Bookends with Mattea Roach

Inspired by her own experience as a skincare influencer, Liann Zhang’s debut novel, Julie Chan is Dead, is a wild ride into the world of social media. Julie Chan’s estranged twin sister Chloe is a famous mega-influencer … while Julie leads a less glamorous life. When Chloe mysteriously dies, Julie makes a split-second decision to take over her life. She’s suddenly thrust into the world of luxury skincare and toxic influencer cliques — all while trying to stay undetected as the nobody that she actually is.  If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes: * Pitbull, Scarface and a whale walk into a book [https://link.mgln.ai/tcLoSK ] * Curtis Sittenfeld is fascinated by fame [https://link.mgln.ai/J8cot4 ]

In The Dream Hotel, Laila Lalami imagines a world where the government has access to data about people's dreams … and uses it to decide if someone is likely to commit a crime. When Laila's protagonist, Sara, is flagged as high risk, she’s sent to a retention centre and subjected to constant surveillance. Laila talks to Mattea Roach about her interest in dreams, the dangers of invisible data collection and her multilingual journey to writing.  If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes: * We can still avoid a tech dystopia — here’s how [https://link.mgln.ai/RBcWuh] * Nnedi Okorafor: Bringing a writer to life in Death of the Author [https://link.mgln.ai/EyQAuY]

You may not be familiar with Dorian McNamara yet … but his story, You (Streetcar at Night), is the winner of the 2025 CBC Short Story Prize. If you’ve spent time in Toronto, you’ll know its trademark red streetcars. Dorian grew up on those streetcars, which is why he chose one as the backdrop for his story of a young transgender person reflecting on their first relationship. Dorian and Mattea Roach talk about reflecting on transition, what he loves about Halifax and what winning this prize means for him.  You can read Dorian’s winning story here. [https://www.cbc.ca/books/literaryprizes/you-streetcar-at-night-by-dorian-mcnamara-1.7479498#:~:text=Dorian%20McNamara%20has%20made%20the,been%20published%20on%20CBC%20Books.]

That all-consuming, dizzying feeling is what acclaimed poet Seán Hewitt captures in his debut novel, Open, Heaven. The book follows a teenager named James, whose first love is made complicated by his own sexuality and the realities of the rural English village where he lives. Seán joins Mattea to talk about the difference between love and desire, the role of nature in his work and why Ireland is such fertile ground for poets.  If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes: * Alan Hollinghurst: Coming of age in Britain and writing through the gay gaze [https://link.mgln.ai/XzJXK5 ] * Emma Knight: 'Bad' mothers make good stories — and are more true-to-life [https://link.mgln.ai/iJffH8 ]

For some people, young adulthood can feel more like a crash landing than a glorious journey — and Georgia Toews knows that better than anyone. Her new novel, Nobody Asked For This, is about Virginia, a young comedian. Alongside the usual messiness of growing up and chasing comedy stardom, Virginia is grappling with the loss of her mother, discord in her closest personal relationships and navigating a traumatic encounter. Georgia and Mattea Roach talk about the perils of adulthood and the Canadian comedy industry.  If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes: * Emily Austin: Would life be easier as a rat? And other ways to escape adulthood [https://link.mgln.ai/NKS4DT] * Fawn Parker: Blending her own grief with fiction in new novel Hi, It’s Me [https://link.mgln.ai/f7WtoV ]