2024 Title is:
Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
In this debut novel, a morbidly anxious young woman stumbles into a job as a receptionist at a Catholic church and soon finds herself obsessed with her predecessor’s mysterious death. A delightful blend of warmth, deadpan humour, and pitch-perfect observations about the human condition, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a crackling exploration of what it takes to stay afloat in a world where your expiration — and the expiration of those you love — is the only certainty. This novel was long listed for The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, shortlisted for the Amazon First Novel Award, and a finalist for the Ottawa Book Awards.
About the Author:
Emily was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. She studied English Literature and Religious Studies at King's University College, and Library and Information Science at Western University. She received two writing grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, and has a background in libraries, teaching, and working as an information architect. She currently resides in Ottawa / the territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
More ways to get involved!
Stay tuned for information about all the exciting programs we'll have lined up this fall to celebrate our 2024 selection including book clubs, Paint Nights, Workshops, and more! This all leads to our Oxford Reads Gala, where we sit down with the author at the Market Centre Theatre for an in-depth conversation about this year's book.
For Oxford County Library programs, you can find all the details on the program calendar here.
For Woodstock Public Library, you can find all the details on the program calendar here.
If you liked Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead...
About last year's title
The Maid by Nita Prose
Synopsis - Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life's complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection. But Molly's orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed.
About the author - Nita Prose is a writer and longtime editor, she is currently the vice president and editorial director at Simon & Schuster in Toronto. Winner of both the Ned Kelly Award for International Crime Fiction and a Goodreads Choice Award, and shortlisted for an Edgar Award for Best Novel. Nita lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is moderately clean
Previous Oxford Reads Selections
2023 - The Maid by Nita Prose
2022 - Driven by Marcello di Cintio
2021 - Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
2020 - Crow by Amy Spurway
2019 - Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
2018 - The Purchase by Linda Spalding