Bookends with Mattea Roach

That all-consuming, dizzying feeling is what acclaimed poet Seán Hewitt captures in his debut novel, Open, Heaven. The book follows a teenager named James, whose first love is made complicated by his own sexuality and the realities of the rural English village where he lives. Seán joins Mattea to talk about the difference between love and desire, the role of nature in his work and why Ireland is such fertile ground for poets. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:Alan Hollinghurst: Coming of age in Britain and writing through the gay gazeEmma Knight: 'Bad' mothers make good stories — and are more true-to-life

For some people, young adulthood can feel more like a crash landing than a glorious journey — and Georgia Toews knows that better than anyone. Her new novel, Nobody Asked For This, is about Virginia, a young comedian. Alongside the usual messiness of growing up and chasing comedy stardom, Virginia is grappling with the loss of her mother, discord in her closest personal relationships and navigating a traumatic encounter. Georgia and Mattea Roach talk about the perils of adulthood and the Canadian comedy industry. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:Emily Austin: Would life be easier as a rat? And other ways to escape adulthoodFawn Parker: Blending her own grief with fiction in new novel Hi, It’s Me 

Readers have been waiting for a new novel from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for 12 years … and Dream Count delivers a sweeping tale that was well worth the wait. In the novel, Chimamanda weaves together the perspectives of four women moving between Nigeria, Guinea and the United States. In this Canadian broadcast exclusive, she joins Mattea Roach to talk about her longing to be known, grappling with the sudden loss of her parents and how her mother’s spirit brought her back to fictionCheck out the full video interview on the CBC Arts YouTube channel. 

After years in the Internet trenches, Scaachi Koul is no stranger to a good fight — but her latest essay collection is all about knowing when to walk away. In Sucker Punch, Scaachi examines her recent divorce with her signature ruthless humour, picking apart what the end of her marriage made her realize about her self-worth, upbringing and love of conflict. Scaachi joins Mattea to talk about divorce in the public eye, challenging her previous work and why her mother is at the centre of the new book. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:Curtis Sittenfeld is fascinated by fame Zoe Whittall: Why heartbreak is a valid form of grief

You might know John Green as the author of bestsellers such as The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska, or from the hugely popular Crash Course and Vlogbrothers Youtube channels. John’s latest obsession is tuberculosis, the deadliest disease in the world — and he writes all about it in his book, Everything is Tuberculosis. John and Mattea Roach dive into the wild history of the disease, why it persists today and John’s personal relationship with a young tuberculosis patient from Sierra Leone. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:Bryan Lee O’Malley: 20 years of Scott PilgrimJudith Butler: Breaking down why people fear gender

The poet and author Otoniya J. Okot Bitek’s debut novel, We The Kindling, weaves together stories of women who were abducted as children by a rebel militia in northern Uganda. The novel doesn’t have just one protagonist — each powerful voice adds to a chorus that tells a haunting story of loss, survival and what it means to hold on to hope, no matter how small. Otoniya joins Mattea to talk about her own writing journey, the complex history behind the novel and what she means by the “cartography” of stories. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:V.V. Ganeshananthan: Exploring the complexity of Sri Lanka's civil war in her prize-winning novel, Brotherless NightIn the Caribbean, secret lives come at a cost

In 2022, Kate Bush’s song Running Up That Hill topped charts around the world … nearly 40 years after its initial release. The resurgence came after the song was featured on the Netflix series Stranger Things — but according to the musician and writer Leah Kardos, the entire album is a masterpiece. Leah’s new book, Hounds of Love, is a deep dive into Kate’s 1985 album of the same name. It tells the remarkable story of how the album came to be, explores Kate’s enduring appeal and paints a portrait of Kate as a visionary musician and storyteller. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:Why Heather O’Neill believes in magic Leslie Jamison: Capturing Peggy Guggenheim in fiction and honouring a friend's dream 

Curtis Sittenfeld is a master at crafting characters that feel like real people, in all their messy, complicated glory. These characters are front-and-centre in her new short story collection, Show Don’t Tell. The book features stories about women, mostly in middle age, as they face life’s absurdities, joys and disappointments. Curtis and Mattea talk about the tricky boundaries of celebrity, the label of “women’s fiction” and how her characters are inspired by famous people. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:Casey McQuiston: Celebrating queer love and joy and navigating the future of romance Daniel Aleman: Loneliness inspired a novel about a Grindr date gone fatally wrong

There’s a famous black-and-white photograph of a train bursting through the side of a building and falling onto the pavement below. It was taken in 1895 — and Emma Donoghue’s latest novel, The Paris Express, reimagines the story behind that moment. In her retelling, the Irish Canadian writer fills the train with her own vibrant characters. From wealthy politicians to young anarchists, she dives into the complexities of the time as the train races toward its demise.If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:Jack Wang: Reimagining the lost stories of Chinese Canadians during WWII Paula Hawkins: Exploring the dark side of the art world in new thriller The Blue Hour

The great Canadian book debate is underway, so we're revisiting our 2024 conversation with Canadian writer and former Canada Reads winner, Heather O'Neill.Heather’s latest novel, The Capital of Dreams, follows a young girl hunting for her mother’s lost manuscript during a war. She spoke with Mattea Roach about taking inspiration from her own daughter, her love of imperfect art and how famous philosophers inspired a talking goose.Find everything you need to know about Canada Reads at cbcbooks.ca.