Reading Room

Fiction Contest 2023: The Longlist

Fiction Contest 2023: The Longlist

We are so excited to announce the longlist for our 2023 Fiction Contest! A big thank you to our Room collective members for selecting our longlist. These submissions are now up for consideration by our judge, Heather O'Neill. A big congratulations to these talented...

Review of Ruby Red Skies by Taslim Burkowicz

Review of Ruby Red Skies by Taslim Burkowicz

Ruby Red Skies By Taslim Burkowicz Roseway Publishing 364 Pages, $24.00 In Ruby Red Skies, Taslim Burkowicz’s third novel, the destinies of Ruby and Rubina—two women separated by four centuries of history but united by an eternal quest for love and...

Review of Trailer Park Shakes

Review of Trailer Park Shakes

Trailer Park Shakes By Justene Dion-Glowa Brick Books 96 pages, $24  Justene Dion-Glowa’s first full-length poetry book, Trailer Park Shakes, considers how one finds strength in grieving a lifetime of injustice, poverty, trauma, family violence, and the loss of a...

Review of brat

Review of brat

brat By Sophie Crocker Gordon Hill Press 76 pages, $20  Mythic, chaotic, and fiercely funny, Sophie Crocker’s brat is an anthology of lovers and creatures, intimate self-portraits, and candid observations about life and the world. From rat kings, riot dogs, and...

Review of Pacifique

Review of Pacifique

Pacifique By Sarah L. Taggart Coach House Books 224 pages, $24  Where does the truth lie when the stigma of madness casts doubts on a story? In Sarah L. Taggart’s debut novel Pacifique, Taggart examines love, but more importantly, the complexities of mental illness...

Review of Thick Skin by Hilary Peach

Review of Thick Skin by Hilary Peach

Thick Skin: Field Notes from a Sister in the Brotherhood By Hilary Peach Anvil Press 314 pages, $22.00 Tender-hearted, unflinching, and clever, Thick Skin: Field Notes from a Sister in the Brotherhood explores poet Hillary Peach’s twenty-year career as a transient...

This Time It’s Personal: An Excerpt from 2023 Creative Non-Fiction Judge Tajja Isen

This Time It’s Personal: An Excerpt from 2023 Creative Non-Fiction Judge Tajja Isen

Our 2023 Creative Non-Fiction Contest is judged by Tajja Isen! A writer, editor, and voice actor, Tajja Isen’s first book, Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service, was published in 2022 and was named a Best Book of the Year by Electric Literature, The Globe and Mail, CBC Books, and Daily Hive. Whether you’re looking for inspiration or a good read, enjoy this short excerpt from Isen’s Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service!

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