family

A photo of a newborn baby on a white cot as seen through the thick white bars of a crib

The story of one inmate who laboured—in shackles—in fear of being torn apart from her child if they survived

A ghostly black and white photo of a family is super-imposed onto a colour photo of an older man peering into the open door of a home

Memoir

How Not to Ask Your Dad about Family Secrets

August 22, 2024August 22, 2024 - by Sadiya Ansari

I tried to get answers about my grandmother’s mysterious past. Turns out, I still had a lot to learn about myself

A photo illustration of a young boy walking in front of his grandfather at a beach, who has been cut out of the photo and replaced with pages from a book.

Books

Why So Many Authors Are Writing Multigenerational Stories

January 22, 2024January 22, 2024 - by Samia Madwar

Several new books grapple with displacement and diasporic living in ways that feel particularly resonant in this moment

A photo of a baby crying while riding a shopping cart in a department store.

Society

Big Babies: When It Comes to Kids, Many Adults Need to Grow Up

September 29, 2023January 8, 2024 - by Michelle Cyca

Fully grown human beings are having tantrums over infants and toddlers who dare to exist and make noise

An illustration of a couple on their phones during a candlelit dinner.

June 2023 / Society

As a Therapist, I Know What’s Breaking Couples Up

May 26, 2023May 26, 2023 - by Andrew Sofin

How relationships come to an end and the scourge of the smartphone

A mishmash of limbs performing martial arts on a red background. Three Asian men at the front push a boulder, referencing the struggle of Sisyphus.

January/February 2023 / Memoir

What My Father’s Martial Arts Classes Taught Me about Fighting Racism

January 16, 2023January 16, 2023 - by Adrian De Leon

The goal of martial arts is self-defence. But what happens when the violence is as atmospheric as racism itself?

A father brushes his young daughter's hair in front of a bathroom mirror

Society

Father’s Day Required Reading

June 17, 2022June 17, 2022 - by The Walrus Staff

Stories about famous dads, pandemic parenting, and much more

Photograph of two gnarled pieces of wood on a white background.

January/February 2022 / Society

My Uncle the Witch Hunter: Unearthing the Uncanny Story of John Troyer

January 10, 2022April 22, 2022 - by Rosemary Counter

I dug into my family history and discovered a tale of supernatural evil, buried treasure, and paranoia

A Black man embraces a Black woman who is sitting on a kitchen countertop. The woman is looking at the camera.

July/August 2021

The Way We Were

June 15, 2021June 15, 2021 - by Jorian Charlton

Artist Jorian Charlton on the meaning of the Black family photo album and the essential nature of these archives

An illustration of three human silhouettes on a background of blue, orange, pink and peach. The large white silhouette sits behind two other silhouettes that are orange and blue.

Memoir

Finding My Voice as My Mother Lost Hers

March 24, 2021October 19, 2021 - by Minelle Mahtani

Not long after I started my job as a radio host, my mother told me she had tongue cancer

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Women in Canadian Prisons Are Routinely Separated from Their Newborns

My Uncle the Witch Hunter: Unearthing the Uncanny Story of John Troyer

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Fund the journalism that helps you make informed decisions. Fund The Walrus.