LAUNCHING FORWARD!

Now that our Spring season is underway, we can't wait to tell you about all the exciting news, book releases, and events we have lined up! From shortlist announcements, author talks, book launches, and a peek at our Spring launch for those who missed it, we've got plenty of great news to share. Let's get right into it!

In this issue:

-New Releases & Upcoming Events (what's out now and where to catch us!)-
-Big News (exciting updates!)
-Breakwater Buzz (reviews, interviews, and more!)
-Have You Heard? (the latest on Breakwater in our community!)
-Coming Soon (our next Spring releases about to hit shelves!)
-Featured Titles (find your next great read!)
-Photo Album (catch up on the latest happenings!)
-Keep Connected (follow us on social media!)

NEW RELEASES & UPCOMING EVENTS

Griffin Prize-winning poet and author Maggie Burton has released her first collection of short fiction! A Temporary Grace is a collection of linked short stories exploring love and power in the modern world. 

In an unflinching examination of the modern love story, A Temporary Grace is a raw and insightful exploration of power, vulnerability, and our urgent need to redefine intimacy.

Set in modern-day Newfoundland, A Temporary Grace weaves together a series of interconnected stories that navigate the complexities of dating in the post-#MeToo era and through the oppressive forces that trap us in outdated patterns. 

The original Lost in Newfoundland is a best selling, pocket-sized collection of landscape and wildlife photographs from across our province. Now, Lost in Newfoundland: Volume 2 is here, featuring all-new photos from Michael Winsor!

A follow up to the bestselling Lost in Newfoundland, this collection of stunning and dramatic photographs captures the breathtaking beauty of the island.

Available now on our website and at our Duckworth Street store!

SAVE THE DATE

-May 30th: Playwright Darren Ivany will be signing copies of Home In Three Plays at 10:00AM at Coles Village Mall, and 2:00PM at Coles Avalon Mall!
-May 30th, 4:00PM: Rounding out our signings for the month, Jen Winsor will be at Chapters with copies of Ship Moms!
-June 2nd, 7:00PM: Celebrate the 2026 nominees for the Alistair MacLeod Award for Short Fiction with readings and conversation at Inverness County Centre for the Arts, featuring Breakwater finalist Heidi Wicks!
-June 3rd, 6:00PM: Join us at Trident Bookseller and Café in Halifax for a cinq à sept (readings at 6:00PM) to celebrate the nominees of the 2026 Best Atlantic Published Book Award, featuring Breakwater finalists Karl Wells and Yvonne Rumbolt-Jones and publisher Rebecca Rose.
-June 4th, 2:30PM: Join Breakwater Books at the Rooms for an afternoon of conversation with authors Herman Perry, Michael Collins, and Derek Wilton! These authors will be talking about their newly released books, and their expertise in nature and wildlife writing!
-June 4th, 7:00PM: The Atlantic Book Awards Gala will be held at Paul O'Regan Hall in Halifax Central Library, announcing the winners of the 2026 awards!
-June 13th, 2:00PM: Celebrate the release of Home in Three Plays from Breakwater Books and Darren Ivany! This launch party will be held at Theatre Hill Café, featuring readings, conversation, and book signings — plus appearances from special guests Andy Jones and Robert Chafe!
-June 20th and 21st: The Local Authors Showcase, hosted by Coles in the Avalon Mall, is back! Mark your calendars for a weekend of non-stop signings from your favourite local authors. On June 20th, catch Breakwater authors Darren Ivany, Delores Mullings, and Jen Winsor, and on the 21st, you'll find Mike Winsor, Maggie Burton, Michael Collins, Herman Perry, and D.D. Sheppard!

BIG NEWS

Breakwater Books Spring Launch!

On May 1st, Breakwater Books hosted a seasonal launch event celebrating our latest and upcoming releases, and welcoming in a new season of books! We were thrilled to partner with The Rooms to return to this event format, highlighting four of our current authors and featuring their books for a very welcoming audience!

Glenna Turnbull, author of The Art of Getting Lost and Found, travelled all the way from British Columbia for a packed weekend of events and appearances, including this launch! Diedre Halbot joined us from NL's west coast to read from her debut mystery novel Little Spoons, which has been garnering attention from readers and critics across the country. Delores V. Mullings, an amazing writer, speaker, and activist, read from her brand-new poetry collection, Black Girl in the Ring. And Maggie Burton, debuting her first collection of short fiction, A Temporary Grace, could barely keep up with the demand for book signings! 

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate this evening with us! It was such a treat to be surrounded by our Breakwater friends and family as we usher in a new season!

Ray Critch Wins Crime Writers of Canada Best Crime First Novel Award!

Hot off the press, we are delighted to announce that Ray Critch has won the Crime Writers of Canada Best Crime First Novel Award for his debut novel The Beltane Massacre! 

From the jury:

The Beltane Massacre distinguished itself to the jury as an impressive and deeply satisfying debut, one that combines suspense, emotional depth, and a confident command of story from beginning to end. The jurors respected the novel’s ability to deliver a compelling crime narrative while remaining grounded in character, grief, and the lasting consequences of violence. At the same time, it feels fully rooted in contemporary reality, bringing modern pressures of power, surveillance, and instability into a story that never loses its human centre. The narrative unfolds with skill, allowing mystery and momentum to develop alongside a more intimate search for truth. The result is a novel that is both absorbing and affecting, and one that arrives at an ending of real force. As a debut by Newfoundland and Labrador writer Ray Critch, The Beltane Massacre is a remarkable achievement, a worthy winner, and a memorable introduction to a fresh voice in Canadian crime fiction.

Congratulations, Ray!

Pheilm Martin Wins English Fiction Award at the 2026 Hackmatack Children's Choice Awards!

At a ceremony on May 27th in Halifax, Pheilm Martin was announced as the winner of the English Fiction category at the 2026 Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Awards for his debut children's book Songs in the Sea! The award was a tie and Pheilm shares the honour with Braden Hallett for Teddy vs. the Fuzzy Doom (Annick Press).

Congratulations to both authors!

BREAKWATER BUZZ

Want to know more about our books, our authors, and what we're up to? We have new features and new content to dig deeper into the story behind your favourite recent reads:

-Did you catch Rebecca Rose, Rebecca Roberts, and several of our authors on The Signal ahead of our Spring Launch? If you missed it, catch up here!
-49th Shelf featured an excerpt of Black Girl in the Ring, the debut poetry collection from Dr. Delores V. Mullings — check it out here!
-Want to know what critics think of Here by Heidi Wicks? Read this review from Room Magazine!
-Continuing his author interview series, rob mclennan spoke to Diedre J. Halbot about her debut novel Little Spoons. Find the full conversation on his blog!
-The Shelf Esteem Podcast, hosted by Trudy Morgan-Cole, recently released an episode all about Glenna Turnbull and The Art of Getting Lost and Found. You can find the episode here or wherever your get your podcasts.
-Need some more book recommendations for your TBR? Check out Maggie Burton's reading list for 49th Shelf!
-Home in Three Plays by Darren Ivany was reviewed by Craig Francis Power for Riddle Fence. Give it a read to get a glimpse into the themes and questions explored in this collection of short plays!
-On the heels of the shortlist announcement for the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, author Ray Critch sat down for an interview to discuss his debut novel, The Beltane Massacre — check it out here!

HAVE YOU HEARD?

Atlantic Books Awards 2026 Finalists Announced!

We are delighted to have three books nominated for this year's Atlantic Book Awards! Just Around the Corner by Yvonne Rumbolt-Jones and Openly Karl by Karl Wells are both finalists for the Best Atlantic-Published Book Award, and Here by Heidi Wicks is a finalist for the Alistair MacLeod Award for Short Fiction. Congratulations all around!

Winners will be announced at an Awards Gala on June 4th at Halifax Central Library, with reading events with all authors in the days leading up to the gala!

2026 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize Shortlists Announced!

Rakuten Kobo has released the shortlists for the 2026 Emerging Writer Prize, and we are so excited to share that A Seal of Salvage by Clayton B. Smith has made one of the shortlists! A Seal of Salvage is shortlisted in the category of Speculative Fiction, alongside such well-known titles as the recent winner of Canada Reads, The Cure for Drowning. We are thrilled to see A Seal of Salvage on this shortlist among such esteemed company!

Winners of the Emerging Writer Prize will be announced June 17, 2026!

COMING SOON!

As spring turns to summer, we have two very exciting releases coming up in June!

The Great North American Paddling Odyssey is a detailed, up-close account of an epic journey from coast to coast, spanning years of adventure and perseverance on some of North America’s greatest rivers. This epic journey is recorded as part personal account, part survival guide, for those who seek adventure — or just like to read about it from the comfort of home!

Award-winning author Bridget Canning is back with a new novel, Taking Down Names! In a darkly humorous and thrilling exploration of vengeance and grief, a journalist must unravel a tangled web of mysterious deaths and apparent karma amidst her own personal tragedy.

Both of these titles are available for pre-orders on our website!

FEATURED TITLES

Mother's Day

Looking for books to celebrate the Mothers in your life? We've got a selection of titles for adults AND kids alike!

Ship Moms and Motherfumbler tell the true, messy, wonderful stories of real-life mothers. Eyes in Front When Running is a hilarious, heart-warming novel about an unconventional path to motherhood. And A Sudden Sun is a historical fiction novel all about the suffragist movement in Newfoundland through the tangled story of a mother and daughter. Each of these titles are available online and in store!

We've also selected a number of our favourite children's titles about family, mothers, and grandmothers: The Ewe Who Knew Who Knit You, Nanny's Kitchen Party, What If Your Mom Made Raisin Buns, Songs in the Sea, and At Nanny's House!

PHOTO ALBUM

Check out some more photos from our spring launch event! We hope to see everyone again in the fall for another seasonal launch!

Dr. Delores V. Mullings headed to Chapters to sign copies of Black Girl in the Ring, and ran into a few familiar faces! It's lovely to see these events bringing together new and old friends!

Check out author Darren Ivany with one of the first copies of his book, Home in Three Plays, and a snap from his signing at Chapters in St. John's!

Maggie Burton read from A Temporary Grace at the book launch for Richard Greene's Cannibal Rats (Véhicule Press, 2026) earlier this month!

KEEP CONNECTED

We know you love to find us in your inbox, but don't forget to keep up with us on social media too! Follow all our channels to make sure you don't miss out on any crucial book news. Be the first to get event and book announcements, author appearance schedules, reels and videos, and more!