The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing

CBC

Looking for your next great read? The Next Chapter’s got you covered! Book lovers join host Antonio Michael Downing to dive deep into great books. Big feelings, hot takes, enlightening conversations — you’ve never been in a book club like this before. It’s Canada’s book club, and everyone’s invited. So pull up a chair and join the conversation. New episodes every Saturday and Monday.

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S19 · E6
Monday · 28 min
How Anne Carson helped bring this Toronto band's album to life
In his decades of making music, writing and running a newspaper, Dave Bidini has interpreted and celebrated the things that make this country unique. Last year, that meant teaming up with Nobel laureate Anne Carson and other notable Canadian writers on his band's album The Great Lakes Suites. Plus, CBC Books producer Daphné Santos-Vieira talks about her love for Jane of Lantern Hill by Lucy Maud Montgomery and why she re-reads it every year. Books discussed on this we
S19 · E6
October 16 · 27 min
Why Gordon Korman never runs out of ideas
Since writing his first book at the age of twelve, it's hard to imagine a more prolific writer than Gordon Korman. In nearly five decades of writing for kids and young adults, he's published 107 books, and sold around 35 million copies. He's beloved by readers spanning multiple generations and has become one of the most recognizable names in the middle grade genre. He stops by the studio to discuss how writing for young people has changed over his 50 years in the industry, what makes a charac
S19 · E5
October 12 · 28 min
Why you should do good and expect nothing back
At the age of 27, Sam Demma just published his third book. His latest is called Return on Goodwill: Do good. Expect nothing. Watch life surprise you. He talks about how a trip to Value Village changed his perspective on everyday interactions, and shares the book that helped get him there. Sam is a bestselling author, an international speaker and someone who's been spreading his message of kindness and respect since he was a teenager. Plus, Talia Kliot joins the show after watching and reading
S19 · E5
October 10 · 27 min
Can straight authors write books with gay protagonists?
When writer and creative Arizona O'Neill read the satirical novel Fruit Fly by Josh Silver, it got her thinking about the publishing industry and the popularity of gay romance written by women. It's about a straight female author with a bad case of writer’s block who decides to write a novel about a young gay man battling addiction. Arizona makes her case for why it might be time to resume the conversation on who has the right to tell what stories. Plus, author Grant Ginder talks about his re
S19 · E4
October 5 · 27 min
Comparison kills: why ranking books can get problematic
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 read
S19 · E4
October 3 · 26 min
How Junie B. Jones inspired Taylor Tomlinson’s comedy career
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
S19 · E3
September 28 · 28 min
10 years since publishing Indigenous Writes, what’s changed?
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
S19 · E3
September 26 · 25 min
Here’s what’s on our fall TBR list
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 sh
S19 · E2
September 21 · 28 min
What the stars of North of North are reading
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. <br
S19 · E2
September 19 · 23 min
Why we keep coming back to The Odyssey, 3000 years later
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 mu
S19 · E1
September 14 · 28 min
Kia Nurse shares what the Toronto Tempo is reading
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:
S19 · E1
September 12 · 27 min
What happens when 6 Canadian actors start a book club
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
S18 · E53
September 5 · 26 min
These books introduced Will Ferguson to the world... and changed his life
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
S18 · E52
August 31 · 27 min
What it’s like entering the spotlight after a career of ghostwriting
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 ans
S18 · E52
August 29 · 26 min
How far must we go to find our way home?
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
S18 · E51
August 22 · 22 min
What made The Tragically Hip Canada’s band?
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 an
S18 · E50
August 15 · 24 min
How to avoid getting locked in an echo chamber
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 bo
S18 · E49
August 8 · 25 min
The author behind Lucky reveals how she helped cast Anya Taylor-Joy
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. Maris
S18 · E48
August 1 · 53 min
Why storytellers come alive when food is on the table
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 th
S18 · E47
July 25 · 26 min
What is the hardest part of translating a beloved novel?
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. <

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