Adrick Brock’s debut novel Islanders arrives October 6
The cover of Islanders, Adrick Brock’s debut novel from Nightwood Editions.
Photo credit: Nightwood Editions
Adrick Brock’s first novel, Islanders, arrives Oct 6, 2026 from Nightwood Editions, with a story that begins on Toronto Island and later follows its characters to Whitehorse.
The novel opens with teenager Theo Frith finding artist Dan Rainier dead in the harbour ice. Nightwood’s synopsis moves among Theo, his mother Yvonne, Dan and Dan’s daughter Maxine across several points in the late 2000s, tracing the aftermath of Rainier’s death and the relationships around it.
Islanders begins on Toronto Island
The setting overlaps with Brock’s own background. His official bio says he grew up on Toronto Island before completing an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. He now lives in Vancouver.
Years after the opening events, Theo and Maxine meet again in Whitehorse. Maxine is working as an emergency-room nurse, while Theo has a job on a historical television production about the Klondike.
Brock’s first novel
Before Islanders, Brock published short fiction in The New Quarterly, EVENT, The Malahat Review, PRISM international, Riddle Fence and The Dalhousie Review. His work has also been short- and long-listed for the CBC Short Story Prize.
Islanders is published by Nightwood Editions, the Gibsons, B.C.-based literary press distributed by Harbour Publishing. The novel runs 304 pages and carries ISBN 9780889714922.
Vancouver launch on publication day
Brock’s official site lists a Vancouver launch at Book Warehouse, 4118 Main St., on publication day. The event follows earlier launch appearances in Toronto and on Toronto Island.
