The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing

00:27:42

Comparison kills: why ranking books can get problematic

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/10/05

What are the best books published this month? Questions and titles like this led to writer and teacher Thea Lim’s article “Abolish the Top Ten List,” for the Walrus magazine. She noticed how rankings and lists dominate how we speak about books, narrowing the number of titles that reach the surface. Is this a healthy way to interact with art? She joins the show to talk about it. Plus, author Don Gillmor talks about his venture into crime thriller writing with Cherry Beach and recommends a

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00:26:32

How Junie B. Jones inspired Taylor Tomlinson’s comedy...

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/10/03

With four Netflix specials and a late-night show to her name, Taylor Tomlinson has comedy figured out. But something she had never done before, was write a book. The comedian just released an essay collection called Actually, Nevermind, all about how people are allowed to change their minds. In the book, she lets us into her brain, discussing everything from love to religion, personal stories and mental health. She takes us back to a time when she thought she was destined to be a writer, and when

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00:28:14

10 years since publishing Indigenous Writes, what’s...

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/09/28

Chelsea Vowel is a lawyer, teacher and writer. 10 years ago, she published her influential book Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Metis and Inuit issues in Canada. Chelsea joins the show to talk about the newly released 10th anniversary edition, which continues the groundbreaking conversation. Plus, novelist and playwright Anosh Irani talks about the process of adapting Rohinton Mistry’s novel A Fine Balance for the stage at Crow's Theatre in Toronto.Books discussed on this week's show

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00:25:50

Here’s what’s on our fall TBR list

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/09/26

For our team of producers at CBC Books, fall reading starts in spring when publisher catalogues and look-aheads arrive at the office. Ailey Yamamoto, Ashly July and Lisa Mathews have been reading fall books for months, and join the show to recommend the title they think should make the top of your reading list. Plus, Polaris Prize nominated musician Charlotte Cornfield talks about her musical journey and what she’s been reading.Books discussed on this week's show include:We Are Underlings by Doretta

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00:28:14

What the stars of North of North are reading

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/09/21

After cleaning up at the Canadian Screen Awards in May, North of North returns for season two with nine awards under its belt including Best Comedy Series. In this episode, co-stars Anna Lambe and Maika Harper join the show to talk about the series, the stories it tells and the role books and reading play in their busy lives. Plus, author Ashley Audrain opens up about her novel The Push being named by the New York Times as one of the top 50 thriller novels of the 21st century.Books discussed on this

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00:23:47

Why we keep coming back to The Odyssey, 3000 years later

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/09/19

The Odyssey, both the movie and Homer’s epic poem, was at the top of the pop culture zeitgeist this summer. The sudden resurgence leads to the question: What is it about the Greeks, their myths and their philosophies that sticks with us? To dive into this topic, we sit down with writer, actor and classic enthusiast Kudakwashe Rutendo to discuss the staying power of these stories, and share her less than warm review of The Odyssey. Plus, Montreal-based musician Edwin Raphael talks about his music and

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00:28:12

Kia Nurse shares what the Toronto Tempo is reading

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/09/14

You may know Kia Nurse from the WNBA, Team Canada or her basketball coverage on TSN. She also scored the first points recorded in Toronto Tempo history. Today she joins the show to talk about the team’s book club, and what they’ve been reading as of late. And later, CBC Books producer Bridget Raymundo talks about the hit graphic novel series Hearstopper, and why it holds such a special place in her heart.Books discussed on this week's show include:It Should Have Been You by Andrea MaraYesteryear by

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00:27:34

What happens when 6 Canadian actors start a book club

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/09/12

Celebrity book clubs have shown their staying power. From Reese Witherspoon to Dua Lipa, everyone’s curious about what actors and artists are reading. When Heated Rivalry’s Nadine Bhabha shared that she’s in a book club with five of her actor friends the last time she was on the show, we knew we had to see what this club was all about. Nadine and her colleagues Clark Backo and Jess Salgueiro join the show to peel back the curtain on this star-studded book club, share what they’ve been reading and

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00:26:46

These books introduced Will Ferguson to the world......

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/09/05

Will Ferguson began his career as a travel writer. Since then he's written more than a dozen books and won some of the biggest literary prizes a Canadian writer can win. Along the way, he never gave up travel writing, and still uses it to inform his fiction. His books stretch across genres, allowing his work to follow wherever his interests take him, always with an underpinning thread of humour. Growing up in a small town in Northern Alberta, books were his first ticket to seeing the outside world

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00:27:42

What it’s like entering the spotlight after a career...

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/08/31

For most of her writing life Patricia Finn wrote and polished other people’s stories. But this spring she stepped out of the shadows with the publication of her debut novel. It’s called The Golden Boy and it follows a television executive who, after losing his job, inherits the grandchildren of his deceased friend. Patricia joins the show to tell us about The Golden Boy and recommend a companion read. Plus, author Uzma Jalaluddin shares what Gen Z slang she's picked up from her kids while answering

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00:26:45

How far must we go to find our way home?

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/08/29

In April, two Canada Reads nominated authors took the stage in Whitehorse to discuss their books in front of a packed live audience. The evening featured a conversation between Loghan Paylor, author of The Cure for Drowning, and Billy-Ray Belcourt, the author of A Minor Chorus. Both novels explore what it means to find a sense of home, and how that quest can impact who we become. The event was called Homecoming, and with the help of CBC host Leonard Linklater, the authors sat down to discuss the

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00:22:29

What made The Tragically Hip Canada’s band?

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/08/22

Ten years ago, more than 11 million Canadians tuned in to CBC for the live airing of The Tragically Hip’s final concert of their Man Machine Poem tour in Kingston, Ontario. Since then, this performance has held a special place in the minds of many Canadians and more. Michael Barclay is a writer and long time fan of the band. He wanted to make sure that the iconic Canadian band’s history was being documented, so he wrote a book. It’s called The Never Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the

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00:24:00

How to avoid getting locked in an echo chamber

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/08/15

Some books change your mind. Others simply reinforce what you already know. The Next Chapter's columnist Nathan Maharaj joins the show to talk about two books that challenged his assumptions and altered his perspective. Nathan is a lifelong bookseller and the director of content marketing at Rakuten Kobo. He'll discuss why challenging your beliefs is important and how it can lead to a broader worldview. Plus, Toronto artist Mah Moud stops by to talk about a mysterious book from his parents

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00:25:15

The author behind Lucky reveals how she helped cast...

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/08/08

A few years ago Marissa Stapley heard a radio story about an unclaimed winning lottery ticket, which planted the seed for her novel, Lucky. Since then, the book has become a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and was recently adapted into a star-studded Apple TV series starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Drew Starkey. Lucky is the novel that changed Marissa Stapley’s life, and today she joins the show to talk about it, her time in Hollywood and where she plans to take her beloved character next. Marissa will

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00:53:29

Why storytellers come alive when food is on the table

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/08/01

Is there one meal that reminds you of home? A dish that brings back childhood memories? For CBC Books producer Talia Kliot, it’s a shortbread, sour cream and walnut cake that makes an appearance at her family’s special milestones. Talia is obsessed with the way that food helps us tell stories and even made a radio documentary about it, where she speaks to writers, an academic and a video game designer. She joined Antonio Michael Downing on The Next Chapter to share what made her hungry for these

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00:26:44

What is the hardest part of translating a beloved novel?

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/07/25

Set in late-20th-century Cairo, Éric Chacour's novel What I know About You is a heartbreaking story of an impossible love and a family fractured by secrets and expectations. It was selected for One eRead Canada’s live digital book club, which brings libraries and readers together. Originally written in French, the book's translator, Pablo Strauss joins the discussion to share what it was like recreating the world in English for a conversation hosted by the Mississauga Library.Books discussed on this

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00:26:45

Why Ernest Hemingway had a problem with Toronto

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/07/18

Did you know that Ernest Hemingway wrote for the Toronto Star? The iconic cigar-smoking, bull-fighting American writer spent two separate stints living in Canada. It was partly while living and working in Toronto that he developed his stripped-down, sparse writing style. Author and Hemingway expert Terry Fallis reflects on the writer's larger than life reputation and his time spent in Toronto ahead of the upcoming International Hemingway Society Conference. Plus, CBC producer Christine Pagulayan

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00:27:03

How an accidental police officer stumbled into a...

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/07/11

Clare Mackintosh joined the police force by accident. But taking what she learned over a 12 year career and using it to become a bestselling mystery and crime writer, was no accident. Nine novels later, she's sold millions of copies and has never looked back. Her latest is a genre-fusing novel titled, It’s Not What You Think. Clare was recently a guest speaker at the yearly MOTIVE crime and mystery festival in Toronto, and dropped by to talk about the books that have shaped her life and career.Books

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00:26:50

Spilling secrets and small-town adultery in The...

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/07/04

For years Jenny Jackson worked as an editor for some of the biggest authors in the publishing game. Eventually, she took what she had learned as an editor and applied it to writing a book of her own.The result was a bestselling novel, and a new career as an author. Her new novel, The Shampoo Effect, took inspiration from a sexy, sixties novel about small-town adultery. It’s the story of a young woman who finds her way deep into a close circle of friends, and then writes all about them in a revealing

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00:27:42

Kid approved books they will actually want to read...

The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing ·

2026/06/29

Wondering how you’re going to keep your kids reading now that school’s out? Our children’s book panel is here to help. We’ve asked writer, broadcaster and Mom, Bee Quammie, and CBC Books producer and mother of two, Lucy Mann to recommend their recent favourite all Canadian kids books. Plus, author of Life of Pi, Yann Martel shares what matters most to him while answering The Next Chapter’s version of the Proust Questionnaire.Books discussed on this week's show include:Ruthie by Esmé ShapiroThe

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