On February 18, 2026, we hosted the Giller Book Club with Emma Knight and Sarah MacLachlan. Emma is the author of THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE COMMON OCTOPUS, a finalist for the 2025 Giller Prize. Sarah is the Former President and Publisher at House of Anansi Press.

About THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE COMMON OCTOPUS, published by Viking Canada:
Arriving at the University of Edinburgh for her first term, Pen knows her divorced parents back in Canada are hiding something from her. She believes she’ll find the answer here in Scotland, where an old friend of her father’s—now a famous writer known as Lord Lennox—lives. When she is invited to spend the weekend at Lord Lennox’s centuries-old estate with his enveloping, intriguing family, Pen begins to unravel her parents’ secret and to fall in love for the first time…

Her best friend, Alice, an aspiring actor, is starring in a university production and making the most of the feminine power she wields—until a tryst with her tutor threatens to spin out of control.

As Pen experiences the sharp shock of adulthood, she uncovers the truth about her own family and comes to rely on herself for the first time in her life. A rich and rewarding novel of campus life, of sexual awakening, and ultimately, of the many ways women can become mothers in this world, The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus asks to what extent we need to look back in order to move forward.

Please visit gillerprize.ca/giller-book-club to learn about upcoming book clubs.