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PODCAST

Bookends with Mattea Roach

When the book ends, the conversation begins. Mattea Roach speaks with writers who have something to say about their work, the world and our place in it. You’ll always walk away with big questions to ponder and new books to read.

arts books

All Episodes

00:23:51

John Irving’s new novel returns to a familiar orphanage

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/11/26

John Irving’s books are on many readers’ list of favourites. He’s written novels like The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules, which you also might recognize from their beloved screen adaptations. John is known for writing generation-spanning novels about family, identity and contemporary issues. His latest book, Queen Esther, delivers on that promise. It follows a Vienna-born Jewish orphan named Esther Nacht, whose story is defined by her journey to live an unapologetically Jewish

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00:30:46

This poem took 16 straight hours to write

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/11/23

It’s a bit of an understatement to say that Canisia Lubrin has a way with words. Last year, she took home the Carol Shields Prize for her debut novel, Code Noir. Now she’s back with a long-form poem called The World After Rain. The poem is an epic tribute to her mother and the passing of time, and it poured out of Canisia over the span of 16 hours. This week, Canisia joins Mattea Roach to talk about why she never intended to publish the poem … and why she felt she had no choice.Check out our

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00:26:11

Here’s what you have wrong about teen moms

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/11/19

Leila Mottley was only 17 years-old when she wrote her debut novel, Nightcrawling … and she was 20 when she became the youngest author ever to make the Booker Prize longlist. After that incredible start, Leila is now back with her second novel, called The Girls Who Grew Big. It’s about a group of young mothers who navigate growing up and raising children in a town that ostracizes them. This week, Leila joins Mattea to talk about the nuances of teen motherhood, why she’s so focused on “home” and how

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00:36:53

Chris Hadfield — from astronaut to author

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/11/16

You might know Chris Hadfield, decorated astronaut and former Commander of the International Space Station. But do you know Chris Hadfield, the pilot, engineer, musician and author? His latest novel, Final Orbit, is a Cold War-era thriller set against the backdrop of the Space Race of the 1970s. The book draws from Chris’s own experiences in the stars … with a dangerous twist. This week, Chris tells Mattea Roach about going from rocket ships to novels, why his thrillers are based in history and

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00:27:40

A fictional ad agency — and its very real ghosts

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/11/12

In Aurora Stewart de Peña's debut novel, Julius Julius, ads are inescapable … which isn’t far off from real life. If you ever feel unsettled by the way that marketing influences us, you’ll probably resonate with Julius Julius. It's a satirical look at the advertising industry and a finalist for this year’s Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Aurora herself is a veteran of the advertising world, so her novel is an insider's point of view through an inventive fictional gaze. This week, Aurora

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00:41:48

Kiran Desai’s novel is worth the 20-year wait

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/11/09

Not many people can say that a Booker prize nomination feels like deja vu … but Kiran Desai is one of those rare people. Twenty years after her first win, Kiran is back on the Booker shortlist with her long-awaited new novel, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. It’s an expansive book that traces the paths of two young Indians as they criss-cross the world and each others’ lives. It’s a love story, a family saga, and an exploration of the things that bring us together… and the forces that keep us

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00:27:15

What is a stag dance?

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/11/05

Torrey Peters was in the woods building her own sauna when she came up with the titular story in her new collection, called Stag Dance. The story is about a lumberjack at the turn of the 20th century … and it’s a sharp turn from her debut novel Detransition, Baby, which was a huge success with both readers and critics. The stories in Stag Dance explore desire, sexuality and the very idea of transformation through some surprising points of view. This week, Torrey joins Mattea to talk about finding

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00:48:01

Zadie Smith never thought she’d tell this story

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/11/02

It’s hard to believe that Zadie Smith was just 24 years old when she wrote White Teeth, the book that made her a literary star. 25 years later, Zadie is still finding new stories from her life to reflect on — and she shares many of those in her latest essay collection, Dead and Alive. The book combines art criticism with musings about technology, parenting and the writers who've inspired her. This week, Zadie joins Mattea Roach to talk about the collection, what it’s like to look back on 25 years of

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00:25:43

Can your nail tech throw a mean right hook?

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/10/29

In the new novel Pick a Colour, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. The debut novel from Souvankham Thammavongsa centres on Ning, the owner of a nail salon. Before she was a nail technician, Ning was a boxer … and she hasn’t completely shrugged off those instincts from the ring. Souvankham won the Giller Prize in 2020 for her story collection How to Pronounce Knife, and her new novel is shortlisted for this year’s prize. She joins Mattea Roach to talk about her fondness for nail salons,

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00:35:03

Ian McEwan has hope for humanity — here’s why

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/10/26

A century from now, how will historians look back on your life? In his latest novel, What We Can Know, Ian McEwan imagines the future in 100 years. In a world altered by climate change and nuclear war, human beings are looking back at our current age with a mix of nostalgia, envy and contempt … which is why a scholar becomes fixated on finding a lost poem from 2014. You might know Ian from his breakout hit Atonement, which was made into an Oscar-winning film. This week, he joins Mattea Roach to talk

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00:31:34

Why Mona Awad gave the Bunnies a say

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/10/22

The bunnies are back … and they’re bloodier than ever. In We Love You, Bunny, Mona Awad returns to the surreal world of her best selling novel Bunny. A deliciously deranged mix of fairy tale, satire and horror, Bunny was loved by critics and readers alike. But what do the villains of that story — a clique of mean girls called the Bunnies — have to say about it? We Love You, Bunny provides a dark, hilarious answer. Mona joins Mattea Roach to talk about expanding the Bunny universe, getting into the

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00:30:06

Where do North Korean spies go for dinner?

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/10/19

Soju, kimchi, gun fights, car chases … and profound reflections on the Korean diaspora. Whether you’re hungry for food or for action, Jinwoo Park’s debut novel has it all. Oxford Soju Club is about a group of Korean spies carrying out their missions in Oxford. At the centre of it all is The Soju Club, the only Korean restaurant in town. Like any good spy novel, the book delivers on secrets and intrigue … but it’s also a story about what it means to be Korean, no matter how far away from home you

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00:40:10

Think Stonehenge rocks? So does Ken Follett

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/10/12

Ken Follett is one of the most successful authors alive today. He’s sold almost 200 million books, and readers have devoured his stories about the Black Plague, German spies and nuclear war. His next challenge? The great mystery of Stonehenge. Ken’s latest novel, Circle of Days, imagines the story behind that monument and wonder of ancient life. Ken joins Mattea Roach to talk about what makes Stonehenge so special, writing between history and imagination and why his books resonate around the

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00:25:11

What is extreme caretaking?

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/10/08

The winner of the 2025 CBC Nonfiction Prize is The Invisible Woman by Laura MacGregor. It's a deeply personal and heartfelt story Laura wrote about her son Matthew, who lived with profound disabilities and required around-the-clock care. Laura wrote The Invisible Woman as a way of dealing with her grief after Matthew's passing, and to reckon with how extreme caregiving had shaped her life. Laura joins Mattea to talk about the joy and dignity of Matthew’s life and the responsibilities she shouldered

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00:45:41

R.F. Kuang raises a little hell

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/10/05

After massive hits like The Poppy War, Babel and Yellowface, R.F. Kuang’s new novel takes readers to hell — quite literally. Katabasis follows two grad students who venture through the underworld to save their professor’s soul, and R.F. Kuang’s own experience as a PhD student, high school debater and talented chef all factor into the book. At a special on-stage event in Toronto, joined by around a thousand of her fans, R.F. told Mattea Roach all about Katabasis … and dove into her own life and

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00:32:42

What would it take to become the first Cherokee...

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/09/28

Statistically, your odds of becoming an astronaut are close to zero. You have to make some pretty extreme sacrifices to reach the stars, and that’s the thrust of a new novel about the first Cherokee astronaut. To the Moon and Back is Eliana Ramage’s debut novel and the September pick for Reese Witherspoon’s book club. It’s a book about ambition and astronauts, but it’s also about what it means to be Indigenous … in the past, present, and future. This week, Eliana tells Mattea about loving the story

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00:27:57

What happens to fiction in times of war?

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/09/21

A snail scientist takes part in a kidnapping scheme to protest the Ukrainian romance industry. That's the story Maria Reva was writing in her debut novel, Endling. But then Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, leaving Maria to question whether fiction had a place in the devastating new reality. The result is an innovative and darkly humorous book in which Maria blends her novel with her own experiences grappling with the war. Endling is longlisted for the Booker and is a finalist for

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00:33:24

Why this comics legend is just getting started

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/09/17

Growing up in rural Ontario, Jeff Lemire bought superhero comics at the local minimart. Years later, he’s one of the biggest comic book creators in Canada … and he’s the one bringing those superheroes to life. Jeff’s new memoir, 10,000 Ink Stains, tells his story. The book looks back on his 25-year career, diving into notable works like Essex County and Sweet Tooth — both of which were recently adapted for television. Jeff tells Mattea about his early days as an indie comics artist, stepping into

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00:33:51

Who was the woman Kafka loved?

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/09/14

Milena Jesenská was a courageous journalist, translator and resister of the Nazi regime. So why do most people only know her as Franz Kafka’s lover? Milena was one of the great loves of Kafka’s life, and his letters to her are immortalized in the book Letters to Milena. But that story remains unfinished … because Milena’s responses have never been found. That’s where writer Christine Estima steps in. In her debut novel, Letters to Kafka, Christine tells Milena’s story and gives voice to a woman

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00:30:07

Reliving the soundtrack of the 2000s

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/09/10

Feeling nostalgic for the music of the aughts? You’re not the only one. Holly Brickley’s debut novel, Deep Cuts, follows a music-obsessed writer named Percy coming of age in the early 2000s. When Percy befriends a young musician in college, they start to collaborate and their connection deepens. Holly and Mattea talk about their shared love of music, the magic of the pre-smartphone era and why music and human connection often go hand-in-hand.Liked this conversation? Keep listening:Music, sex and

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