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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

00:29:57

NOT CLICKBAIT! She stole her dead twin sister’s...

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/04/30

Inspired by her own experience as a skincare influencer, Liann Zhang’s debut novel, Julie Chan is Dead, is a wild ride into the world of social media. Julie Chan’s estranged twin sister Chloe is a famous mega-influencer … while Julie leads a less glamorous life. When Chloe mysteriously dies, Julie makes a split-second decision to take over her life. She’s suddenly thrust into the world of luxury skincare and toxic influencer cliques — all while trying to stay undetected as the nobody that she

en-ca

00:36:29

What if your dreams could land you in jail?

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/04/27

In The Dream Hotel, Laila Lalami imagines a world where the government has access to data about people's dreams … and uses it to decide if someone is likely to commit a crime. When Laila's protagonist, Sara, is flagged as high risk, she’s sent to a retention centre and subjected to constant surveillance. Laila talks to Mattea Roach about her interest in dreams, the dangers of invisible data collection and her multilingual journey to writing.If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these

en-ca

00:21:13

Meet the winner of the 2025 CBC Short Story Prize

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/04/23

You may not be familiar with Dorian McNamara yet … but his story, You (Streetcar at Night), is the winner of the 2025 CBC Short Story Prize. If you’ve spent time in Toronto, you’ll know its trademark red streetcars. Dorian grew up on those streetcars, which is why he chose one as the backdrop for his story of a young transgender person reflecting on their first relationship. Dorian and Mattea Roach talk about reflecting on transition, what he loves about Halifax and what winning this prize means for

en-ca

00:33:17

Why you can’t forget your first love

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/04/20

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

en-ca

00:30:27

Why growing up is so hard — and why Canadians are so...

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/04/16

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

en-ca

00:35:49

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s triumphant return to fiction

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/04/13

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

en-ca

00:31:52

Scaachi Koul calls herself a professional ex-wife

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/04/09

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

en-ca

00:29:19

Yes, tuberculosis is still a thing — John Green tells...

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/04/06

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

en-ca

00:31:22

Mapping the stories of Uganda’s abducted children

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/04/02

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

en-ca

00:46:50

Kate Bush spins a magical story on her album Hounds...

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/03/30

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

en-ca

00:32:06

Curtis Sittenfeld is fascinated by fame

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/03/26

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

en-ca

00:33:38

Emma Donoghue boards a train destined for disaster

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/03/23

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,

en-ca

00:24:18

Why Heather O’Neill believes in magic

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/03/19

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.

en-ca

00:38:25

Getting to know Canada’s king of suspense

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/03/16

Linwood Barclay’s literary journey started with writing fanfiction on a typewriter. Over 20 books and millions of copies later, he’s one of Canada’s most successful living writers. His intricate thrillers have captivated audiences around the world — and his newest book, Whistle, comes out in May. Linwood joins Mattea Roach to talk about how he dreams up big thrillers, being mentored by the greats and why he loves model trains.You can also catch Linwood this week as a panellist on Canada Reads 2025

en-ca

00:34:52

How Frida Kahlo and Sylvia Plath inspired a novel...

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/03/12

Have you ever met someone who felt like a mirror of you? In Katherine Brabon’s new novel, Body Friend, the protagonist meets two women named Frida and Sylvia. All three are living with chronic illness and they’re in profound pain. But when it comes to dealing with that pain, Frida and Sylvia are polar opposites — and our protagonist is caught in the middle. Katherine knows these difficulties firsthand. She joins Mattea Roach to talk about living with and writing about chronic pain.If you enjoyed

en-ca

00:41:05

We can still avoid a tech dystopia — here’s how

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/03/09

Years before he coined the term “enshittification,” Cory Doctorow was just a kid who was fascinated by computers — until he saw how profit and monopoly tainted the industry. Now, Cory is a leading policy advocate and writer who uses fiction to explore how things could be different. His latest novel, Picks & Shovels, is the third in his series about forensic accountant Martin Hench, who investigates financial crime in Silicon Valley. Cory joins Mattea to talk about the dawn of the PC, how the

en-ca

00:34:12

In the Caribbean, secret lives come at a cost

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/03/05

H. Nigel Thomas’ latest novel, A Different Hurricane, is set on the lush Caribbean island country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It’s about two young men who become secret lovers until society forces them apart — and it draws on Nigel’s own experiences as a gay man who left Saint Vincent for Montreal when he was just 21.If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:Aysegul Savas: Finding home in foreignness and capturing the uncertainty of early adulthoodEric Chacour: Exploring

en-ca

00:39:53

Pitbull, Scarface and a whale walk into a book

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/03/02

A famous rapper, an Al Pacino movie and a captive whale named Lolita seemingly don’t have much in common. But in Jennine Capó Crucet’s latest novel, Say Hello to My Little Friend, she manages to bring them all together in an ode to the magic of Miami. Jennine joins Mattea Roach to talk about the wild ride of writing the book and how her own experiences as a Cuban American are reflected in the story.If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:Teresa Wong: Illustrating her family's past

en-ca

00:38:06

Emily Austin: Would life be easier as a rat? And...

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/02/26

For Emily Austin, living like a rat means embracing the small joys and avoiding societal expectations — and that idea is at the centre of her new novel, We Could Be Rats. The book follows two sisters as they reckon with mental health struggles, their relationship to each other and the difficulties of growing up in a small town.If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:Zoe Whittall: Why heartbreak is a valid form of grief Fawn Parker: Blending her own grief with fiction in new novel

en-ca

00:28:56

Nnedi Okorafor: Bringing a writer to life in Death of...

Bookends with Mattea Roach ·

2025/02/23

Nnedi Okorafor’s latest book is about a writer whose new science fiction novel brings her unexpected literary fame — and it asks a lot of questions about what it means to be a storyteller today. Nnedi joins Mattea Roach to talk about metafiction, the crossroads of disability and technology and how her experiences as a Nigerian American shaped her story.If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:Nalo Hopkinson: How Caribbean folktales inspired her fantastical novel, Blackheart

en-ca

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