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All Lit Up

@alllitupcanada.bsky.social

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An independent online bookstore and blog showcasing and selling Canada's best in indie books. Visit us at alllitup.ca

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · Aug 28

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-...

A collage graphic featuring the six featured books in the All Lit Up 2025 Fall Preview: Suddenly Light, War Resisters, A Place for People Like Us, Beaver Hills Forever, The Hunt, and Syncopation.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 17h

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/

A graphic for All Lit Up’s Women Asking Women series. On the top left is Zilla Jones, a Black woman with shoulder-length curly hair and brown eyes. On the bottom right is Elise Levine, a light-skin-toned woman with brown hair down past her shoulders. Text on the graphic reads: “Women Asking Women (Writers Asking Writers). Zilla Jones and Elise Levine. Women’s History Month on ALU."

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 1d

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...

The book cover for Queers at the Table: An Illustrated Guide to Queer Food (with Recipes) edited by Alex D. Ketchum and Megan J. Elias. The illustration shows a colourful group of people sharing food around a table, passing dishes, pouring drinks, and eating together.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 2d

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/

A graphic for All Lit Up’s Women Asking Women series. On the top left, a colour photo shows Joana Mosi standing by a wooden railing overlooking a rocky beach at sunset, wearing a dark jacket and smiling slightly. On the bottom right, a black-and-white photo shows Miranda Schreiber with long hair, seated against a plain wall. Text on the graphic reads: “Women Asking Women (Writers Asking Writers). Joana Mosi & Miranda Schreiber. Women’s History Month on ALU."

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 5d

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

A graphic for All Lit Up’s Women Asking Women (Writers Asking Writers) series. On the top left side features Rebecca Morris, a light-skin-toned woman with curly salt-and-pepper hair wearing a black blazer and white top and smiling into the camera. On the bottom right is Nadia Staikos, a light-skin-toned woman with dark hair. She is resting her chin on her hand and looking into the camera. Text on the graphic reads: "Women Asking Women (Writers Asking Writers). Rebecca Morris and Nadia Staikos. Women’s History Month on ALU."

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 6d

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/

The cover for A Scent of India by Sasenarine Persaud featuring a close-up of a lit incense stick resting on smooth stones, with trails of smoke curling upward. There are three glowing tealight candles in the background.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 7d

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...

A graphic for All Lit Up’s Women Asking Women (Writers Asking Writers) series. On the top left is a photo of Leila Marshy, wearing glasses and a grey sweater, standing against a wooden background. On the bottom right is a portrait of Ellen Chang-Richardson, smiling, wearing glasses, and leaning on a stack of books. Text on the graphic reads: 'Women Asking Women (Writers Asking Writers). Leila Marshy & Ellen Chang-Richardson. Women’s History Month on ALU."

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 9d

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...

A collage graphic with the text "Reads for Truth and Reconciliation Day, September 30. + 50 more essential reads on All Lit Up.ca." The graphic features the covers of Beaver Hills Forever, Reconciling, Bad Indians Book Club, White Noise, and I Would Like to Say Thank You.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 12d

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 bright red book cover for The Wax Child by Olga Ravn, translated by Martin Aitken, featuring an illustration of bundles of sticks arranged in different formations: tied together, intersecting, forming a star shape, and a woven nest containing a honeycomb-like structure.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 13d

"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 cover of A Phial of Passing Memories by James Yékú. The design features two hands holding Polaroid-style photographs that dissolve into a cloud of dust and fragments, blending into the background. A group of black birds flies above them.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 14d

"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...

A photo of Jason Purcell with an inset photo of their book Crohnic. They are light-skin-toned person with dark brown hair parted to the side, brown eyes, and facial hair. They are wearing a white shirt and looking into the camera.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 15d

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...

A photo of writer Marilyn Bowering. She is a light skin toned woman with grey/white hair cut into a stylish bob, standing outside, wearing a black coat and crochet scarf.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 19d

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/

The cover of Notes from the Ward by Steffi Tad-y. The design features bold, abstract geometric blocks in teal and red with white curved and straight dividing lines, resembling layered panels. The title appears in black uppercase letters on a cream rectangle near the top right, and the author’s name appears in the same style near the bottom left.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 20d

"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/

The cover of Joanna Streetly's All of Us Hidden features a hazy, blue-toned seascape with a dark, indistinct island in the distance.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 21d

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/

A black-and-white photo of Jen Winsor with an inset photo of Ship Moms. She is a light-skin-toned woman with long dark brown hair parted in the middle and brown eyes. She is standing against a brick wall and smiling into the camera.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 22d

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...

A photo of writer Gail Sidonie Sobat. She is a light skin toned woman with short, red-blonde hair, wearing dark lipstick and a chartreuse sweater, standing beside a pine tree. She smiles widely, squinting into the sunlight.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 23d

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 graphic with text reading "We're 11! As a thank-you to our loyal readers, we're taking 10% off ALL BOOKS this week with promo code alu11. Yours in reading, the ALU crew."

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 26d

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...

The cover for The Seaside Café Metropolis by Antanas Sileika, featuring an illustrated dinner setting with a red knife, fork, and plate showcasing a hammer and sickle.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 27d

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 book cover for The Character Actor Convention by Guy Elston. The design features an abstract, geometric face split into orange and yellow halves with shapes forming eyes, nose, and mouth, set against a dark green background.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 28d

"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...

A photo of Bradley Somer with an inset photo of his book, We Are All of Us Left Behind. He is a light-skin-toned man with short brown hair and facial hair. He is wearing brown tortoiseshell glasses and a navy-blue collared shirt and smiling into the camera.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · 29d

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-...

The cover of Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon by Lisa de Nikolits. The cover is bright pink, with a Jessica-Rabbit style woman figure looking over her shoulder at a mobster in a long coat and hat. He reaches out and holds her arm.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · Sep 5

We loved engaging with your work! A pleasure.

All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · Sep 5

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...

The cover of NMLCT by Paul Vermeersch. The cover features a sculpture of a rabbit with very long ears wearing a space suit and holding a space helmet shaped like a rabbit's face.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · Sep 4

"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/

A black-and-white photo of author Ann Cavlovic. She is a light-skin-toned woman with dark hair that is pulled back into a ponytail. She has her head propped up by one hand and looks into the camera. There is an inset photo of her book Count On Me in the left corner.

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · Sep 3

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/

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All Lit Up @alllitupcanada.bsky.social · Sep 2

"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...

A photo of writer M.S. Berry. She is a light skin-toned woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing glasses and a blue button down shirt. She is smiling, crossing her arms and leaning over a pile of books, with bookshelves in the background.

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