Book of Heroes: Stories

A bold literary debut from one of Canada’s most versatile creative voices.

In Book of Heroes, composer, filmmaker, and writer Daniel Janke turns his artistic lens to fiction in a witty and deeply reflective debut collection where ordinary lives become the stage for extraordinary acts of grace and resilience.

These are stories of travellers and observers. From the serene and starkly beautiful Yukon to a perilous swim on the beach in The Gambia, and the sharp musings of a homeless philosopher beneath a city bridge, Book of Heroes charts a world where the everyday clashes with the utterly surreal. Its characters, caught between the mundane and the fantastic, are called to act, sometimes bravely, sometimes absurdly, but always with heart.

Through sharp wit and deep compassion, Janke uncovers the complicated truths hiding beneath the surface of ordinary life, crafting stories imbued with humour, tenderness, and insight.

DANIEL JANKE is a writer, composer, and filmmaker based near Whitehorse, Yukon. Creator of the CBC series Northern Town and the award-winning NFB film How People Got Fire, he has collaborated with leading Canadian musicians. Book of Heroes is his debut fiction collection, following decades of multi-disciplinary creative work.