The 98 rejections before hit novel Lessons in Chemistry
Bonnie Garmus says she came to poetry “kicking and screaming,” but her new novel is about why we need it more than ever. Peck & Peck follows...
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Writers and Company from CBC Radio
CBC Radio's Writers and Company offers an opportunity to explore in depth the lives, thoughts and works of remarkable writers from around the world. Hosted by Eleanor Wachtel.
Episodes
20 of 184 episodesHer mother was stolen. What does that mean for her?
Jenna Timmons-Oikawa is the winner of the 2026 CBC Nonfiction Prize. Her piece, Wawa Indian, was inspired by the discovery that her mother w...
R.F. Kuang gets personal in Taipei Story
Communication gets complicated across different languages, time zones and generations. FaceTime and translation apps can only help so much....
Why Marlon James disappeared
The new novel from Marlon James is based on a rumour … but it’s no rumour that Marlon’s book is one of the year's hottest titles. The Disapp...
Nobel Prize winner Anne Carson in conversation with Eleanor Wachtel
Canadian writer Anne Carson is the winner of this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature. For today’s podcast, we’re diving into the archives and...
A novel inspired by the death of a tree
Anita Rau Badami’s new novel, Asha in Her Garden , is her first in over a decade … and it all started with the striking image of a dying tre...
Girlbossing on an oil rig
Imagine the pressure of being the only woman working on an offshore oil rig. That was the reality for Y.M. Abdel-Magied … and she turned her...
How bad was your worst friendship breakup?
How far would you be willing to go to salvage a friendship? Maybe you just need a small break ... or how about a couples therapist? Téa Muto...
Michelle Good is reclaiming her mother's name
When Michelle Good’s mother was in her 20s, she changed her name from Martha Eliza to Elizabeth to sound less Indigenous. Michelle’s new nov...
Colson Whitehead’s lifelong love affair with New York
The criminal underworld of 1980s New York City. The last heist of a mostly-retired crook. A city battling for its future. Colson Whitehead’s...
What if your boss was a literal supervillain?
You might think that your boss is evil … but what if they were an actual supervillain? Natalie Zina Walschots brings that idea to life in he...
Did the pandemic radicalize you?
The phrase "unprecedented times” was repeated over and over again during the pandemic … and Malavika Kannan’s debut novel, Unprecedented Tim...
Why age-gap friendships are a risk worth taking
How many of your friends are over 30 years older than you? When Marc Bendavid was 12, he met a teacher that changed his life. His debut nove...
Why writing a novel is like riding a horse
Imagine you walk into your bedroom one day … and there’s a horse going on a rampage. Better yet, it’s a horse from a childhood story that ha...
A city just for adulterers
For cheating couples who are sneaking around, it’s paradise … but how long until the cracks start to show? Sophie Mackintosh’s new novel, Pe...
It’s tough being the new kid in town. The zombies don’t help
You might be used to moving around … but you've probably never ended up in a town full of zombies, aliens and sad clowns. Jon Claytor’s new...
Can you justify killing bad men?
Bad men, bee warned. Imani Thompson’s buzzy debut novel, Honey , follows a jaded PhD student named Yrsa. She’s bored with her work and frust...
The dazzling, dangerous world of a 20th century spy
David Baerwald is a famous songwriter who’s worked with artists like Joni Mitchell and Sheryl Crow. But when he uncovered a family history f...
Why you shouldn’t go gentle into that good night
If you just let go of everything that’s out of your control … can you truly be happy? Maria Semple tests that philosophy in her new novel, G...
From Hamnet to Land, Maggie O'Farrell maps uncharted history
Maggie O’Farrell brought Shakespeare’s son out of the footnotes of history with her 2020 novel Hamnet . Its hugely successful movie adaptati...