Books
An unconventional path to literary stardom
As an undergraduate, Kai Thomas, BA’16, examined old newspaper ads in the McGill Library about runaway slaves. That research helped inform In the Upper Country, his first novel, which won one of Canada’s top literary prizes last year.
Exploring the roots of the war in Ukraine
After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Maria Popova became one of the media’s most popular go-to experts for providing context for the conflict. The McGill associate professor of political science has a new book out that examines the factors that led to the war.
How one bad day led to a triumphant year
Anuja Varghese, BA’05, won two major Canadian literary awards in 2023, but she struggled in her first attempts to put her book Chrysalis together. “I was trying to write what I thought belonged in a literary short story collection.” Things got easier once she focused on the “the weird stuff, the ghost stories.”
Books to consider for your holiday reading
McGill graduates who have published books in recent months include Claudia Dey, Julian Sher, Mariko Tamaki, and Rosemary Sullivan.
A lullaby for the world
Jacques J.M.Shore, LLB’80, is a celebrated lawyer (he helped Amazon enter the Canadian marketplace), but his true passion is writing books for children. His latest work has found a new audience – in Ukraine.
How historical fiction became a literary juggernaut
Historical fiction, once dismissed as a second-rate genre, is now the dominant force in American literature and a magnet for top literary prizes. In a new book, McGill’s Alexander Manshel examines how that happened.
Reflecting on a year without the internet
For a full 12 months, McGill faculty lecturer Aron Lee Rosenberg, MA’19, PhD’23, avoided smartphones, social media and email. His new book raises questions about how we interact with the internet
Adam Gopnik on mastery, Steve Martin, and his mother
Adam Gopnik, BA’80, DLitt’13, discusses three recent projects – a book about mastering new skills, an audiobook about his friend Steve Martin’s career, and his own star turn in the film Tár.
Some summer reading options
Summer is here and the beach (or your balcony or your backyard) beckons. If you are on the lookout for book suggestions, a number of McGill alumni have recently published new works that you might be interested in digging into.