n The Lion's Mouth, an Italian-Canadian woman, Bianca, tells the story of her beloved cousin, Marco, whose life is disintegrating along with his city - Venice. Marco is her dark twin, her Italian self. As she tries to make sense of her cousin's breakdown, she describes her story and reflects on her immigrant and Canadian experiences, coming to terms with her dual cultures. The novel is multifaceted - a thriller, a study of social mores in Italy and Canada, a portrait of Venice, a self-reflexive account - and yet the whole is seamless, powerful, and elegant.

Ten years, ten authors, ten critics. The Canadian Literature Centre/Centre de litterature canadienne reaches into its ten-year archive of Brown Bag Lunch readings to sample some of the most diverse and powerful voices in contemporary Canadian literature. This anthology offers readers samples from some of Canada's most exciting writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Each selection is introduced by a brief essay, serving as a point of entry into the writer's work. From the east coast of Newfoundland to Kitamaat territory on British Columbia's central coast, there is a story for everyone, from everywhere. True to Canada's multilingual and multicultural heritage, these ten writers come from diverse ethnicities and backgrounds, and work in multiple languages, including English, French, and Cree. Ying Chen | essay by Julie Rodgers Lynn Coady | essay by Maite Snauwaert Michael Crummey | essay by Jennifer Bowering Delisle Caterina Edwards | essay by Joseph Pivato Marina Endicott | essay by Daniel Laforest Lawrence Hill | essay by Winfried Siemerling Alice Major | essay by Don Perkins Eden Robinson | essay by Kit Dobson Gregory Scofield | essay by Angela Van Essen Kim Thuy | essay by Pamela V. Sing