The best Canadian fiction of 2020

Here are the picks byCBC Booksfor the top Canadian fiction of 2020.

Ridgerunner by Gil Adamson

Ridgerunneris a novel aboutWilliam Moreland, the notorious thief known as Ridgerunner, as he moves through the Rocky Mountains, determined to secure financial stability for his son. His son, JackBoulton, is trapped in a life not of his own making. Semi-orphaned and under the care of a nun, Sister Beatrice, Jack has found himself in a secluded cabin inAlberta. Little does he know, his father is coming for him.

Ridgerunner won the Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and was on the shortlistforthe Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• Why it took Gil Adamson 10 years to write a swashbuckling follow-up to her bestselling novelThe Outlander

Gil Adamson is a writer and poet. Her first novel,The Outlander,won the Amazon.ca First Novel Award andwas aCanada Readsfinalist in 2009, when it was championed by Nicholas Campbell. She has published several volumes of poetry, includingPrimitiveandAshland.

The Night Pieceby Andr Alexis

The Night Pieceisa collection of career-spanning stories byScotiabank Giller PrizeandCanada ReadswinnerAndr Alexis.Alexisdraws from his previous publications, includingDespair and Other Stories of OttawaandBeauty & Sadness, as well as works that have not been previously published.

• Andr Alexis on what he values most, in art and friends

Alexisis the author ofFifteen Dogs, which wonCanada Reads2017 and the 2015 ScotiabankGiller Prize, andDays by Moonlight, whichwon the2019 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.

The Next Chapter4:16David Bergen takes The Next Chapter's version of the Proust Questionnaire

Winnipeg author David Bergen is on the shortlist for the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his short story collection Here the Dark. This segment originally aired in 2014.

Here the Dark by David Bergen

InHere the Dark,David Bergendelivers short stories that interweave across space, exploring faith, loss and complex moral ambiguities.From Danang, Vietnam, to Honduras and the Canadian Prairies, the book collects narratives about place and heart.Here the Darkincludes the story that won the 1999CBC Short Story Prize,How CannMen Share a Bottle of Vodka?

• Scotiabank Giller Prize finalist David Bergen reflects on his writing career

Bergenis a Canadian novelist and short story writer. In 2005, his novelThe Time in Betweenwon the Scotiabank Giller Prize. His other books includeThe Matter with Morris,andStrangerin 2016.His novelThe Age of Hopewas defended by Ron MacLeanonCanada Readsin 2013.

The Next Chapter10:18Dennis Bock on The Good German

Dennis Bock talks about the thinking behind his alternative history novel The Good German.

A Family Affairby Nadine Bismuth, translated by Russell Smith

A Family Affairis a novel thatfollows a 40-year-old kitchen designer named Magalie, who maintains a mutually deceptive romance with her partner Mathieu. Unexpected circumstances lead her to Guillaume, a policeman and single father. It was translated into English by Russell Smith.

The French edition,Un lien familial,won Radio-Canada'sCombatnational des livresin 2020.

Nadine Bismuthis a writer from Montreal. She has published novels and short story collections. Her 2004 novelScrapbookwas translated into English in 2009. Her2009 short story collectiontes-vous marie un psychopathewas shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award for French-language fiction and was translated into English in 2010.

Russell Smith is a writer, journalist and translator. His books include the novelsConfidenceandGirl Crazyand the memoirBlindsided.A Family Affairis his first book-length translation.

The Good Germanby Dennis Bock

The Good Germanis a reimagined history in which, in 1939, Georg Elser succeeded in assassinating Hitler. But what unfolds is an alternate history where fascism reigns in Europe, and an atomic bomb is dropped on London, and Elser must reckon with the knowledge that his act of heroism changed the course of history and for what end?

• Dennis Bock's novel The Good German is a fictionalized account of the death of Adolf Hitler

Dennis Bockis a writer, editor and teacher from Toronto. His novelGoing Home Againwas a finalist for the 2013 Scotiabank Giller Prize. His other works include the novelsTheAsh GardenandThe Communist's Daughterand the short story collectionOlympia.

CBC Books7:26Craig Davidson on Mainstreet Halifax

The 2021 CBC Short Story Prize juror talks to Jeff Douglas about what makes a great short story.

Cascade by Craig Davidson

Cascadeis a collection of short stories from award-winning writerCraig Davidson. The six stories are set inDavidson's hometown of Niagara Falls, known as Cataract City, and explore what it's like to try to make a life in a town that is struggling economically, where its residents feel left behind and where the glorious, touristy waterfalls distract from deep social, economic and political problems.

• Craig Davidson's best writing advice? Find a routine and stick to it

Davidsonhas published several books of literary fiction includingCataract City, which was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2013,Rust and Bone, which was made into an Oscar-nominated feature film of the same name,The Fighter,Sarah CourtandThe Saturday Night Ghost Club.His memoirPrecious Cargowasdefended byGreg JohnsononCanada Reads2018.

CBC Books (Why I Write): Farzana Doctor

6 years ago

Duration 2:00

In this CBC Books video series, author Farzana Doctor on why it's a great time to be a writer from a racialized or Indigenous community.

Seven by Farzana Doctor

InSeven, Sharifaaccompanies her husband on a marriage-saving trip to India, and in order to research hergreat-great-grandfather a business-owner and philanthropist. She is fascinated by his four wives, who are never mentioned in her family. At the same time, she tries to reach a middle ground in an ideologically-divided community.

• Why Farzana Doctor believes it's a great time to be a BIPOC writer in Canada

Farzana Doctoris a Canadian novelist and social worker. Her novels includeAllInclusiveandSix Metres of Pavement.

White Coat Black Art26:30Author Emma Donoghue 'spooked' by overlapping narratives between her new novel and COVID-19

The Pull of the Stars tells the story of three women a nurse, a doctor and an activist in war-ravaged Ireland during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Emma Donoghue spoke with Dr. Brian Goldman, host of White Coat Black Art, about the inspiration for the novel. The book was written well before the outbreak of the coronavirus, and Donoghue was surprised by the way it mirrors our current situation but relishes the opportunity to talk about the role of health-care workers in challenging times.

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

The Pull of the Stars, set in a war and disease-ravaged Ireland during the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak, tells the story of three women a nurse, a doctor and a volunteer helper working on the front lines of the pandemic in an understaffed maternity ward of a hospital, where expectant mothers infected with the virus are quarantined.The timely tale explores how thesewomen change each other's lives in unexpected ways, while witnessing loss and delivering new life.

The Pull of the Starswas onthe 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist.

• Emma Donoghue shares her favourite books

Emma Donoghueis an Irish Canadian writer. Her books include the novelsLanding,Room,Frog Music,The Wonderand the children's bookThe Lotterys Plus One.

The Sunday Magazine10:53How food can be its own language with author Francesca Ekwuyasi

We kick off an ongoing focus on what food can reveal about life, culture and society with Francesca Ekwuyasi, the Nigerian-Canadian novelist behind the Giller Prize longlisted novel Butter Honey Pig Bread. She speaks with Chattopadhyay about the role food plays in complex family dynamics and how cooking can be a way of expressing care, regret, desire for forgiveness, and more.For more, visit: www.cbc.ca/1.5737303

Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi

Butter Honey Pig Breadis a novel about twin sisters, Kehinde and Taiye, and their mother, Kambirinachi. Kambirinachi believes she was a spirit who was supposed to die as a small child. By staying alive, she is cursing her family a fear that appears to come true when Kehinde experiences something that tears the family apart, and divides the twins for years. But when the three women connect years later, they must confront their past and find forgiveness.

Butter Honey Pig Breadwason the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist.

• Black queer voices matter and these authors are writing a more inclusive future for CanLit

Francesca Ekwuyasiis a writer, filmmaker and visual artist. Her writing has appeared in the Malahat Review, Guts and Brittle Paper, and she waslonglisted for the 2019 Journey Prize.Butter Honey Pig Breadis her first book.

The Next Chapter12:36Will Ferguson on The Finder

Will Ferguson's new novel The Finder follows a middle-aged travel writer.

The Finder by Will Ferguson

The Finderis an adventurenovel about finding things that are lost in the world. The story takes readers to Japan, Australia and New Zealand as Interpol agentGaddy Rhodes, photographerTamsin Greene and travel writerThomas Rafferty unexpectedly cross paths as they track "The Finder" a mysterious figure who believes they can find history's lost objects, such asthe missing Romanov Faberg eggs andMuhammad Ali's Olympic gold medal

• Will Ferguson remains one syllable short of greatness

Will Fergusonhaswritten humour, travel books andfiction. He won the 2012 ScotiabankGiller Prize for his thriller419. He has won the Stephen LeacockMemorial Medal for Humour three times:for his novelGenerica(now titledHappiness), his Canadian travel bookBeauty Tips from Moose Jawand his travel memoirBeyond Belfast. He currently lives in Calgary.

The Next Chapter12:56Zsuzsi Gartner on The Beguiling

Zsuzsi Gartner takes us through her award-nominated novel The Beguiling.

The Beguilingby Zsuzsi Gartner

InThe Beguiling, a young woman named Lucy had dreamed of being a saint as a child. This dream may actually come true after the death of her cousin Zoltan, and Lucy becomes someone people come to in order to confess their sins. But when the confessions seem connected, Zoltan's death doesn't seem so random anymore. Lucy must then confront her own lapses as a Catholic and a human being, and figure out what is happening, before it's too late.

The Beguilingwas on the 2020 Writers' Trust Fiction Prize shortlist.

• How being a 'three-times-lapsed Catholic' shaped Zsuzsi Gartner's latest novel

Zsuzsi Gartneris a writer and journalist who currently lives in Vancouver.Her short story collectionBetter Living Through Plastic Explosiveswas a finalist for the 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize.She was a panellist onCanada Reads2004, when she defendedBarney's VersionbyMordecai Richler.

The Next Chapter3:44Michelle Good on Five Little Indians

Michelle Good on her debut novel Five Little Indians, which follows five characters after they leave residential school.

Agency by William Gibson

InAgency,a giftedapp tester meets her match when she is commissioned to beta test a highly social, and combat-savvy, "digital assistant."In an alternate timeline, in 2017 Hillary Clinton has won the presidential election over Donald Trump. Meanwhile, in London in the 22nd century disastrous events have led to 80 per cent of humanity being wiped out.

• William Gibson reveals how he predicts the future

William Gibsonis a legendary Vancouver science-fiction writer.His classic 1984 novelNeuromancer, a thrillerabout hacking and artificial intelligence, won sci-fi's three biggest prizes: the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award and the Hugo Award.

The Next Chapter13:51Catherine Hernandez on her novel Crosshairs

Catherine Hernandez's second novel, Crosshairs, takes place in a chilling dystopian future where a fascist regime seeks to eliminate all those deemed "Other."

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good

InFive Little Indians, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Maisie were taken from their families and sent to a residential school when they were very small. Barely out of childhood, they are released and left to contend with the seedy world of eastside Vancouver. Fuelled by the trauma of their childhood, the five friends cross paths over the decades and struggle with the weight of their shared past.

Five Little Indians was on the longlist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• Michelle Good's Five Little Indians is a fictional look at the real Canadian legacy of residential schools

Michelle Good is a Cree writer and lawyer, as well as a member of Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.Five Little Indiansis her first book.

The Next Chapter16:47Thomas King on Indians on Vacation

Thomas King talks about the autobiographical inspiration by his novel Indians on Vacation, which is longlisted for the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

Crosshairs by Catherine Hernandez

Crosshairsis a dystopian novel about a near-future wherea queer Black performer named Kay and his allies join forces against an oppressive Canadian regime that is rounding up those deemed "Other" in concentration camps. A near-futureToronto is ravaged by climate change.It is a situation that has led to massive floods, rampant homelessness, unemployment and starvation. In this chaos, a government-sanctioned regime called the Boots seizes the opportunity to force communities of colour, the disabled and the LGBTQ2S into labour camps called workhouses in the city.

• Catherine Hernandez's latest book is dystopian fiction that feels frighteningly real

Catherine Hernandezis a former theatre professionaland daycare provider from Scarborough, Ont. She is also the author of the novelScarborough,which is being adapted into a feature film.CBC Books named Hernandez a writer to watch in 2017.

The Next Chapter17:07Shaena Lambert on Petra

Shaena Lambert imagines the life of German politician Petra Kelly, an electrifying progressive figure in the 1980s, in her novel Petra.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

The Jane Austen Societyis a novel about an unexpected community, and the quiet triumph and tragedies of everyday life in post-Second World War Britain.In Chawton, an English village that was the last home of iconic novelist Jane Austen, a small group of locals decide to do what they can to preserve Austen's home and legacy, and hopefully revitalize the town in the process. The group comes together in surprising ways and, despite being very different, unitethrough their common goal.

Natalie Jenner is a novelist based in Oakville, Ont.The Jane Austen Societyis her first book.

Dominoes at the Crossroads by Kaie Kellough

In this collection of stories,Dominoes at the Crossroads,Kaie Kelloughnavigates Canada's Caribbean diaspora, as they seek music and a connection to their past. Through a broad cast of characters includingjazz musicians, hitchhikers, suburbanites, student radicals, secret agents, historiansand their fugitive slave ancestors Kelloughstretches the stories from Montreal's Old Port to as far as the South American rainforests.

• How an album title inspired Kaie Kellough to become a writer

Kelloughis a writer based in Montreal. His novelAccordonwas a finalist for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award in 2017. He is also the author of the poetry collectionMagnetic Equator,which iscurrently a finalist for the 2020 Griffin Poetry Prize.

The Next Chapter16:09Annabel Lyon on her novel Consent

Novelist Annabel Lyon tells the parallel stories of two sets of sisters in her new book Consent.

Indians on Vacation by Thomas King

Indians on Vacationis about a couple named Bird and Mimi, who decide to travel through Europe after discovering postcards from Mimi's long-lost Uncle Leroy, whosent them while on his own European adventure almost 100 years ago.

Indians on Vacationwas onthe Writers' Trust Fiction Prize shortlistand wason the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist.

• Thomas King is hopeful that his writing has changed the world but he's still not sure

Thomas Kingis a Canadian-American writer of Cherokee andGreekancestry. His books includeTruth & Bright Water,The Inconvenient Indian,Green Grass, Running WaterandThe Back of the Turtle. He also writes the DreadfulWater mystery series.

The Next Chapter16:03Emily St John Mandel on The Glass Hotel

Emily St John Mandel on The Glass Hotel, her follow-up to her breakout novel Station Eleven.

Petra by Shaena Lambert

Petrais a novel inspired by the lifeof German activist Petra Kelly. Kelly was a force in Germany in the 1980s, and was a founding member of the German Green Party, which was one of the first Green Parties to rise to prominence. It was through her work that she met her partner, a NATO general named Emil Gerhardt. It was Gerhardt who eventually murdered Kelly in 1992.Petrais the story of Kelly's rise to prominence, her influence on global politics and policy and how her relationship with Gerhardt helped her international influence but was ultimately whatended everything.

• Shaena Lambert wrote a novel about Petra Kelly, who was the face of the 1980s peace and ecology movement

Shaena Lambertis a novelist currently living in Vancouver. Her novelRadiancewas a finalist for theWriters' Trust Fiction Prize. She is also the author of the short story collectionOh My Darling.

The Next Chapter18:02Silvia Moreno-Garcia on Mexican Gothic

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's novel Mexican Gothic follows an heiress's investigation into her cousin's hasty marriage and mysterious illness.

Consent by Annabel Lyon

InConsent, Sara becomes her intellectually disabled sister Mattie's caregiver after their mother dies. But when Sara returns home, she surprisingly finds Mattie married to her mother's handyman, Robert. Sara gets the marriage annulled, driving a wedge between herself and Mattie. When Robert re-enters their lives, Sara and Mattie get entangled with another set of sistersand their difficult relationship: twins Saskia and Jenny.

Consentwason the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist.

• Annabel Lyon on the day job that's helped her writing the most

Annabel Lyonis a writer from Vancouver. Her novelThe Golden Meanwonthe Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction. Her other books include theshort story collectionOxygen,thenovella collectionThe Best Thing forYouand the young adult novelsAll-Season EdieandEncore Edie.

The Next Chapter10:50John Elizabeth Stintzi on Vanishing Monuments

John Elizabeth Stintzi talks about their novel Vanishing Monuments, which follows a photographer's return to their mother's home in Winnipeg after a 27-year absence.

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel's new book,The Glass Hotel,interweaves several complex narratives. Vincent is a bartender in a prestigious hotel on Vancouver Island. When the owner Jonathan Alkaitis passes Vincent his card, it becomes the beginning of their story together. Meanwhile, a hooded figure scrawls a cryptic note on a wall in the hotel, and a shipping executivefor a company called Neptune-Avramidis Leon Prevant sees the note and is shaken. Thirteenyears later, Vincent disappears from aNeptune-Avramidisship.

The Glass Hotelwas on the shortlist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

• Emily St. John Mandel has no idea where she's going... and she's okay with that

St. John Mandel is a New York-based Canadian writer. Her fourth novel,Station Eleven, was a finalist for a National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Awardand won the 2015 Toronto Book Award.

The Next Chapter5:30Cordelia Strube takes the Proust Questionnaire

Cordelia Strube, author of Misconduct of the Heart, takes The Next Chapter's version of the Proust Questionnaire.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mexican Gothicis a gothic horror novel set in 1950s Mexico. It tells the story ofa young woman named Noemi who is calledby her cousin to saveher from doom in her countryside home, the mysterious and alluring High Place. Noemi doesn't know much about the house, the regionor her cousin's mysterious new husband, but she's determined tosolve this mystery and save her cousin whatever it takes.

Mexican Gothicis in development to become a TV series for Hulu.

• Why Silvia Moreno-Garcia likes to write genre-bending novels

Silvia Moreno-Garciais a Canadian author, who was born and raisedin Mexico. She is also the author of the novelsSignal to Noise, which won the 2016 Copper Cylinder Award,Gods of Jade and ShadowandThe Beautiful Ones.She is also a critic and has edited science fiction anthologies.

The Midnight Bargainby C.L. Polk

As Beatrice makes her debut at "bargaining season" an annual event where wealthy young men and women gather from all over the world to make advantageous marriages she harbours secret plans that will upend society. Rather than get married, Beatrice plans to bind a greater spirit and become a full magician. Performing the secret ritual goes against the rules of her world, which prohibits women from practicing magic while they can still bear children. With the help of the wealthy Lavan siblings, fiery Ysbeta and her handsome brother Ianthe, Beatrice searches for a way to change old patriarchal traditions.

C.L. Polk concocts a page-turning fantasy with love, magic and rebellion swirling at the centre. The Calgary writer's previous books include the award-winning novelWitchmarkand it's sequelStormsong.

Vanishing Monuments by John Elizabeth Stintzi

InVanishing Monuments,Alani Baum has not seen their mother since they were 17 years old almost 30 years ago. The non-binary photographer ran away from home with their girlfriend, but when their mother's dementia worsens Alani is forced to run back to her. In the face of a debilitatingillness, Alani has to contend with painful memories from the past.

• How writing a novel helped John Elizabeth Stintzi connect with their own genderqueer identity

John Elizabeth Stinzi is anovelist, poet, teacher and visual artist. They won the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for emerging writers for their workSelections From Junebat.The complete poetrycollection,Junebat, was published in spring 2020.

Misconduct of the Heart by Cordelia Strube

InMisconduct of the Heart, Stevie is a recovering alcoholic and kitchen manager who is trying hard to stop her world around her from collapsing. Her son, who is a veteran,might be succumbing to PTSD, while she tries to manage the eccentrics who work in her kitchen and acclimatize to the idea that she might have a granddaughtershe never knew she had.

• Cordelia Strube on what her family thinks of her writing

Cordelia Strube is a Toronto-based writer. She has been nominated for the Governor General's Literary Award, the Trillium Book Award and longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. She has written numerous books, includingOn the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light.

How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa

How to Pronounce Knifeis a collection of idiosyncratic and diverse stories. Capturing the daily lives of immigrants,Souvankham Thammavongsacaptures their hopes, disappointments, trauma and acts of defiance. From a young man painting nails in a salon, to a housewife learning English from soap-operas,How to Pronounce Knifenavigates tragedy and humour.

How to Pronounce Knifewon the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize

• Souvankham Thammavongsa's stories explore the diversity of the immigrant experience

Thammavongsais a writer and poet.Her stories have won an O. Henry Award and appeared inHarper's,Granta,The Paris ReviewandNOON.She has published four books of poetry, including 2019'sCluster.

Henchby Natalie Zina Walschots

Henchis the story of a woman who pays the bills by doing administrative work for villains. But then an incidentinvolving the world's most popular superhero leaves her injured and gets her fired.She ends up realizing what happened to her isn't unique and she might have the means to take down the so-called hero who hurt her. How? With every office workers's secret weapon: data.

Natalie Zina Walschotsis a writer and journalist from Toronto.She is also the author of the poetry collectionsDOOM: Love Poems for SupervillainsandThumbscrews.

We Two Alone by Jack Wang

Set over a century and spanning five continents,We Two Alonetraces the evolution of the Chinese immigrant experience. Tracing various people, families and professionals across the globe, Jack Wang creates a tapestry of experience that encompasses the trials and tribulations of a diaspora trying to find its place in the world.

• The CBC Books fall 2020 reading list

Wang's short stories have been published inJoylandMagazine,The Humber Literary ReviewandThe New Quarterly.We Two Aloneis his first book.

Love After the End, edited by Joshua Whitehead

Love after the Endis an anthology of speculative fiction that imagines a utopian future for LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people, curated and edited by poet and novelistJoshua Whitehead.

Contributors includeNathan Adler, Darcie Little Badger, Gabriel Castilloux Calderon, Adam Garnet Jones, Mari Kurisato, Kai Minosh Pyle, David Alexander Robertson, jaye simpson and Nazbah Tom.

• Joshua Whitehead reflects on music and the surprising connection he made with a neighbour while in isolation

Whiteheadis anOji-nhiyaw, two-spirit writer, poet and Indigiqueerscholar from Peguis First Nation. His book,full-metalindigiqueer, is a collection of experimentalpoems that aim to provoke discussion and debate.JonnyAppleseed,his debut novel, is about a two-spirit person trying to put his life back together following the death of his stepfather.