Natalie Sue wins Leacock Medal for Humour for novel ‘I Hope This Finds You Well'
The $25,000 award is given to the best Canadian book of literary humour published in the previous year.
The novel follows the story of an office worker in her early thirties who one day stumbles upon all of her colleagues' private emails and decides to use their gossip to help save her job.
'I Hope This Finds You Well' was published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Sue is a Calgary-based author of Iranian and British descent who spent her early years living in western Canada.
Runners-up, who received $5,000 each, were Greg Kearney for 'An Evening With Birdy O'Day,' about an aging hairstylist who lost connection with his childhood best friend when he left to pursue a pop music career, and Patricia J. Parsons for 'We Came From Away: That Summer on the Rock,' which follows one woman's attempt to reconnect her family with Newfoundland.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
41 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey apologizes for handling of doc about Oct. 7 rescue mission
TORONTO – The CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival is apologizing for pulling and then reinstating a film about a retired Israeli general's rescue mission during the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. In his first public remarks since the controversy unfolded last week, Cameron Bailey said he was sorry for the 'hurt, frustration and disappointment' that their communication caused. Speaking at a pre-festival event touting homegrown fare, Bailey said he regretted any 'mischaracterizations' of the film. He also said the organization is working now to clarify information and 'repair relationships.' 'The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue' from Montreal native Barry Avrich will screen at the festival on Sept. 10. The documentary is described on TIFF's website as a 'rescue thriller' in which Avrich combines new interviews with footage from Oct. 7, recounting retired general Noam Tibon's journey to rescue his son and his family from an attack by Hamas. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2025.
CBC
42 minutes ago
- CBC
TikTok Canada is closing soon. The Beaches and bbno$ warn it will hurt homegrown artists
In 2021, a TikTok of Canadian rapper bbno$ raising his eyebrows to the beat of his single "Edamame" started gaining traction — and eventually changed the course of his career. The platform's Canadian team suggested he recreate the clip with a safari-themed filter, then helped push it globally. "When that happened, the song just skyrocketed," he says of the track, which features Indonesian rapper Rich Brian and went six-times Platinum in various countries. bbno$ is among several Canadian artists worried about losing social media support that can make or break their careers as TikTok prepares to comply with a federal order to shut down its operations in Canada. For Canadian musicians, TikTok can be as vital as radio play once was. Its algorithm lets songs leap borders instantly, offering emerging acts — especially racialized artists facing barriers in traditional channels — a shot at global reach. With Ottawa's dissolution order set to take effect soon, TikTok Canada's team has been running campaigns to show its value — and Canadian artists are rallying behind them. "Being an artist in this generation is like, you're basically a TikTokker," says the Juno-winning rapper, born Alexander Gumuchian. "Without having a TikTok team that I can relay information to — that could help me get banners, help me when things are starting to bubble — I'm losing ammunition to help fire my career up." Concerns around access to user data behind government's move In November 2024, Ottawa ordered TikTok's Canadian arm to dissolve following a national security review of its Chinese parent company, ByteDance Ltd., though the app will remain accessible in Canada. The order cited "national security risks" but a government spokesperson declined to provide specifics due to "confidentiality provisions." Social media researcher Philip Mai says there are concerns around potential Chinese government access to user data, foreign surveillance of Canadians in sensitive sectors and misuse of information for propaganda. "China's National Intelligence Law legally permits data access, raising plausible risk concerns," says the co-director of the Social Media Lab at the Ted Rogers School of Management. Canada has ordered TikTok's offices closed. Should you still be on the app? 10 months ago The federal government has ordered TikTok to close its offices in Canada because of national security concerns. CBC's Ashley Fraser explains what we know and don't know about that risk. Still, no public evidence shows TikTok has shared user data with the Chinese government, and the company denies it. Mai says shutting down TikTok Canada reduces its physical and legal presence in the country, limiting the platform's potential for data surveillance and its ability to influence policy or public opinion. "This strategy is less extreme than banning TikTok, but more than a slap on the wrist," he says. bbno$ says the platform's Canadian team has helped bolster his social media presence. Without it, he warns, many Canadian artists will face a "bottleneck" in their careers. Juno-winning Toronto band The Beaches says TikTok Canada has been "instrumental" in their rise. "Without local teams championing Canadian musicians internationally, we're left competing with American artists as outsiders, not as domestic talent," says the group in a statement. "This puts us at a disadvantage and pushes Canadian artists to leave the country just to have a shot at global success." Though The Beaches have enjoyed Canadian radio airplay for years, their single "Blame Brett" went viral on TikTok in 2023, helping them reach the U.S. Billboard charts for the first time. Mai warns TikTok Canada's closure would be a "big blow to Canadian artists," reducing opportunities, support systems, grant programs and sponsorships. "Forcing the closure of TikTok's Canadian operation will likely decrease Canadian visibility in the algorithm," he says, noting local staff often boost regional content via tailored campaigns, including ones highlighting Indigenous creators. Last month, TikTok CEO Steven Chew asked Minister of Industry Melanie Joly for an urgent meeting, warning that shutting down TikTok Canada would force layoffs, halt investments and pull support from creators and culture. "The wind-up process is rapidly approaching a critical juncture," Chew wrote. TikTok declined to provide a date and to say whether it has heard back from Joly, who did not respond to questions about the meeting request. Loss for racialized alum of TikTok's Accelerator program, creators say The platform recently withdrew sponsorships for several Canadian arts institutions, including the Juno Awards and TIFF, and slashed the National Screen Institute's TikTok Accelerator for Indigenous Creators, which has supported nearly 400 participants since 2021. Indigenous hoop dancer James Jones says the federal government's shutdown order shows a disregard for the country's digital creators. "It's really unfortunate that they are taking away a team that has been so supportive of the BIPOC community and the Indigenous community," says the Edmonton-based creator, who boasts over four million followers. "I don't think that anyone has ever asked us what we wanted or even reached out and said, `Hey, how is this going to affect you?"' Jones says early in his career, TikTok Canada offered advice on maximizing his reach and facilitating key connections with brands and publications. He says its Accelerator program has helped many Indigenous creators and small businesses. Jones feels the government is sending a message that "we're not being prioritized." "They don't care what happens to us, they don't care about our businesses, our brands," he says. "They don't care about how it affects us personally to not have access to a team that supports us directly." Vanessa Brousseau, an advocate for missing and murdered Indigenous people, says the government's decision feels "really painful, but familiar." "It feels like a pattern and a way of oppressing minorities, oppressing Indigenous people," says the alum of the TikTok Accelerator for Indigenous Creators. "TikTok is the only platform that amplifies our voices and makes sure we're being heard." Brousseau worries that if the decision isn't reversed, it will be "very detrimental" to Indigenous TikTok creators.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Enjoying frozen treats + Midway offerings + Church on the move
Calgary Watch We take a look at the lighter side of the news and what's trending online and on air.
