legacy and what made the Hip Canada's band.

Books discussed on this week's show include:
The Never Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip by Michael Barclay
Rough Description by Don Pyle

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Canadian fiddle legend Natalie MacMaster shares her life in books
What is the greatest Canadian novel of all time?

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Some books change your mind. Others simply reinforce what you already know. The Next Chapter's columnist Nathan Maharaj joins the show to talk about two books that challenged his assumptions and altered his perspective. Nathan is a lifelong bookseller and the director of content marketing at Rakuten Kobo. He'll discuss why challenging your beliefs is important and how it can lead to a broader worldview. Plus, Toronto artist Mah Moud stops by to talk about a mysterious book from his parents bookshelf, and how the impact of a good novel can last for generations.

Books discussed on this week's show include:
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
How Great Things Happen by George Newman

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What is the greatest Canadian novel of all time?

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