AGP Executive Report

Griffin Poetry Prize: New Yorker poetry editor Kevin Young won the $130,000 Griffin Poetry Prize for “Night Watch,” with jurors praising its experimental, “melancholic and haunting” take on loneliness, grief and racial legacies. Canadian First Book Prize: Joseph Kidney also took home the $10,000 Canadian First Book Prize for “Devotional Forensics.” Publishing & culture in Canada: Unifor is raising concerns about the latest government decision on Canadian cultural policy, while CBC reports a Toronto jury found a man guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of filmmaker Reeyaz Habib. Book history spotlight: A 150th-anniversary Mark Twain “Tom Sawyer” display is drawing attention to the novel’s complicated print history, including Canadian piracy. Pride & community reading: Cowichan Valley libraries are rolling out Pride programming, including a Rainbow Author Fair and community craft nights. Sports-lit crossover: “Heated Rivalry” is getting a physical-media push, and Canadian Screen Awards coverage continues to spotlight the show’s success.

Publishing & Books: Jacob Tierney’s hockey romance adaptation Heated Rivalry is getting a physical-media push, and Tierney’s new behind-the-scenes book I’ll Believe in Anything (Oct. 13) promises a deep look at adapting Rachel Reid’s novels, with a foreword by Reid. Local Pride Reading: Belleville Public Library is curating Pride Month picks, including Christian Allaire’s memoir From the Rez to the Runway. AI & Media Policy: The European Parliament ordered Google changes to how U.K. publishers can manage generative AI search summaries, while a global coalition (including Canada’s Globe and Mail and CBC/Radio-Canada) is pushing for fair payment for news content used by AI. Tech Security (not books, but publishing-adjacent): A remote exploit targets Creative’s Sound Blaster Katana V2X, raising concerns about device trust and firmware updates. Community & Culture: Niagara Parks announced its free Sunday concert series at Queenston Heights Park for the bandshell’s 50th anniversary. Sports (Canadian culture tie-in): Lou Gehrig Day featured Matt Olson’s streak milestone in a Braves win over the Blue Jays.

Literary Prizes & AI in Writing: Canadian-linked literary debate heats up after Granta’s Commonwealth Short Story Prize winners sparked claims of AI-generated text, putting AI-detection tools and authorship under a harsh spotlight. Award Watch: Julia Elliott’s short-story collection Hellions won the US$150,000 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, with jurors praising its horror-and-magic punch and genre-hopping control. Publishing & Community: A Canadian library refreshes its large-print shelves and keeps summer movie nights rolling, adding new large-print titles for adult and youth readers. Policy & Books/Reading Access: A push to protect CRA capacity argues cuts to tax experts will cost billions—an indirect reminder that public-service funding affects everyday access, including for readers and libraries. Local Culture: West Vancouver council backs a seasonal nine-hole disc golf pilot at Ambleside, a reminder that community programming keeps finding new ways to draw people in.

Streaming Watch: The TV adaptation of Cape Fear premieres June 5 on Apple TV in Canada, with the first two episodes available then. Publishing & Books: Ann Patchett’s new novel Whistler is in stores, and June’s popular-science picks include a major new evolution title from Alice Roberts. Canadian Book Culture: Volume One Bookstore in Duncan is hosting author Theresa Kishkan (June 6) and C.C. Humphreys (June 12) for readings and signings. Policy & Privacy: Canada’s taxpayers’ ombudsperson is launching an investigation into how the CRA handles complaints, citing fairness and clarity issues. Tech & Reading Habits: RVezy marks its 10-year anniversary with a Canada-wide promo ($100 off campground delivery bookings through June 15). Religion & Publishing: A 10th anniversary edition of Divine Renovation is being promoted as a parish renewal guide. Entertainment-to-Books: Prime Video’s Off Campus season 2 is filming in Canada, continuing the hockey-romance trend built on Elle Kennedy’s bestselling novels.

Streaming & Publishing Buzz: Netflix has tapped Anna Kendrick to direct its film adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, after earlier directors exited the project; casting is still TBA. Pride & Campus Culture: The University of Toronto kicked off Pride Month by raising the Progress Pride Flag across its three campuses, with leaders linking inclusion to Indigenous history and 2SLGBTQ+ resilience. Book-to-Screen Fandom: Heated Rivalry, the unauthorized musical parody of a hockey romance TV hit, is being praised for landing jokes and heart just in time for Pride. Public Works Accountability: Metro Vancouver says an independent review of the North Shore wastewater treatment plant will resume after a settlement with developer Acciona, following years of ballooning costs and legal fights. Policy & Labour: A new Liberal “Building Canada Strong” push aims to speed major-project approvals and labour code consultations, but critics warn it could weaken workers’ right to strike. Sports-Adjacent Culture: Toronto’s Motive Crime & Mystery Festival is expanding after TIFA’s independence, with new funding and ticket sales momentum.

Canadian Publishing & Books: A new children’s picture book, Don’t Let Ned Plant a Tree THERE! by Canadian author Andrea Koehle Jones, launches for International Children’s Day, pitching eco-helpfulness as a kid-led team effort. Literary Awards: The International Booker Prize 2026 process is in focus as the winner is announced, with publishers submitting 128 books and judges narrowing to a six-book shortlist. Libraries & Community Services: Prince Edward County Library highlights how libraries keep expanding beyond books, including municipal-service access and pass borrowing. Media & Screen Adaptations: Crave’s Heated Rivalry set a Canadian Screen Awards record with 16 wins, while Backrooms shows how YouTube-to-film pipelines are paying off. Sports & Culture (Canada-facing): Cricket Canada’s membership is suspended by the ICC over governance and financial issues, and Canada’s World Cup build-up continues as fans and broadcasters gear up.

Canadian Screen Awards: “Heated Rivalry” made a splash at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards, setting a record with 16 wins, including audience choice, best drama series, and best lead performance for Hudson Williams. Publishing & books: A new children’s book controversy over taboo topics (including IVF and incest) is highlighted through the case of Swedish author Anna Fiske, whose “How Do You Make a Baby?” drew bans and death threats in parts of North America. New Canadian book releases: Damian Lidgard’s forthcoming Sable Island wild-horses book spotlights decades of research and photography on Nova Scotia’s remote spit. Politics & economy: Ottawa and Bay Street are debating whether Canada’s back-to-back GDP contractions amount to a recession, after Statistics Canada reported two quarters of decline. Community & civic life: A Sudbury workshop, “Your City, Your Voice,” aims to help prospective candidates for city council and mayor build confidence and connections ahead of elections.

TV & Streaming: Jacob Tierney says Heated Rivalry Season 2 is in active development and aims to start filming in August, after the Crave/HBO Max hockey romance swept LGBTQ+ TV honours. National History & Policy: A Toronto-area woman who was coerced into giving up her baby in 1982 is pushing Ottawa to apologize for forced adoptions, after her petition was tabled in the House of Commons. Sports & Culture: Finland beat Canada 4-2 to reach the IIHF World Championship final against Switzerland, setting up a Sunday showdown. Books & Publishing: Nova Scotia zoologist Damian Lidgard’s new book spotlights Sable Island’s wild horses and how they’ve adapted for centuries. Tech & Play: A free, no-login browser “online rave” called Hallucinate went viral—then crashed its own server before bouncing back. Travel & Mobility: Uber is rolling out World Cup shuttles in select U.S. host cities, with Toronto and Vancouver getting stadium pickup directions. Gaming Industry: Behaviour Interactive VP Jean-François Mercure-Burroughs discusses the studio’s shift from work-for-hire to IP power at XP Game Summit in Toronto.

MAiD Expansion Debate: A CBC profile of Claire Elyse Brosseau puts a spotlight on the push to let people with mental illness access Medical Aid in Dying, as a federal committee weighs the issue again. Transit Affordability: With Metro Vancouver fares set to rise July 1, a local advocacy group is campaigning for low-income transit passes for everyone who qualifies. Indie Book Culture: Portland Book Week returns with 75+ independent bookstores, author events, and a citywide book crawl. Local Publishing & Community Stories: A Toronto street-ministry book, The Church on the Street: Ministry of Presence, gathers decades of columns about homelessness and addiction. Arts & Theatre: Gateway Theatre Guild brings Joanna McClelland Glass’s Trying (set in 1967) to North Bay this June. Sports & Media Tie-ins: The NHL Stanley Cup Final is set (Vegas vs Carolina), and the Champions League final is being promoted with free-stream options.

Housing & Affordability: Vancouver journalist Jessica Barrett returns with No Place Like Home: The Missing Key to our Housing Crisis, arguing “home” is emotional and the affordability squeeze is reshaping how millennials live. Community Safety: Alberta cuts funding for more than a dozen women’s shelters, with rural services hit hardest as domestic violence risk rises with isolation. Indigenous Rights: B.C. leans into a Supreme Court ruling that Aboriginal title can’t apply to private property in New Brunswick, but experts warn the broader picture isn’t settled. China Relations: Human-rights groups protest Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s Ottawa visit, calling out transnational repression and organ-harvesting allegations. Publishing/Books & Culture: A new Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood capsule drop from BIBISAMA marks its 10-year anniversary with anime streetwear. Tech & Reading: University of Waterloo researcher Nikhita Joshi wins a doctoral prize for work on digital reading and AI-assisted writing interfaces.

Canadian Publishing Spotlight: Canada Reads winner Loghan Paylor’s debut The Cure for Drowning is shortlisted for the $20K Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize (speculative fiction), while Jane Park’s Inheritance digs into generational trauma and the “immigrant success story” cost. Book-to-screen Buzz: Deadline reports a new TV drama, Growing Up Dion, based on Celine Dion’s nephew Jimmy Dion’s book Dion, A Family Saga, aiming to cover her Quebec formative years. Indigenous Storytelling: Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige names Sara Cornthwaite as the 2026 Debwewin Citation recipient for excellence in journalism and storytelling. Rights & Culture: Coverage says China’s Uyghur repression is shifting toward reshaping identity, language, religion and family life. Industry/Tech Watch: JMIR examines how consumer wearables are becoming “health care gatekeepers,” shaping what care people seek first.

U.S.-Iran Diplomacy: The U.S. and Iran have reached a tentative deal to extend their ceasefire by 60 days and restart talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, with hopes the conflict could be nearing a resolution. Local Access to Recreation: Surrey is moving to make the first three levels of city swim lessons free for kids aged 3–12 by July 1, aiming to cut booking barriers for families. Military Aviation Uncertainty: Moose Jaw is demanding clarity from Ottawa on the Canadian Forces Snowbirds’ future, warning a federal timeline could effectively end the squad’s run after 2026. Wildfire Evacuation: Residents west of Barrhead, near the Summerlea subdivision, were ordered to evacuate after a wildfire burned homes. Menopause Care Gap: A new study highlights how women are still getting dismissed or minimized by doctors despite a flood of online menopause information, with symptoms too often treated as “age” rather than health. Canada–U.S. Trade Pressure on Food: Manitoba mushroom producers are bracing for higher U.S. duties after an investigation into alleged subsidies, threatening prices and demand. Book & Publishing Angle: A Vancouver author’s new book retells four decades of Canada’s men’s World Cup qualification struggles, framing the story as a long-running heartbreak.

Poetry Prizes: Karen Solie and Kyo Lee made the shortlist for the 2026 League of Canadian Poets awards, with three $2,000 prizes recognizing debut work, books by Canadian women (including trans and non-binary writers), and League-member titles. TV/Publishing Crossover: A new series about Céline Dion’s childhood is in the works, reportedly based on A Family Saga by her nephew Jimmy Dion—another reminder of how Canadian books keep feeding screen stories. Indigenous Arts & Community: The First Peoples Gaming Association held its inaugural Toronto meeting, bringing together 40+ First Nations to share approaches to economic sovereignty in gaming. Health & Safety Research: A Quebec and Labrador commission released a second report on obstetric and gynecological violence against First Nations and Inuit women, calling it a decisive step toward safer care. Arts Access in Toronto: Toronto’s Culture Connects plan highlights new/ongoing community art hubs offering beginner-friendly classes and gallery programming, with registration opening soon. Local Theatre: Lighthouse Festival’s summer run in Port Dover kicks off with Drew Hayden Taylor’s Crees in the Caribbean, a comedy about love, identity, and stepping outside your comfort zone.

Publishing & Culture: CBC/Radio-Canada won top honours at the New York Festivals Radio Awards, including Broadcaster of the Year, with investigative podcast documentary work like Understood and long-running series Mainstreet PEI among the winners. Indigenous Stories: Orillia’s Arts Orillia partnership and the Gathering Festival of First Nation Stories highlighted film, music, and community teaching tied to truth and reconciliation. Books & Community: Stettler’s 3,000-page History Book project is in its final preorder push (about six more weeks) ahead of printing. Media Adaptations: Vancouver Aquarium’s giant Pacific octopus stars in Netflix’s Remarkably Bright Creatures film adaptation, shot in Deep Cove and at the aquarium. TV/Streaming (Canada): Criminal Minds: Evolution season 4 debuts May 28 on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Disney+ in Canada; The Testaments season 1 finale news continues as season 2 is teased. Local Events: Abbotsford’s Kidney Walk returns June 7, with local author Alister Mathieson involved.

Used-Book Fundraiser: Birchwood Niagara’s “Canada’s best and biggest used book sale” returns June 2–7 at the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls, with most titles still $3 and proceeds supporting Birchway Niagara. Poetry Prize: CBC Poetry Prize jurors Karen Solie, Randy Lundy and Nadine Bhabha share what they’re reading ahead of submissions due June 1, with the winner set for $6,000, a Banff residency and publication on CBC Books. Trade Tensions: Canada’s CUSMA review is heating up as the U.S. trade team meets Mexico without Canada at the table, setting up a tougher July 1 negotiation. High-Speed Rail Debate (Ontario): A report for a Kingston tourism agency argues a Highway 401 corridor route could cost less and carry 3.5 million more passengers annually than Alto’s northern Canadian Shield plan. AI in Publishing/Research: JMIR Publications highlights how machine learning may help close drug-safety evidence gaps for pregnant people, noting only 4% of clinical trials included pregnant participants over the past decade. Indigenous Photojournalism: IndigiNews’ ReFocus fellowship wraps in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), with emerging Indigenous photographers presenting their work after a week of training and community support.

MAID Backlash: More than 90 Canadian advocacy groups have signed a letter urging the Liberals to scrap plans to expand medically assisted suicide eligibility to people whose only underlying condition is mental illness, set to take effect March 17, 2027. Cost-of-Living Pressure: Manitoba’s delinquency rate rose as non-mortgage debt climbed, with Equifax pointing to affordability strain. Local Journalism Push: Manitoba says it’s meeting its ad-spending target by directing 25% of its annual advertising budget to locally owned or operated media, with twice-year posting on InfoMB. Arts & Community: Ottawa’s Street Seats program is back and expanding downtown and into Chinatown, while the Capitol Centre unveiled its 2026/27 lineup. World Watch: Russia’s warning to diplomats and foreigners to leave Kyiv drew sharp condemnation from Western countries.