The author and playwright Mark Leiren-Young discusses his new book Octopus Ocean: Geniuses of the Deep (Orca Books, 2025), with Joseph Planta.

Octopus Ocean: Geniuses of the Deep by Mark Leiren-Young (Orca Books, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Octopus Ocean

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

Mark Leiren-Young joins me again. He’s just published a new book Octopus Ocean: Geniuses of the Deep. Mark has taken a deep dive into the world of octopuses. And what a book has come as a result. In it, the reader learns about how magnificent these animals are, known for their brilliant minds and unique personalities. You’ll learn about how they prefer to be alone, how they can manipulate others including other species. They’re able to distract as well as collapse their bodies to fit in small spaces or better yet, escape. They’re intelligent beings and just fascinating to behold. They’re also creatures who seem to always make news, as research reveals something new all the time. I’ll ask Mark about what it’s like to see them up close. We’ll talk about writing for younger readers, as well as hockey. It’s such an enjoyable book. You’ll learn lots and there’s enough here to make you an expert at octopuses. Mark Leiren-Young is an award-winning author, screenwriter, playwright, and filmmaker. He has written television shows for young viewers, and wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning documentary The Hundred-Year-Old Whale. He is the host of the Skaana podcast. Visit www.leiren-young.com for more. This new book is published by Orca Books. We spoke a week and a half ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Mark Leiren-Young; Mr. Leiren-Young, good morning.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (33.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS