About the Series

"I thought it would be interesting to ask writers who mostly write fiction to come up with stories drawn straight from reality. Let's see how their personal tales compare to their imaginary worlds."

Series creator Heather O’Neill asked some of our country’s best writers for their own personal stories. Over the course of the next 10 weeks, we will be posting the stories as they air on The Sunday Edition.

We will also hear from Heather and some of these writers in our Exposed blog, where they will share with us additional tibdits from their past, thoughts about their stories, and more personal tales.

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Featured Writers

David Bezmozgis David Bezmozgis is the award-winning author of Natasha and Other Stories. His first novel, The Free World, is coming out this April.

Joseph Boyden Joseph Boyden is the author of the novels Three Day Road and Through Black Spruce, winner of the Giller Prize. His latest book is a biography of Gabriel Dumont and Louis Riel, one of Penguin’s Extraordinary Canadians series. Photo credit: Bryan McBurney Photography

Lynn Coady Lynn Coady is the award-winning author of the novels Strange Heaven, Saints of Big Harbour and Mean Boy as well as the short story collection Play the Monster Blind.

Adam Gollner Adam Gollner is the author of The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Obsession, Commerce and Adventure. He is currently working on a book about the quest for immortality. Photo credit: Jason Sanchez

Sheila Heti Sheila Heti is the author of The Middle Stories, and the novel Ticknor. The title of her most recent book is How Should a Person Be?

Elizabeth Kelly Elizabeth Kelly is the author of the novel Apologize Apologize. Photo credit: Flannery Dean

Pasha Malla Pasha Malla is the author of All Our Grandfathers are Ghosts, a collection of poems, and the book of stories, The Withdrawal Method. His first novel, People Park, is coming out soon.

Heather O'Neill Heather O'Neill is the award-winning author of Lullabies for Little Criminals, the winner of Canada Reads 2007, among other prizes.

Nino Ricci Nino Ricci is the author of the novels Lives of the Saints, In a Glass House, Where Has She Gone and The Origin of Species. He has won the Governor General's Literary Award two times.

Miguel Syjuco Miguel Syjuco is the author of Ilustrado, the debut novel which won the 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize as well as the Palanca Award, the Philippines' highest literary honour. Photo credit: Marcos Townsend

Stranger than Fiction is produced by Sarah Gilbert; sound design by Cristal Duhaime with music and effects from freesound.org. Original series idea by Heather O'Neill.