Corey Hart, the multi-platinum recording artist known for hits such as “Sunglasses at Night,” is stepping into the literary world after four decades in the music spotlight with his highly anticipated debut novel, The Eternal Return. Published by RE, the novel will be released on November 20, 2026, and will be available through Amazon and Indigo.
Hart takes readers behind the scenes of the New York art world, pulling back the curtain on a temperamental and judgmental environment that has the power to crush an artist’s spirit.
The Eternal Return follows Peter Kafka, a Manhattan gallery curator who has spent years championing other people’s work while quietly hiding his own ambition to paint. The story raises a question that extends beyond any single art form and speaks to every artist who has ever created something and watched it meet the world: Are you prepared for the answer? No one is.
Hart explores the emotional cost of making art, exposing it to judgment and discovering that the world may not see what the artist sees.
In The Eternal Return, Peter spends a decade gathering the courage to unveil 20 paintings that embody something deeply personal. The works were created in the years following the death of his mother, who shaped his inner world and artistic spirit.
Peter believes the world will recognize the significance of his work. Instead, the moment he expects to define his future begins to unravel it.
Over three days in Manhattan, he is drawn into rejection, obsession, unexpected encounters and unresolved issues from his past. The novel explores the raw vulnerability of an artist whose passion has been exposed to the world and what remains in the aftermath.
For Hart, writing his first novel presented an entirely new creative challenge.
After decades working within the concise format of songwriting, the musician, who has sold more than 16 million records worldwide, faced the demands of a more expansive and solitary form of storytelling.
Hart’s musical achievements include nine consecutive U.S. Billboard Top 40 hits, 32 Top 40 singles in Canada, a Grammy nomination, multiple Juno Awards and induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Writing fiction pushed Hart beyond the familiar world of music and allowed him to explore a deeper question: How much of ourselves do we invest in the things we believe matter, and what happens when recognition doesn’t come?
“Writing a novel is a long and winding road, and you are the only one walking it. I love the sheer loneliness of it all,” Hart said.
The Eternal Return is described as a darkly funny, philosophical and emotionally searching novel about passion,
pain, purpose, possibility and the struggle to live honestly when life refuses to unfold according to plan.
The title draws inspiration from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of eternal recurrence. Struggle, repetition and disappointment are not simply obstacles to overcome but the raw material from which meaning is made.
Hart weaves these themes throughout The Eternal Return, following the life-changing journey of a Manhattan art curator who thought he was ready to face the world.
“The world of painting gave me an intimate setting that mirrored much of what I had experienced in the music business, yet carried its own weight, its own jurisdiction. Writing this book was the most challenging creative experience of my life.” — Corey Hart
About RE
RE is a Toronto-based independent publishing house founded by bestselling author Rebecca Eckler.
With a mission to champion the idea that “what’s good is read and what’s read is good,” the company brings captivating stories from the initial idea to the bestseller list.
Dedicated to supporting bold, fresh and engaging Canadian voices, RE publishes a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction titles.
For more information, visit rebooks.ca.
Pre-Order The Eternal Return
The Eternal Return will be available November 20, 2026, through Amazon and Indigo.
