As we emerge from the grasp of Winter, new books are in full bloom at Breakwater! We're marching into Spring with exciting new titles just released and coming soon!

You might recognize March 8th as International Women's Day, but did you know March is also Women's History Month? It is only fitting that our March releases champion women: Yvonne Rumbolt-Jones's memoir Just Around The Corner and Leahdawn Helena's award-winning play Stolen Sisters.

Read on for more exciting updates from Breakwater Books!
 
In this issue:

New Releases & Upcoming Events (what’s out now and where to catch us!)
Breakwater Buzz (reviews, interviews, and bonus content!)
Big News (exciting updates!)
Have You Heard? (the latest on Breakwater in our community!)
Coming Soon (spring is getting closer!)
From The Vault (not-to-be-forgotten backlist features!)
Photo Album (catch up on the latest happenings!)
Keep Connected (follow us on social media!)

 

NEW RELEASES & UPCOMING EVENTS

Just Around the Corner is the story of Member of Parliament for Labrador, Yvonne Rumbolt-Jones, a woman from a northern community who broke free of her geographic and political isolation to embrace opportunity. She is the longest-serving female politician from Newfoundland and Labrador, but this is more than just a political memoir.

Available now on our website and at select local bookstores!

Stolen Sisters is an award-winning, first-of-its-kind play that gives voice to the lives and legacies of three Beothuk women and girls whose names have survived in historical record. Based on the oral and written Indigenous histories of colonization locally and worldwide, the voices of Stolen Sisters shine a light on the global experience of Indigenous women and girls and, in particular, Newfoundland’s part in that legacy.

Get your copy from your local bookstore or the Breakwater Books website!

 

SAVE THE DATE

  • April 3rd: Breakwater Books is excited to host 100 Women for 100 Years, a sold-out event in partnership with Equal Voice NL and Memorial University Press in recognition of the 100th Anniversary of Women's Right to Vote in Newfoundland and Labrador! Yvonne Jones will join a panel with Margot Duley, Kathy Dunderdale, and Sheilagh O'Leary in conversation with Newfoundland Quarterly's Joan Sullivan.
  • April 6th: Stop by the St. John's Farmer's Market from 10AM to 3PM to shop books from local booksellers, authors, and publishers, including Breakwater Books. Details here!
  • April 9th: Readings by the 2024 BMO Winterset Award finalists at The Rooms Theatre at 7PM, featuring Ashleigh Matthews and Susie Taylor!
  • April 10th and 11th: Breakwater will be hosting a booth at NLOWE's Annual Conference! In addition, Yvonne Jones and Rebecca Rose will be featured in a panel about elevating women's voices.
  • April 12th: Breakwater Books is a proud sponsor of the 2025 Elks Avalon Spelling Bee, happening at the Paul L. Pope Centre for TV and Film on Strawberry Marsh Road!
  • April 12th: Join us at the Theatre Hill Bar & Cafe to celebrate the launch of two incredible new releases: Stolen Sisters by Leahdawn Helena and Green by Paul Moorehead. Along with Breakwater authors Sharon King-Campbell and Craig Francis Power, they'll be reading and signing books from 1PM to 3PM. Enjoy an afternoon of reading, book signing, and socializing to celebrate these authors! Event details here.

 

BREAKWATER BUZZ

Want to know more about our books, our authors, and what to read next? We have new reviews, new interviews, and some bonus content from one of our most recent authors:

  • Click here to listen to an interview with False Bodies author J.R. McConvey on Jamie Tennant's Get Lit podcast all about lore, genre, and Newfoundland hospitality. 
  • Atlantic Books has released their list of local bestsellers in Newfoundland and Labrador for February, and Actor Needs Restraint! by Andy Jones is sitting at #5! Take a peek at the full list here.
  • For Freefall, Vivian Hansen praises Hides, the debut novel from Rod Moody-Corbett. Read the review here. 
  • Did you know that The Crane by Monica Kidd originally had a different title? Read Monica Kidd's piece for All Lit Up's Under the Cover series to learn all about her writing and re-writing process. And read Monica's interview with Newfoundland Quarterly here!
  • Shoutout to The Seaboard Review for THEIR shoutout of Vigil by Susie Taylor in their latest issue! 
  • Green, the debut poetry collection by Paul Moorehead, is one of 49th Shelf's most anticipated poetry books of Spring 2025! Take a look at the full list here.
  • Audience and reviewers, including Heidi Wicks for Riddle Fence, are continuing to rave about The Crane by Monica Kidd! 
  • Ray Critch's upcoming novel The Beltane Massacre is featured on 49th Shelf's list of Great Canadian Crime Fiction! Check out the list here and preorder The Beltane Massacre on our website.

 

BIG NEWS

ArtsNL announces 2024 BMO Winterset Award longlist and finalists

Earlier this month, ArtsNL announced a seven-title longlist for the 2024 BMO Winterset Award. Breakwater Books is thrilled to share that four of our published titles (A Seal of Salvage, Clayton B. Smith; otherwise grossly unremarkable, Ashleigh Matthews; The Weather Diviner, Elizabeth Murphy; and Vigil, Susie Taylor) were included on this longlist. 

Of those titles, two of our authors (Ashleigh Matthews, Susie Taylor) have advanced to the list of finalists! Readings by the finalists will take place at The Rooms Theatre on April 9, and the winners will be announced on April 10 at Government House. In celebration of the award's 25th anniversary, a one-time prize for non-fiction has been added to this year's prizes. 

Read more about the history of the award and the jury process in the ArtsNL press release.

 

HAVE YOU HEARD?

Poetry and Drama at Theatre Hill

In recognition of World Theatre Day on March 27th and National Poetry Month in April, we're excited to host an afternoon of poetry and drama at the Theatre Hill Cafe in the Majestic Theatre! On April 12th from 1PM-3PM, join Breakwater Books to celebrate the release of two of our latest titles, Green by Paul Moorehead and Stolen Sisters by Leahdawn Helena. They'll be joined by Sharon King-Campbell (Dayboil, This Is How It Is) and Craig Francis Power (Total Party Kill) for readings and a book signing, and the cafe will be open for drinks and snacks!

Come join us to celebrate these amazing authors! It's sure to be a fantastic afternoon.

World Theatre Day

On March 27th, we celebrated World Theatre Day! Newfoundland and Labrador's vibrant literary culture is bolstered, in no small part, by the long standing tradition of hilarious, thoughtful, and ground-breaking theatre created by some of our province's most talented artists. Remember to support local theatre!

To celebrate, pick up a copy of Breakwater's newest drama releases, Stolen Sisters by Leahdawn Helena and Actor Needs Restraint! by Andy Jones.

COMING SOON!

Rounding out our Winter 2025 releases are Green, the debut poetry collection from Paul Moorehead, and Openly Karl, a memoir from Newfoundland radio and TV personality Karl Wells. 

About Green: A debut collection exploring existence in a world of wonders — from nature and science to parenting and pop culture. Paul Moorehead’s poetic voice arrives fully-formed—intriguing, inquiring, and innovating.

About Openly Karl: Dive into the private and public life of Karl Wells, as told in his own words. From his birth in Buchans and early life in St. John’s, to his rise in media and a 32-year career with Here and Now at the CBC, Openly Karl is a rare opportunity to bring the face and voice you know from your television back into focus.

All titles from our Winter 2025 season are available now for pre-order! Be sure to check out our socials for upcoming events to get your copy and meet the authors!

And take a peek at our 'Coming Soon' website section for a look at what's coming up in Spring 2025 and beyond!

 

FROM THE VAULT

ARCHIVE AND BACKLIST HIGHLIGHTS

For the hockey buffs out there, we're looking into our archive at The Herder Memorial Trophy. This non-fiction book by Bill Abbott looks at the early days of amateur competition for the coveted trophy, and includes a list of winning teams and players. A fascinating slice of Newfoundland hockey history!

From our recent backlist, we're looking at Dayboil by the multi-talented Sharon King-Campbell, an actor, director, and local playwright based in NL. Dayboil, a kitchen-table comedy that quickly takes a dark turn, premiered at Ship's Theatre Company in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia in 2022, and was published by Breakwater in 2024.

From the archive: Herder Memorial Trophy

From the recent backlist: Dayboil

 

PHOTO ALBUM

During his campaign stop in St. John's, Yvonne Rumbolt-Jones signed a copy of Just Around The Corner for Canada's new Prime Minister, Mark Carney!

Contract signing alert! Recently, Bridget Canning and Maggie Burton both stopped by to sign contracts for new publications with Breakwater Books. We have some exciting things in the pipeline!