Canisia Lubrin wins Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for ‘Code Noir'
Canisia Lubrin has won the 2025 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for her book 'Code Noir.'
The Whitby, Ont.-based author will receive US$150,000.
The award is the largest English-language literary prize for women and non-binary authors and is open to Canadians and Americans.
Another Canadian entry among the five shortlisted books was 'Pale Shadows,' written by Dominique Fortier and translated by Rhonda Mullins.
Jury members praised Lubrin's prose as 'polyphonic,' calling 'Code Noir' a 'virtuoso collection that breaks new ground in short fiction.'
Lubrin's other work has been recognized with the Griffin Poetry Prize, OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, Windham-Campbell prize for poetry and more.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
a day ago
- Global News
Global streamers fight CRTC's rule requiring them to fund Canadian content
Some of the world's biggest streaming companies will argue in court on Monday that they shouldn't have to make CRTC-ordered financial contributions to Canadian content and news. The companies are fighting an order from the federal broadcast regulator that says they must pay five per cent of their annual Canadian revenues to funds devoted to producing Canadian content, including local TV news. The case, which consolidates several appeals by streamers, will be heard by the Federal Court of Appeal in Toronto. Apple, Amazon and Spotify are fighting the CRTC's 2024 order. Motion Picture Association-Canada, which represents such companies as Netflix and Paramount, is challenging a section of the CRTC's order requiring them to contribute to local news. In December, the court put a pause on the payments — estimated to be at least $1.25 million annually per company. Amazon, Apple and Spotify had argued that if they made the payments and then won the appeal and overturned the CRTC order, they wouldn't be able to recover the money. Story continues below advertisement In court documents, the streamers put forward a long list of arguments on why they shouldn't have to pay, including technical points regarding the CRTC's powers under the Broadcasting Act. Spotify argued that the contribution requirement amounts to a tax, which the CRTC doesn't have the authority to impose. The music streamer also took issue with the CRTC requiring the payments without first deciding how it will define Canadian content. Amazon argued the federal cabinet specified the CRTC's requirements have to be 'equitable.' It said the contribution requirement is 'inequitable because it applies only to foreign online undertakings and only to such undertakings with more than $25 million in annual Canadian broadcasting revenues.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Apple also said the regulator 'acted prematurely' and argued the CRTC didn't consider whether the order was 'equitable.' It pointed out Apple is required to contribute five per cent, while radio stations must only pay 0.5 per cent — and streamers don't have the same access to the funds into which they pay. The CRTC imposes different rules on Canadian content contributions from traditional media players. It requires large English-language broadcasters to contribute 30 per cent of revenues to Canadian programming. Motion Picture Association—Canada is only challenging one aspect of the CRTC's order — the part requiring companies to contribute 1.5 per cent of revenues to a fund for local news on independent TV stations. Story continues below advertisement It said in court documents that none of the streamers 'has any connection to news production' and argued the CRTC doesn't have the authority to require them to fund news. 'What the CRTC did, erroneously, is purport to justify the … contribution simply on the basis that local news is important and local news operations provided by independent television stations are short of money,' it said. 'That is a reason why news should be funded by someone, but is devoid of any analysis, legal or factual, as to why it is equitable for foreign online undertakings to fund Canadian news production.' In its response, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters said the CRTC has wide authority under the Broadcasting Act. It argued streamers have contributed to the funding crisis facing local news. 'While the industry was once dominated by traditional television and radio services, those services are now in decline, as Canadians increasingly turn to online streaming services,' the broadcasters said. 'For decades, traditional broadcasting undertakings have supported the production of Canadian content through a complex array of CRTC-directed measures … By contrast, online undertakings have not been required to provide any financial support to the Canadian broadcasting system, despite operating here for well over a decade.' A submission from the federal government in defence of the CRTC argued the regulator was within its rights to order the payments. Story continues below advertisement 'The orders challenged in these proceedings … are a valid exercise of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's regulatory powers. These orders seek to remedy the inequity that has resulted from the ascendance of online streaming giants like the Appellants,' the office of the attorney general said. 'Online undertakings have greatly profited from their access to Canadian audiences, without any corresponding obligation to make meaningful contributions supporting Canadian programming and creators — an obligation that has long been imposed on traditional domestic broadcasters.' The government said that if the streamers get their way, that would preserve 'an inequitable circumstance in which domestic broadcasters — operating in an industry under economic strain — shoulder a disproportionate regulatory burden.' 'This result would be plainly out of step with the policy aims of Parliament' and cabinet, it added. The court hearing comes as trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada have cast a shadow over the CRTC's attempts to regulate online streamers. The regulator launched a suite of proceedings and hearings as part of its implementation of the Online Streaming Act, legislation that in 2023 updated the Broadcasting Act to set up the CRTC to regulate streaming companies. In January, as U.S. President Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term, groups representing U.S. businesses and big tech companies warned the CRTC that its efforts to modernize Canadian content rules could worsen trade relations and lead to retaliation. Story continues below advertisement Then, as the CRTC launched its hearing on modernizing the definition of Canadian content in May, Netflix, Paramount and Apple cancelled their individual appearances. While the companies didn't provide a reason, the move came shortly after Trump threatened to impose a tariff of up to 100 per cent on movies made outside the United States. Foreign streamers have long pointed to their existing spending in Canada in response to calls to bring them into the regulated system.
Japan Forward
a day ago
- Japan Forward
New Music Zine N.E.R.O. Launches June 19 with Shibuya Party and Three Cool Bands
When was the last time you picked up a really good music magazine? You know – a bound sheaf of pages filled with insightful interviews and striking photography of your favorite musicians? If you thought print was dead, now's your chance to witness the birth of a brand new zine: N.E.R.O. Chief Editor Yukiko Inoue is a veteran of the analog world. She began her career as a member of Flipper's Guitar, the seminal late-1980s/'90s Shibuya-kei band led by musicians Cornelius (Keigo Oyamada) and Kenji Ozawa. Later, in 2010, she founded the premium music magazine nero, whose pleasingly thick editions featured bilingual interviews with revered artists from Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon to Phoenix alongside a plethora of young up-and-comers. N.E.R.O. founder and Chief Editor Yukiko Inoue. Despite being an independent magazine, nero quickly attracted attention from music fans and fashionistas alike, with its glossy pages featuring exclusive shots from renowned photographers such as Ellen Von Unwerth and Autumn de Wilde. One issue even featured an exclusive cover illustration of French band Phoenix by artist Klaus Voorman, which referenced the cover artwork he made for the Beatles album Revolver in 1966. "I like print," says Inoue simply as we chat in a Shibuya cafe. "A lot of magazines have gone out of business over the years, and it has become tough, but I do believe that magazines, writing and photography will always remain. It's like fashion – the trends go round in circles." Borderless N.E.R.O. Now, Inoue is preparing to launch N.E.R.O., an English language publication made in Japan. It borrows from the aesthetics of fanzine culture to create bite-sized, carefully crafted issues themed around a different music artist each time. N.E.R.O. will launch with a party in Tokyo on June 19 that includes live performances from Melbourne band HighSchool, Paris-based Pol, and Tokyo's Luby Sparks. N.E.R.O. presents borderless night. The new zine's upcoming launch party will feature a live set by Melbourne band HighSchool. Inoue explains that N.E.R.O. was born from the ashes of her previous magazine nero, which faltered during the pandemic. "For various reasons, it felt like a good time to move on," she says. "I had some interviews already planned though, so I decided to find a new way to publish them, in a format that was more suited to the modern era. Magazines don't work the same way they used to, and a website didn't really appeal to me, as I am quite an analog person." With this in mind, Inoue settled on a zine format. While nero was presented as an aspirational magazine that made its bespoke photography look beautiful and timeless, N.E.R.O. will have a scrappier feel. It will be a series of zines devoted to one artist per issue, and readers can choose to buy just the ones they like or collect the whole set. Since each will have matching cover designs, they'll make a great collection. Countdown to the First/Last Issues Inoue is planning a set of around eight issues for this experimental first run – the first two of which feature interviews with HighSchool and POL. (Technically these are the last two issues, as they will count down backwards to zero, ending with an issue focused on Nick Knight.) Paris-based duo Pol will leave their first impression on Tokyo fans at the N.E.R.O. launch party in June. "In July, the next issues will be about Turnstile and Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, who will be coming that month to play at the Fuji Rock Festival," says Inoue. "The great thing about doing separate issues about each band rather than one big magazine is that each issue can be timed to release when the band is in Japan, so fans can see their show and pick up the zine at the same time." The bands featured in N.E.R.O. are not exactly household names, as Inoue has a passion for discovering artists early in their career. Some of her discoveries have gone on to become relatively big, such as Sky Ferreira, The 1975 and Clairo. But more importantly, Inoue brings a sense of human curation that is essential in this digital world. The lineup for the June 19 launch event at Shibuya WWW is a great example of this approach, with three bands whose sound is individually unique yet who complement each other perfectly. If you like one of them, you'll probably like all three. Advertisement First Invites Melbourne band HighSchool "The first band I invited to join the party was HighSchool," explains Inoue. "They first came to play in Japan last year (2024), and I love their music and live performance. They have a nostalgic sound that reminds me of New Order and Joy Division, so I think they'll appeal to fans of that kind of music." HighSchool's bright guitar tones, downbeat vocal delivery and confessional lyrics recall classic British bands like The Smiths and New Order, while their live shows carry an intensity that is electrifying. Luby Sparks The next addition to the lineup was Luby Sparks, a Tokyo-based band. "I don't listen to much Japanese music, but I'm good friends with the band, and I thought they would be a good match for HighSchool," says Inoue. While Luby Sparks hail from Japan, their music homages the dreamier end of the '90s Britpop scale, underpinned with a US alternative-rock heart. The music video for their single One Last Girl featuring bedroom-wall posters of Echobelly alongside raunchier artists like Hole and Joan Jett, giving a clear indication of their influences. French band Pol Adding Goth and a Touch of France Deciding that inviting only one foreign band and one from Japan was not quite enough of a challenge, she added Pol to the lineup, flying them in from France. The band's music takes things a little further back to the '80s, with their guitar and synth combo drawing from the well of Gary Numan and the Human League. "Pol are not very well known in Japan yet, but they have a great visual style and their music has so much potential, especially since the type of new wave music they make is due a resurgence," says Inoue. Lillies and Remains vocalist Kent will perform a special DJ set. In addition, Kent, the vocalist from cult Japanese band Lillies and Remains, will also appear as a guest DJ, adding a ripple of Goth to the event. "There will be elements of guitar-pop and Goth, but it's all through the filter of just one person – me – so even if you don't know all the bands, I'm sure you'll enjoy it as an event," says Inoue. "People who love music and beautiful things, and people who want to meet likeminded people – give it a chance and come check out the show!" Advertisement Representing Asia's Music Scene The HighSchool and Pol issues of N.E.R.O. will be available to buy at the launch party. All the issues will also eventually be available to order online, with overseas delivery likely available too. Each issue will be published in English, with a foldout insert that includes Japanese translations. Melbourne band High School. Inoue writes the bilingual versions of her interviews with the help of a translator and an interpreter. For now, the majority of the musicians she interviews are from the West. However, she originally envisioned nero as a magazine that could represent Asia's music scene and which could be read in English around Asia and elsewhere around the world. Her new zine takes a similar approach, embracing a "borderless" concept. Inoue's selective approach means she is able to channel her passion for each artist into her interviews. In turn, that encourages them to open up. For example, in Volume 8 of nero magazine, Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon spoke in detail about personal topics such as their family dynamic, making for an unusually engaging article. Tokyo band Luby Sparks round out the bill at N.E.R.O.'s launch event. Inoue's Secret: Listening "I've been told that I'm like a counselor," she says. "With Sean Lennon, he was a fan of my magazine, and he offered to pay a photographer he liked (Greg Kadel) so we could do a cover shoot together. I don't know why, but music producers like Mark Ronson seem to connect with what I do as well, and they really open up to me. Maybe it's because I'm a good listener." As someone who has interviewed hundreds of creative people myself over the past couple of decades, I know how hard it is to build a rapport with someone in the few minutes before you hit record, and to have them forget their media training and speak from the heart. So I ask Inoue her tips for getting the best out of her interviewees. "The most important thing is to listen to their music over and over beforehand," she replies. "If you love their music, you'll have no problem finding questions to ask them, because you're naturally interested in what they have to say. "And then you have to listen carefully to their responses and follow up with deeper questions. If you do it with love, they can tell." Advertisement Interested in the June Event? N.E.R.O. presents borderless night takes place on June 19 at Shibuya WWW in Tokyo. It includes live performances from HighSchool, Pol & Luby Sparks. For tickets and further information about the show and the first issues of N.E.R.O., visit or RELATED: Interview by: Daniel Robson Read Daniel's artist interviews and his series Gamer's World on JAPAN Forward, and find him on X (formerly Twitter).
Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- Globe and Mail
A river cruise with our American frenemies – what could go wrong?
Jane Christmas is a Canadian author. We are on the Rhine, sailing down the lazy river, staring at ancient European castles and pine-covered hills. The occasional barge or river boat passes in the opposite direction. We wave. We lean over the rail and watch the currents and eddies. The river flows, the sun beams. It's life in the slow lane, and boy, do we need it. Away from the noise of an angry, divided world. Away from blaring headlines, from the fearmongers urging us to prepare an emergency kit because the Apocalypse is closing in. Away from the stuff that makes our hearts race and our minds plunge into dark thinking. Look who's sorry now: Americans are an apologetic bunch to this Canadian on vacation Our party of four Canadian couples finds itself to be among a distinct minority on this small cruise ship. The American passengers vastly outnumber us: 135 of them, fewer than 30 of us. It's awkward, given the trade tensions between our two nations. Still, we're pretty sure we can roll with it. We're a friendly, easygoing bunch. Two nights in, the cruise director announces a pub quiz. Hey, that sounds fun. Let's do it. The other passengers form their groups, grab their drinks, and off we go. Team Canada hits a near-perfect score, falling at the question, On which side of her face is Mona Lisa's smile? But it doesn't matter, we've won handily. Our reward is two bottles of champagne, one of which we immediately hand to the American group sitting next to us as thanks for marking our answer sheet. They're simpatico. We think. Walking back to our rooms, I clock another large group of Americans. Their lips are tight, their arms crossed. I can imagine they're the type to start yelling 'U.S.A.! U.S.A.!' at a moment's notice. They glare at us. One of them – male, white, obese, scarfing down an entire tube of complimentary peanuts – gives me the stink eye and calls out, in a MAGA tone, the number 51. 'In your dreams, buddy,' I say with a smile, and walk on. But when I reach the door of our room, the smile is gone and my head is filled with less civil replies, ones that might elicit a punch being thrown. One of our friends asks what that guy had said to me. I confirm what she overheard. The faces on the rest of our group fall. Apparently, there's no escape from bullies, even on a seniors' cruise. Keller: We see your joke about the 51st state, and raise you a reference to sacking the White House As the trip goes on, things do not improve. Aside from two Americans who approach us to apologize for their current President, the rest treat us as if we're COVID carriers. They rarely acknowledge us in the hall, don't meet our eyes or say hello or good morning like normal people do when they're on a pleasure boat together. During the off-board excursions, they huddle with their countrymen and either ignore us or shoot us looks of disdain. More Canadian invisibility arrives via the tour guides, who constantly point out Americanisms to their guests – a U.S. embassy here, a bridge named after JFK there, the former home of the guy who designed the Statue of Liberty. Americans are on a constant drip-feed of their own cultural fodder. That's why we won the quiz – as the saying goes, Canadians know about the world; Americans only know about themselves. Here's the thing: It's not enough for Canadians to buy ABA (anything but American), we need to work on self-belief and entrepreneurship. We haven't promoted our country or culture abroad as vociferously or aggressively as we could, believing that polite and passive would win the day. How's that been working out for us? As a Canadian living in Britain, I've witnessed the fallout. We are a ghost nation beyond our borders. I had to remind an otherwise educated English twentysomething where exactly Canada was on a map. It's humbling given the rhetoric that 'Canada matters on the world stage.' What stage? We can't even get verbal support from the Commonwealth or England when it matters. They snickered when our PM was called 'governor,' and our sovereignty was bullied. They thought it was a joke. Look at them scrambling now. Still, why have we assumed that the world knows who we are? Each week I leaf through the British newspapers and see the same dull tourism ads for Niagara Falls and the Rocky Mountaineer that I've seen for the last two decades. Where's the nightlife of Canada's cities? The picturesque Newfoundland villages? The Inuit arts and awesome Northern landscapes? The architectural and cultural charm of Quebec? Where are the theatres, galleries, literary festivals and vineyards? I'd suggest our tourism ads include shopping as a visitor activity (our dollar being a bargain) but we've shamefully cross-border shopped so much that we've lost our signature department stores, having sold most of them to the highest (often American) bidder. Nice one. Is no one minding our commercial legacy? It's time to step up. We need to be seen as a country on the rise, as well as one that gets involved. Yes to increasing our defence spending, but also to elbowing in to some of the world's ongoing conflicts and helping to mediate their end. Why do we always leave this task to the U.S.? Then there's the lack of overseas trade. Aluminum and steel, sure, but what about wine? There's no end of Australian, New Zealand and American wines on the shelves of British grocery stores, but nothing from Canada. No one in Britain is even aware of Canadian viticulture. Let's get those bottles overseas. It's all very well to wear your 'Never 51' shirt, or to post your Canuck creds on Instagram, or to boycott Netflix and Amazon, but it's time to think bigger, bolder. Time to make a splash. If our efforts are rebuffed south of the border, big deal. There are other countries in this world to woo. Why do we still measure Canadian success against our neighbour's barometer? It's obvious by now that big isn't always best. Back on board our cruise boat, the froideur continues and mystifies my group. Did we belittle their leader on national television, as Donald Trump did ours? Did we threaten their sovereignty? Upend their trade deals? No. They started it. And it sounds like a playground spat until you understand that it's moved into gaslighting territory: We are somehow the enemy. This is the strategy of their leader: Drop the stink bomb and blame the other guy. He's told/signalled/tweeted to his nation that Canadians are lazy, do-nothing freeloaders. Of course it's a lie, but try convincing a boatload of Americans of their country's misguided path, a group who've dined on a century of obsequiousness that the world – including Canada – has fed them. The water might be choppy, but it's time we charted our own course, and make waves that count.
