Amidst dire forecasts about the effects of catastrophic climate change, the civil war and humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and the rise of authoritarianism around the world, it has not been an easy year.

Millions of refugees are displaced.

Wildfires and flash floods brought death and destruction.

Here at home, justice -- let alone fresh drinking water -- seems as remote as ever for many of Canada's indigenous people.

Two and a half years ago, on the 15th anniversary of 9/11, we convened a panel of writers to help search for hope in the enfolding warmth of literature.

We re-broadcast that conversation on our program of December 23, 2018.

Michael's guests are:

Anakana Schofield is an Irish-Canadian novelist, literary critic and essayist. Her first book won Amazon's First Novel Award. Her second, Martin John, was on the short-list for the Giller Prize last year.

Samantha Nutt is a physician who has worked in many violent zones across Asia and Africa, and is the Founder and Executive Director of War Child Canada. Dr. Nutt is currently on staff at Women's College Hospital in Toronto. In her spare time, she wrote the bestselling book, Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies and Aid.

Kamal Al-Solaylee is a journalist and professor at Ryerson University. His acclaimed memoir of growing up gay in the Middle East is called Intolerable, and his most recent book is Brown: What Being Brown in the World Today Means (To Everyone).

University of Toronto English professor Nick Mount was recently named one of the top ten post-secondary school teachers in Canada. His latest book is " Arrival: The Story of CanLit."