Book of short stories wins Trillium
The debut short-story collection of Toronto author Tea Mutonji has won the Trillium Book Award.
Mutonji’s “Shut Up You’re Pretty,” whose stories focus on a young woman whose family emigrated from Congo to Scarborough, was previously nominated for the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Hers was the first book published by Vivek Shraya’s VS. Books imprint with Arsenal Pulp Press, which focuses on emerging Black, Indigenous and writers of colour. Mutonji herself was born in Congo-Kinshasa and now lives in Scarborough. She told the Toronto Star ahead of the awards that winning would feel “like being given a partial seat at the table.” Among the winners announced during a virtual event on Tuesday night were Paul Ruban, whose “Crevaison en corbillard” took the Frenchlanguage Trillium Book Award; English-language poetry winner Roxanna Bennett for “unmeaningable” and French poetry winner Véronique Sylvain for “Premier quart.” Each book winner receives $20,000 and each poetry winner $10,000. The English winners are scheduled to take part in a Facebook Live conversation Monday at noon. Debra Yeo
Networks put out fall TV schedules
ABC and NBC announced their fall schedules on Wednesday, but it’s anybody guess when the shows will actually debut. ABC Entertainment president Ka
rey Burke said she was hoping for late September or early October, but the network has backups available. NBC Entertainment chairman Paul Telegdy is predicting late fall.
ABC announced three new series: “Big Sky,” a thriller from “Big Little Lies” writer-producer David E. Kelley; the Kyra Sedgwick comedy “Call Your Mother” and game show revival “Supermarket Sweep” with host Leslie Jones. They’ll join 20 returning series including “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “American Idol” and “The Bachelor.” Getting the chop were “The Beauty and the Baker,” “Bless This Mess,” “Schooled,” “Single Parents,” “Emergence” and “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” NBC announced just one new show: “Law & Order: Organized Crime,” the latest Dick Wolf “L&O” spinoff, featuring former “SVU” character Elliot Stabler, played by Christopher Meloni. Returning series include “This Is Us,” “The Voice,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” Cancelled shows include “Bluff City Law,” “The InBetween,”
“Indebted,” “Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector,” “Perfect Harmony,” “Sunnysid e,” “Will & Grace” and “Blindspot.” Star wire services
‘Bold and Beautiful’ resumes shooting
“The Bold and the Beautiful” resumed production Wednesday, becoming the first network scripted show to start shooting again after the long layoff brought on by the coronavirus. Strict COVID-19 protocols were in place as shooting resumed at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, including an independent COVID-19 co-ordinator on set, regular testing of everyone involved in production, a staggered and minimized crew, and masks and social distancing for all except actors when the cameras are rolling. The show has not yet announced when the first new episode will air. The Associated Press
Junos to stream award presentation
Several months after Juno Awards organizers pulled the plug on live festivities, they’ve announced trophies will be handed out online in all 42 categories June 29 at 7 p.m. It’s a significant change from the usual proceedings, which are stretched over two nights and culminate in a broadcast event stacked with live performances and winners in the top categories. The virtual presentation will include some of that entertainment, but on a much smaller scale. A few nominees will perform, including Indigenous singer Iskwe, alt-pop duo Neon Dreams and bluegrass band the Dead South. Among the presenters are Toronto Raptors’ Chris Boucher.
The winners’ moments of glory will be reduced to speeches posted on the Junos social media channels after the event. The Canadian Press