#41: The 10-Year Journey to Never Been Better by Leanne Toshiko Simpson

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with Leanne Toshiko Simpson to talk about her novel Never Been Better and the deeply personal journey behind it. From living with bipolar disorder to navigating creativity, teaching, and storytelling, Leanne shares what it really looks like to build a life and career while managing mental health.

CHAPTERS: 

0:00 - Introduction

2:15 - Teaching Creative Writing at U of T

6:00 - What Leanne Does Day to Day

10:25 - Being Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder

11:55 - What Do Books Get Wrong About Mental Health?

17:22 - Favourite Mental Health Romances

21:25 - Never Been Better

32:10 - Writing The Ending of Never Been Better

34:55 - CBC Canada Reads

36:55 - What’s Next

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Leanne Toshiko Simpson:

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Find her book at Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/never-been-better-leanne-toshiko-simpson/1143604639

Pebbles and Company: https://www.pebblescompany.com/

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Created by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston 

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