Overview

Christmas is trumpeted as a time of peace, joy, bounty and goodwill. Believers and non-believers alike covet the spirit of the holidays even when circumstances are screwed up. Recollections from acclaimed Canadian authors combine with emerging voices from across the country in an anthology that debunks the popular depiction of Christmas while delivering its messages of hope and renewal. Writers marginalized by personal circumstance, faith, and race share memories of surviving bleak Christmases past: holidays spent in shelters, or on the streets; families marred by alcohol and violence; personal struggles with addiction, poverty or grief; isolation and loneliness. Despite these and other obstacles, contributors strive to salvage the spirit of the season. With contributions from: Tolu Oloruntoba, winner of the Governor-General's Award and Griffin Prize for poetry Sonja Larsen, winner of the Edna Staebler Award for creative non-fiction Joseph Kakwinokanasum, winner of the PMC Indigenous Literature Award 2023 JJ Lee, shortlisted for the Governor General, Hilary Weston and Charles Taylor prizes for non-fiction

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9781990160271

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""". . . horrible and beautiful . . . Over the winter holidays, every plan we make, action we take, and outcome that falls upon us is magnified. Possibly by then the year is so long and old that we enter those final weeks with our nerves raw and frayed, so we feel it all."" In an anthology of true-life Christmas memories that are heartbreaking, hilarious, and always poignant, critically acclaimed author JJ Lee presents stories that recall the season's most miserable moments in surprising ways. Featuring incredible stories by First Nation Communities Read winner Joseph Kakwinokanasum, Edna Staebler Non-Fiction Award winner Sonja Larsen, Griffin Prize and Governor General's Award winner Tolu Oloruntoba, alongside new and emerging authors, Better Next Year illuminates the best and worst of Christmas while never losing sight of the star of hope. Not just a stocking stuffer, this is an original book to be savoured any time of the year."

Author Information

JJ Lee is the author of The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a Son and a Suit (2011), a finalist for the Governor General's, Hilary Weston Writers' Trust and Charles Taylor prizes for nonfiction. His essays have appeared in publications including Elle, Montecristo, The Georgia Straight, Canadian Architect and more. Previously a contributor, reporter, producer and host on CBC Radio, he presents an annual Christmas ghost story for listeners across British Columbia. JJ Lee currently mentors a non-fiction workshop at Simon Fraser University's The Writer's Studio.

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