Avenue’s Summer Reading Guide

The July edition of Avenue features a look at why Edmonton has arguably become Canada’s literary capital. Michael Hingston, author of The Dilettantes, looks at the initiative to make Edmonton officially designated as a “City of Writers.” And the print edition also features new original fiction from Janice MacDonald and Todd Babiak.

As a companion, we present a short list of recommended Edmonton books. By no means should this be taken as a complete summary of all things awesome when it comes to Edmonton literary works. Use this as a jumping-off point. We all celebrate the Eat Local movement; we should all take a little bit of our time to Read Local, as well.

Greg Hollingshead, The Roaring Girl

This collection won the Governor General’s Award for Fiction in 1995; Hollinghsead was awarded Order of Canada in 2012

Lynn Coady, Hellgoing

This short story collection won the 2013 Giller prize

W.P. Kinsella, Shoeless Joe

The 1982 book was the basis of the Kevin Costner smash-hit film, Field of Dreams

Rudy Wiebe, Come Back

Winner of the 2015 City of Edmonton Book Prize

Robert Kroetsch, The Studhorse Man

Officer of the Order of Canada. Edmonton’s book prize is named for him. And, in 1969, this book earned Kroetsch the Governer General’s Award for Fiction

Jessica Kluthe, Rosina the Midwife

A book that chronicles a woman caught between two cultures; her Alberta present and her family’s Italian past.
Wayne Arthurson, Fall From Grace

A gritty work of crime fiction, winner of the 2012 Alberta Readers’ Choice Award

Curtis Gillespie, Almost There

Gillespie’s ability to tell wonderful travel stories creates a work of non-fiction that’s a real page-turner.
Todd Babiak, The Garneau Block

It originally ran as a newspaper serial – a la Charles Dickens. But this book offers a series of funny and honest snapshots of Edmonton.

Greg Bechtel, Boundary Problems

This critically hailed collection offers magic, the improbable and very modern themes.

Thomas Wharton, Icefields

Published in 1995, it’s stood the test of time, as it was a finalist in 2008’s Canada Reads competition.

Marina Endicott, Good to a Fault

It was a finalist for the Giller Prize back in 2008.

Myrna Kostash, All of Baba’s Children

This 1977 work is an important document of Alberta’s Ukrainian heritage.

Meags Fitzgerald, Photobooth