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The acclaimed and bestselling novelist Anita Rau Badami discusses her latest Asha in Her Garden (Knopf Canada, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Asha in Her Garden

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Anita Rau Badami joins me now. The acclaimed author recently published her latest novel Asha In Her Garden. The book opens with its central character Asha, arranging to have a maple tree in her back yard removed. It’s reached the end of its life, coinciding with Asha having just turned seventy. Around the tree is also where twenty years ago, she was knocked unconscious by an unsavoury friend of her son. The book illustrates Asha’s life at various points, like the present, twenty years ago, and years prior, like her childhood in India, and then coming to Canada with her husband. At this point in her life, she reexamines herself, the people in her life, whether it’s friends or enemies, or her two children. The book has been lauded as a triumphant return for Anita Rau Badami, who in the fifteen years since her previous book, Tell it To the Trees, has been exploring her creativity as a visual artist. I’ll ask Anita about that and more, including the themes in the book that emerge, family relations, the evolving idea of friendships, and growing older. Anita Rau Badami’s other books Tamarind Men, The Hero’s Walk, and Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? were bestsellers and critically acclaimed. This new book is published by Knopf Canada. We spoke in early August, with Anita joining me from Toronto. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Anita Rau Badami; Ms. Badami, good morning.  

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The filmmaker Joella Cabalu discusses her new documentary First Comes Love: Nakabingwit, which debuts at the Vancouver International Film Festival, with Joseph Planta.

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Joella Cabalu joins me again. The filmmaker has a new movie out having its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival, First Comes Love: Nakabingwit. It’s described as a hybrid documentary that follows women in the Filipino diaspora as they confront love and race within and without their romantic relationships. Joella, who wrote and directed the film, poses questions to these couples, whether its political, the challenge of raising mixed race children, or how to contend with white privilege and racist encounters. The conversations captured in the film are intimate, emotional, heartfelt, thoughtful, and edifying. The film is framed with a sort of meet cute reenactment of Joella and her partner, the role of Joella is played by Gabrielle Jacinto. In those parts it looks like a rom-com that evolves into the discussions Joella and her partner Luka have during the pandemic, when incidences of hate confound our wider world. The film reminds us of the subjects we’d like to break out in the open and discuss, but have heretofore haven’t. And if there’s progress, or even evolution, it’s ever so slightly. I’ll ask Ms. Cabalu about the film she intended to make and the conversations large and intimate that it will provoke. Joella Cabalu first appeared on the program in 2016 when her debut documentary It Runs in the Family screened at the Queer Film Festival. She’ssince appeared to talk about her documentary Koto: The Last Service, which debuted at DOXA, and a short Ode to a Seafaring People that aired on Knowledge Network. Her own website is at www.joellacabalu.com. The film screens at least three times at the Vancouver International Film Festival. There are screenings the evening of Saturday, 03 October 2026 at SFU Woodwards, and the afternoons of October 7th and 10th. Visit www.viff.org for tickets and information. It’s at any one of these screenings where you’ll find out what the word ‘nakabingwit’ means. In the spirit of full candour, the film’s Director of Photography is my cousin Peter Planta. The film is a National Film Board of Canada production. I spoke to Joella, who joined me from here in Vancouver last week. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Joella Cabalu; Ms. Cabalu, good morning.

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The broadcaster and bestselling author Mike McCardell discusses his new book Girl on the Roof: Memories of a Remarkable Life (Harbour Publishing, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Girl on the Roof

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Mike McCardell joins me again. He’s just published a wonderful book, Girl on the Roof: Memories of a Remarkable Life. Mike’s had a remarkable life himself, a career in journalism and television that has endeared him to thousands and thousands of viewers first on BCTV and Global, and then on CTV. This new book though is about his fifty-eight-year marriage to his late wife, Valerie. He writes of his wife’s tough upbringing in Jamaica, to their early days together in New York City in the 1960s; she was 19, he was 18. The challenges of an inter-racial marriage then, as well as in the south of the United States are painful for both Valerie and Mike, and soon they head north to Vancouver. Their warm, loving marriage is illustrated in the book. She’s a real character, whose independence bewitches both Mike and the reader. Whether it’s making her way onto the roof into her eighties, because he can no longer (he’s fallen a couple of times), or gardening at all hours of the night, or confronting prejudice, Valerie is unforgettable. And her death shatters Mike, but because of her indomitable example over the years, Mike’s picking up the pieces, warmed by Valerie’s memory and the light and laughter of their madcap adventures. As an educator, we see examples of her devotion to teaching young people in the book. This is a memoir that provides insights into love and loss throughout. Mike spent more than six decades on the air in this market. He was also a print journalist for several years at the New York Daily News and then the Vancouver Sun. He’s written thirteen previous books, bestsellers and loved by readers and viewers alike, including Unlikely Love Stories, None of This Was Planned, Shoelaces Are Hard, Haunting Vancouver, Haunting British Columbia, Chasing the Story God, and Cardboard Ocean, among others. This new one, his fourteenth is from Harbour Publishing. He joined me from his home in North Vancouver last week. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Mike McCardell; Mr. McCardell, good morning.

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The songwriter, musician and film composer David Baerwald discusses his debut novel The Fire Agent (Spiegel & Grau, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Fire Agent

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

David Baerwald joins me now. His debut novel, The Fire Agent is to be published in June, and it’s a terrific work of fiction. He weaves twentieth-century history, with the story of Ernst Baerwald, a character based on his grandfather. At the dawn of the twentieth-century Ernst is a fearless idealist, gifted linguist, and talented musician. As we get into his story a bit more, he works for what’s to become the German chemical company IG Farben. He gets into undercover work as a spy, which takes us into the Second World War, and the dawn of the Gold War. The rise of fascism in Japan and Germany is chronicled too in this novel that’s riveting and that also has a romanticism to it. I’llask David about how he came to find out more about his grandfather, and how he reveals some of him through this work of fiction. I’ll ask him about how he views the history of the twentieth-century after having written this novel, and pondering America’s place in the world, then as now, as well as the patterns of history. David Baerwald is a songwriter, musician, performer, and film composer. He spent a formative part of his childhood in Tokyo and Los Angeles. He lives in the Hudson Valley, but joined me from Toronto last week. This new book is published by Spiegel & Grau. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, David Baerwald; Mr. Baerwald, good morning. 

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The poet and educator Renée Sarojini Saklikar discusses her new book Bramah’s Discovery, Book 3 (Nightwood Editions, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Bramah’s Discovery

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Renée Sarojini Saklikar joins me again. She’s just published the third installment of her epic fantasy saga in verse, The Heart of This Journey Bears All Patterns (THOT J BAP), Bramah’s Discovery: Book 3. It’s the year 2110, and Brahma’s journey to discover her origins continue. As the world around her faces ecological and economic calamity, the story moves with time travel. Her friend Amahl the Beggar is trapped in the Eternal Game of Climate Chess. We see the story move to Baghdad and Paris. We see the devastation of climate change, and through the book is a meditation on good and evil, and the choices that even our heroes have to make. Renée Sarojini Saklikar is the author off five books including the award-winning children of air india, and Listening to the Bees. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in literary magazines and anthologies, including Exile Editions, Chatelaine, The Capilano Review, and Pulp Literature. She was Poet Laureate for the City of Surrey (2015-2018), and cofounded Lunch Poems at SFU. She teaches Creative Writing at Douglas College. Visit her website at www.thecanadaproject.wordpress.com. This new book is published by Nightwood Editions. We spoke last Sunday morning, with Renée joining me from here in Vancouver. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Renée Saklikar; Ms. Saklikar, good morning. 

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The writer, poet and novelist Alex Boyd discusses his new collection, Take This for the Pain: Essays on Writing and Life (Palimpsest Press, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Take This for the Pain

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Alex Boyd joins me again. The writer and novelist is out with a new book in June 2026, Take This for the Pain: Essays on Writing and Life. It’s a great collection of work by Mr. Boyd that features essays written over the last quarter century that have appeared in sundry publications, including reviews of books. The growth of the writer is gleaned through the book, as we read of Alex contending with what happens when we die, or how he’s approached being a parent. His early days a bookseller provide marvelous insight into how he views what others read, that also provides us with an idea of the sort of books that mean a great deal to him. The essays in the collection also reflect his love of writing, and naturally how reading is an essential part of that. Alex Boyd has written for publications like the Globe and Mail and Taddle Creek magazine. He helped launch Best Canadian Essays, co-editing the first two collections. His poetry collections include Making Bones Walk, and The Least Important Man. He appeared on the program in 2018 when his debut novel Army of the Brave and Accidental was published. Visit www.boydwords.wordpress.com for more. This new collection is published by Palimpsest Press. We spoke nearly three weeks ago with Alex joining me from Toronto. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Alex Boyd; Mr. Boyd, good morning.

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The poet and educator Derek Beaulieu, Director of Literary Arts at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity, discusses his new book Do It Wrong: How to Be A Poet in the Twenty-First Century (Assembly Press, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Do It Wrong

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

One of the more fun, but also informative, instructive, even inspirational books of the season is Do It Wrong: How to be a Poet in the Twenty-First Century. Its author Derek Beaulieu joins me now to talk about the life of a poet, a writer, and an academic. You learn about the business of writing and publishing poetry, and if you make it past the harsh economics of it all, the book is replete with advice for the writer to keep on writing, to write as though nobody will read your stuff, to, as the title suggests, do it wrong. And as such, creativity and connection will follow. It’s also a guide as to how to be a better reader. It’s aspirational in that sense, but it also makes you want to be a better supporter of the authors and books that you like, but also those that deserve to be talked about in our cultural zeitgeist. As an educator, Derek is the sort of teacher or mentor you’d have wanted for yourself. He’s honest about the realities of the writing life, but also supportive of writers and tireless in building communities of writers wherever he goes. Derek Beaulieu is the author or editor of over twenty-six collections of poetry, prose, and criticism, including Silence: Lectures and Writings, and Surface Tension. He is the Director of Literary Arts at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Visit www.derekbeaulieu.ca for more. This new book is published by Assembly Press. We spoke earlier this week, with Derek joining me from Banff, Alberta. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Derek Beaulieu; Mr. Beaulieu, good morning. 

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The writer and journalist Ron Base discusses his latest novel Midnight at the Savoy: A Priscilla Tempest Mystery, Book 5 (Douglas & McIntyre, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Midnight at the Savoy

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Ron Base joins me again. He’s got a new book out, Midnight at the Savoy: A Priscilla Tempest Mystery, Book 5. It follows the fun and fascinating Priscilla Tempest and her swinging life in 1960s London. England that is. Her day job is running the press office at the famed Savoy Hotel. This puts her in contact with all sorts of celebrities and powerful people. This book features the infamously difficult Rex Harrison, and the legendary Marlene Dietrich, who was as seductive with Priscilla as we read in the book. We meet Priscilla’s sister Pheobe, who comes from Toronto for a visit, and more. There’s a murder at the beginning of the book, and Priscilla goes to the top of the suspect list. And as Priscilla goes about clearing her name, she enlists the help of Agatha Christie, who happens to be staying at the hotel. Ron started this series with the late Prudence Emery, who herself worked at the Savoy, and later became a unit publicist for various film and television productions. She inspired the character of Priscilla Tempest, and as Ron says, she was very much on his mind as he wrote this new book. Like the gal herself, the books are fun and fascinating, and they’re solid mysteries that come alive with these appearances of notable names. And that Priscilla is Canadian provides a unique insight in how the British are viewed, and how they view those who are American and Canadian. Ron Base is a former newspaper and magazine journalist and movie critic. His works include twenty novels, two novellas, and four nonfiction books. He’s written screenplays and worked with legendary filmmakers such as John Boorman and Roland Joffe. He divides his time between Milton, Ontario, where I reached him last Sunday, and Fort Myers, Florida. Visit www.ronbasebooks.com for more. This new book is published by Douglas & McIntyre. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Rob Base; Mr. Base, good morning.

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The writer Yasuko Thanh discusses the new book written by Hassan Kanafani Pizza Before We Die: An Eyewitness Account in Gaza (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2026), which she edited, with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Pizza Before We Die

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Hassan Kanafani is a pseudonym of a young man in Gaza who posted to Reddit eye-witness accounts of what was happening around him. He described his life as a displaced citizen, and expressed frustrations about what he was experiencing and seeing. Soon, an effort was afoot, with people in various cities and countries to get all of this writing published. Yasuko Thanh, who joins me now, was attending a rally for Palestine in Victoria, when she was told of this effort to publish a book of Kanafani’s writing so that there could be some money for him and his family. That book, published earlier this month is Pizza Before We Die: An Eyewitness Account in Gaza. I’ll ask Yasuko, who spoke to me two weeks ago from Victoria, about what the writing represents, and its importance in getting a sense of what’s really happening on the ground. I’ll get Yasuko to tell us about the editing process, and how they arrived at the book’s title. I’ll also ask her about how she built trust between her and Hassan, and how they’ve regarded one another through the editing and publishing of this book. Yasuko Thanh is a writer and creative writing instructor at the University of Victoria. Her first novel, Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains won the 2016 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Her bestselling memoir Mistakes to Run With was a finalist for the Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. Her most recent novel is To the Bridge, and her forthcoming novel The Falling Maria will be out in 2027. Pizza Before We Die is published by Arsenal Pulp Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Yasuko Thanh; Ms. Thanh, good morning.

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The writer, poet, critic, and public historian Adrian De Leon discusses his new memoir Notes from a Wayward Son (Bond Street Books, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Notes from a Wayward Son

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

When Adrian De Leon was last on the program back in February, I made mention of having just learned that he had a memoir coming out later in the spring. I said then, as a fan of his work, I was looking forward to it. I got a copy soon after, and found myself not just moved and affected by the work Notes from a Wayward Son, but I found it relatable, and not just by being the son of Filipino parents living in Canada, but having to navigate the uneasy shores of a relationship between a father and a son. Beyond relatability though, the book provides marvelous insight into the immigrant experience in Canada, the challenges of finding community in a new city, Scarborough, let alone new country, and the formative years of a son who is challenging his parents with the sort of independent thought that they instilled in him. In Adrian’s youth, his father starts a school teaching a form of martial arts. Adrian learns from his father, and soon is a teacher himself. The book also discusses the discipline, the beatings he got from his father. It’s not at all pleasant at times, but it reveals the characters that he writes about, his father and him especially, not as one-dimensional villains or anti-heroes, but as people who grow a great deal. I spoke to Adrian last week, about this rich, revelatory book. He’s candid in the book, and with me, as I wanted to learn more about him, his parents, and this story. Their lives intersect with history, migration, Philippine politics and culture, language, and religion. The book is leavened with music and artistic pursuit, like poetry. Adrian De Leon is an award-winning writer, poet, critic, and public historian. He is a professor of American and Philippine histories at New York University. His previous books include barangay: an offshore poem, Bundok: A Hinterland History of Filipino America, and Balikbayan: A History of the Filipino Homeland, which he was first on the program with in February. Visit www.adriandeleon.ca for more. This new book is published by Bond Street Books. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Lineprogram, Adrian De Leon; Professor De Leon, good morning. 

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