By Yolanda T. Marshall

Building a Nest from the Bones of My People

Written by Cara-Lyn Morgan (Trinidadian heritage)

“Motherhood, trauma, and familial history are woven together into a powerful collection from the award-winning author of What Became My Grieving Ceremony. Beginning with a revelation of familial sexual abuse, Building a Nest from the Bones of My People charts the impact of this revelation on the speaker. From the pain of estrangement to navigating first-time motherhood amid a family crisis, Morgan explores the complexities of generational and secondary abuse, intertwined as they are with the impacts of colonization.” –  Invisible Publishing, Oct. 2023.

Races: The Trials and Triumphs of Canada’s Fastest Family

Written by Valerie Jerome

“In the 1960s, Harry Jerome set 7 world records, including the 100-yard dash, earning him the title of the world’s fastest man. His grandfather, John “Army” Howard, was Canada’s first Black Olympian, running in Stockholm in 1912 against nearly impossible odds. Harry’s sister, Valerie, competed for Canada at the 1960 Rome Olympics. With Races, Valerie Jerome sets the record straight on her heroic family’s history, and the racism they fought along the way — from their community, the press, their country, and even inside their family home. A tale of courage and conviction, Races is the difficult, yet inspiring story of the Jerome family: what propelled them in life and on the track.” – Goose Lane Editions, September 2023.

Death by a Thousand Cuts: Stories

Written by Shashi Bhat

“A writer discovers that her ex has published a novel about their breakup. An immunocompromised woman falls in love, only to have her body betray her. After her boyfriend makes an insensitive comment, a college student finds an experimental procedure that promises to turn her brown eyes blue. A Reddit post about a man’s habit of grabbing his girlfriend’s breasts prompts a shocking confession. An unsettling second date leads to the testing of boundaries. And when a woman begins to lose her hair, she embarks on an increasingly nightmarish search for answers.” – McClelland & Stewart, April 2024.

Perfect Little Angels

Written by Vincent Anioke

“A beautifully imagined story collection set largely in Nigeria that explores themes of masculinity and repressed desires through the lens of (un)conditional love. In this stunning debut story collection set largely in Nigeria, questions abound: What happens when we fall short of society’s – and our own – expectations? When our desires conflict with the duties we are bound to? The characters in Perfect Little Angels confront these dilemmas and more in these brilliantly imagined tales.” – Arsenal Pulp Press, April 2024.

Black Girl, Black Girl

Written by Angela Bowden and Illustrated by Letitia Fraser

“A powerful message of self-love for melanated girls of all shades, hair textures, sizes, expressions, ages, and passions, this musical work of spoken-word poetry explores all the lives a Black girl can dream of – from athletics to STEAM-related careers, journalism and law, art, and medicine, and more. Through vibrant, colourful artwork, young readers will recognize illustrations of famous Black women from across North America, like Simone Biles, Drs. Angela Davis, Mayann Francis, and Carrie Best, alongside local heroes from Nova Scotia’s historic Black communities. Encouraging imagination, confidence, and being your whole authentic self, this bold and beautiful read-aloud will inspire Black girls everywhere to claim their space in the world and lift each other in the process.” –Nimbus Publishing Limited, Feb. 2024.

Soccer Scaries

Written by Sunshine Punzalan and illustrated by Mike Deas

“Brandon pulled on his Blue Strikers soccer uniform. The smell of his grandma’s cooking floated up the stairs. Usually, his mouth would be watering by now, but not today. His tummy felt queasy. Today is the big game against the Warriors. And he’s the goalie…Soccer Scaries explores children’s anxieties in sports, reminding them of the importance of talking about their fears and learning to accept setbacks and victories.” – Plumleaf Press, May 2024

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