literature | The Walrus

A black and white photo of a man looking down at an open book surrounded by illustrated mouse cursors pointing away on a bright yellow background.

What We Lose When Literary Criticism Ends

May 21, 2021May 21, 2021 - by Steven Beattie

With mainstream media uninterested in books coverage that doesn’t get clicks, writers and readers are being left out in the cold

A portrait of Shakespeare with eyes redacted

Arts & Culture

The Case Against Shakespeare

March 31, 2021March 31, 2021 - by Allan Stratton

The Bard has had 400 years in the limelight. It’s time our academic obsession came to an end

The cover of "Working in the Bathtub," which depicts the writer, Dany Laferrière, lying in a bathtub fully clothed.

Arts & Culture / Books

Stop Calling Racialized Writers “Raw”

December 10, 2020December 11, 2020 - by Adnan Khan

There’s a burden on writers of colour to tell stories of trauma. Authors like Dany Laferrière refuse to play along

Illustration of a woman on a couch playing guitar. In front of her is an open laptop on a coffee table; behind her is an easel with a painting of a sun. Scattered books and vases are around and beneath the table.

COVID-19 / First Person / July/August 2020

If a Book Is Published in a Pandemic, Will Anyone Read It?

May 21, 2020August 14, 2020 - by Katrina Onstad

We already undervalue our artists. COVID-19 has only made it worse

A man stands at the front of a classroom wearing a dark t-shirt and lecturing. The photo focuses on his hands and torso.

Books

When Male Writers Confront Toxic Masculinity

January 22, 2020January 23, 2020 - by Philip Sayers

It’s easier than ever for men to speak the language of feminism. It’s harder to act like they mean it

Arts & Culture

The Best Books of the Decade

December 23, 2019December 24, 2019 - by The Walrus Staff

The Walrus asked contributors and staff to pick their favourite titles of the past ten years

Arts & Culture

The Decade in Icons

December 23, 2019February 21, 2020 - by The Walrus Staff

From the famous to the infamous, these are the personalities that helped define Canada

Arts & Culture

The Toughest Sentence Toni Morrison Ever Wrote

August 9, 2019August 14, 2019 - by Donna Bailey Nurse

I interviewed the author in 1998. I could have listened to her forever

Language

The Power of a Good Sentence

July 13, 2019July 17, 2019 - by Douglas Glover

Why writing one isn’t as easy as you think

Photograph of a Woman Looking at a Leonard Cohen Themed Magazine Spread

Arts & Culture

The Darker Side of Leonard Cohen

April 9, 2018April 5, 2021 - by Myra Bloom

How the myth of the male genius shields our cultural heroes from scrutiny