MARCH ON DOWN TO BREAKWATER BOOKS...

As Spring inches closer in St. John's, we're ramping things up at Breakwater! With three back-to-back releases this month, we're busier than ever and so excited to finally have our hands on these beautiful books! With a new novel, a new collection of plays, and a sweet new children's story, our March lineup has something for everyone!

Read on to find out what we've been up to this month!

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 Winter 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

From debut author Glenna Turnbull comes THE ART OF GETTING LOST AND FOUND, a powerful novel that delves into the difficult topics of mental health and domestic violence but most importantly, highlights the strength and tenacity of women.

From award-winning playwright and actor Darren Ivany comes HOME IN THREE PLAYS. Informed by Darren's "decades of dabbling in miscreant behaviour" and his love for St. John's, Home asks questions about empathy, rehabilitation, and forgiveness. It's witty, satirical, and deeply funny.

Last but not least, from author D.D. Sheppard and illustrator Pheilm Martin comes DREW'S SECRET TALENT, a sweet story that teaches us the importance of being yourself.

Two women. One week in August. One hundred and thirty years apart.

Fiction collides with Newfoundland legend in The Art of Getting Lost and Found, as we follow two mothers in search of better lives—one trying to get lost, the other found, both on separate journeys that lead to the shores of Sally’s Cove.  

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

A collection of three plays about the underclass in St. John’s, exploring the intersections of mental health, community, addiction, and masculinity, blended with absurd humour and raw, heartfelt storytelling.

Each story is a brash, bawdy, and bittersweet journey through city streets, as unlikely heroes hunt for a place to call home. As they prowl the margins of society, they shine with humanity, even in their darkest, most unforgiving moments. 

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

Talent can be discovered in the most unexpected of places!

With a little inspiration and a magical cape, Drew learns to embrace his creativity with confidence and pride.

Available on March 31st on our website and at our Duckworth Street store!

SAVE THE DATE

April 8th, 7:00-10:00PM: The finalists of the BMO Winterset Award will read from their works, including Breakwater authors Angle Antle and Debbie McGee! After the readings, authors will participate in a Q&A moderated by former CBC host, Ramona Dearing. A reception will follow! The event is free, but tickets must be reserved here.
April 11th, 1:00-3:00PM: Attention BC Friends! Glenna Turnbull will be signing copies of The Art of Getting Lost and Found at her neighbourhood independent bookstore, Mosiac Books in Kelowna, BC!
April 16th-17th: Breakwater Books will once again be exhibiting at and attending NLOWE's Annual Conference. We're excited to be back in the room with powerful and inspiring women entrepreneurs. And, we'll be bringing along some authors! Stay tuned to find out who!
April 18th, 11:00AM-4:00PM: Another one for our BC followers! Glenna will also be signing at Indigo Kelowna. Drop in to meet her and say hi!
April 18th: Our friends at Johnny Ruth will be holding a pop-up market at their Water Street location for local vendors - keep an eye out for some Breakwater-related announcements!
April 25th: Mark your calendars for Canadian Independent Bookstore Day! We have some exciting partnerships planned to celebrate the local, independent booksellers in our area. Stay tuned for details and save the date!
May 1st, 7:00PM: Save the date for our 2026 Spring Launch! We'll be celebrating several of our first authors from 2026 during a fabulous evening at The Rooms. Join Diedre J. Halbot, Glenna Turnbull, Delores V. Mullings, and Maggie Burton to celebrate their new releases!

BIG NEWS

Breakwater Books makes the BMO Winterset Longlist and Shortlist!

The 2025 BMO Winterset Award has released its list of finalists! Among the six longlist titles, four were Breakwater books. Openly Karl (Karl Wells) and Stolen Sisters (Leahdawn Helena) were included on the prestigious longlist, while The Saltbox Olive (Angela Antle) and Cautiously Pessimistic (Debbie McGee) advanced to the three-title finalist list! 

A reading from each of the finalists will be held on April 8th, with the winner announced on April 9th. Congrats to all authors and publishers involved!

Read the full press release from ArtsNL here: RELEASE: Finalists announced for 2025 BMO Winterset Award - ArtsNL | Newfoundland & Labrador Arts Council

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:

- All Lit Up featured an excerpt from Little Spoons by Diedre Halbot. Check it out on their website now for a sneak peek!
- "Moving between the lives of both Maggie and Sally allowed for a connection between generations," writes Vivica Addo for The Gateway in their review of The Art of Getting Lost and Found. Read the full review for yourself here! And if you'd like more reasons to check out the book, take a look at the write-up done by the BC Review!
- Ahead of the release of her newest instalment in the series, Canadian Cookbooks has reviewed Some Good: Sweet Treats by Jessica O'Leary! Be sure to follow Canadian Cookbooks for their insights, reviews, and giveaways!
- Two Breakwater books have been featured in CBC Books' Spring Preview! Little Spoons, which released in February, and A Temporary Grace from Maggie Burton, coming this May!
- An interesting look into the background, upbringing, and dual perspectives that influenced Diedre Halbot's identity as a writer: read Lynette Adams's CBC feature on the Little Spoons author for some fascinating insights!
- Author of The Art of Getting Lost and Found, Glenna Turnbull, created a Recommended Reading list for 49th Shelf that highlights some of the great Canadian books that have moved and inspired her. Check out her list here!

HAVE YOU HEARD?

Random Passage Site Celebrates Twenty-five Years!

On the twenty-fifth anniversary of Random Passage, the mini-series based on the hugely popular book by Bernice Morgan of the same title, members of the Cape Random Trust were joined by politicians and key members of our arts community for a special announcement. In celebrating this important anniversary, Cape Random Trust unveiled their renewed vision; a new website, brand update, and expanded programming to connect visitors to the story, history, and site of Random Passage. 

MP Joanne Thompson shared that the government of Newfoundland and Labrador would be investing $230,143 into the Random Passage site renewal project. Visit the Random Passage Facebook page to see the livestreamed video of the full announcement event. And remember to visit the Random Passage site on your travels across the island this summer!

Photo: Joanne Thompson

Standing with Nova Scotia Publishers

Breakwater Books stands in solidarity with the Nova Scotian presses, authors, artists, and publishing industry affected by their government's cancellation of the Publishers Assistance Program. 

From the Association of Canadian Publishers: 

Association of Canadian Publishers and the Literary Press Group of Canada are deeply disappointed by the Government of Nova Scotia’s decision to eliminate provincial funding for independent publishers through the cancellation of the Publishers Assistance program. With this devastating cut, support for local publishers has been reduced from $700,000 annually to zero, making Nova Scotia the only province in Canada that does not invest in its own book publishers.
We urge the Nova Scotia Government to reverse the elimination of support to book publishers and restore the Publishing Assistance Fund of $700,000 to recognize, along with every other province, that sustained investment in local publishing is an investment in economic resilience and cultural vitality.

Read the full press release here.

COMING SOON!

Our Winter season is well underway, and we're looking forward to two exciting releases in April and May!

Black Girl in the Ring will be our final Winter 2026 title! A poetry collection from Dr. Delores V. Mullings, Black Girl in the Ring marks an important and timely conversation on intersectional feminism, anti-racism, and empowerment. Pre-order your copy today!

Following a phenomenal debut, Maggie Burton is back with a collection of short stories entitled A Temporary Grace. Her previous work, Chores, won the Griffin Poetry Prize for Canadian First Book in 2024. A Temporary Grace explores connection and relationships in unexpected places. Stay tuned for announcements and pre-orders!

... And don't forget to check out our website to see what else might be coming up this season!

FEATURED TITLES

International Women's Day

March 8 was International Women's Day! As a proudly woman-owned business, Breakwater is always eager to uplift our many amazing female authors. Here are just a few titles we're highlighting this month!

Past and present collide in three of our new fiction titles: The Art of Getting Lost and Found, The Saltbox Olive, and Little Spoons. All examining how women's pasts and presents interact and inform one another!

Just Around the Corner is a powerful memoir from a record-breaking woman in politics, Yvonne Rumbolt-Jones! 

And for the fans of women's history, two historical fiction titles, A Sudden Sun and Random Passage are considered fundamentals in the study of women in Newfoundland! 

World Theatre Day

March 27 marks World Theatre Day! Breakwater has published works by some of Newfoundland and Labrador's best and brightest stars of the stage. Here's some we recommend checking out this month!

Home, newly released from Darren Ivany, paints a picture of a dark and hilarious urban St. John's underbelly. It is the spiritual successor to the original townie-comedies, those of Canadian icon Andy Jones, who has collected three of his most notable works in Actor Needs Restraint! 

Recently longlisted for the BMO Winterset Award, Stolen Sisters by Leahdawn Helena tells the lost stories of Indigenous women that have been left behind in the historical record. And a different perspective on women's untold stories, Dayboil by Sharon King-Campbell explores gender roles in a kitchen-table comedy that takes a dark turn. 

And finally, The Dialysis Project by Leah Lewis challenges concepts of health, recovery, illness, and resilience. Pick up this one or any of our other drama titles online or at our storefront!

PHOTO ALBUM

We've been busy! Check out some more of our favourite snaps from the month below!

What's better than a contract signing? A double contract signing! Pals Tina Chaulk and Trudy Morgan-Cole stopped by the Breakwater offices to sign contracts for their upcoming Fall 2026 books. Stay tuned for more info...

Check out some snaps from Yvonne Rumbolt-Jones's launch party for Just Around the Corner in Ottawa last month! A very fine looking crowd!

Delores Mullings stopped by to see her new poetry collection, Black Girl in the Ring, for the first time!

D.D. Sheppard stopped by to see advanced copies of Drew's Secret Talent before they hit shelves at the end of March!

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!