Tag Archives: Canada Reads

Watch Canada Reads 2026 Debates at VPL

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The-Canada-Reads-2026-competitors-with-their-books-held-in-front-of-them
Courtesy of CBC/K.C. Armstrong

Well, would you look at that? It’s Canada Reads time again. (Does anyone else experience the reoccurrence of particular times of year as complete and utter surprises every time? Daylight Savings Time is like that for me — whether forwards or back — the Oscars, and of course, Canada Reads. The homegrown book competition is always in the spring, but like the season itself, it seems to sneak up on me. We spend months wondering when warmer times will be upon us, and then all of a sudden they’re here. Let’s hope they stick with us. Anyway, the competition goes like this. Canadian notables choose a book penned by a Canadian writer and battle it out to declare the one ‘all Canadians should read.’ Lots of Canada for one sentence, and why not? I say. This year, VPL is marking the Canada Reads occasion with watch parties in ALL of our libraries. From April 13-16, catch four rounds of debate over four days at 10 a.m. ET on CBC YouTube channel (or Gem) and in a Vaughan library near you! If you’re not going to catch the program at the library, here’s a link to information on streaming/airing times. Each day is a knockout round where one book is eliminated until there’s only one left standing. The theme this year is “one book to build bridges.” In this time of extreme polarization, echo chambers, and ideological silos, it makes sense that’s the theme. So, let’s dive in and take a look at the books and their champions this year.

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Canada Reads 2024 In Review

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Mattea-Roach-holding-the-graphic-novel-Ducks-above-her-head-in-victory.
Credit: cbc.ca

It’s over! The yearly competition to determine which book penned by a Canadian author is ‘the one that all Canadians need to read right now’ has concluded and a victor has been chosen. If you’re not familiar with the format, here’s how it breaks down. Five luminaries on the Canadian cultural scene decide to “champion” one of 15 longlisted books in a debate that’s broadcast over radio and televised across the country. Between March 4-7, daily debates took place, with a round of voting to eliminate one of the books at the conclusion of each discussion. Long-running host Ali Hassan was at the helm, acting as moderator and throwing in a few puns along the way. The theme for this year was an interesting one: Which work is the “one to carry us forward.” Carry us forward to where, you might ask. Fans of Jeopardy (such as myself), may be familiar with last year’s Canada Reads winner and overall excellent human, Mattea Roach. Roach was a formidable competitor on the classic quiz show and now holds the title for “most successful Canadian competitor” in the history of Jeopardy. Roach selected Kate Beaton’s graphic novel, Ducks, as their fighter in the ring. The true account of Beaton’s time working in the oil sands of Alberta and the complicated relationship the writer had with her gainful employment are conveyed through skilled illustrations. It was the first graphic novel to be honoured by the Canada Reads title. Check out one of Roach’s epic wins on Jeopardy here for a taste of their excellence. Turning to this year, the ‘great Canadian book debate’ was in its 23rd iteration, and this year’s contenders chose some intriguing reads. Here are the titles with their corresponding champions:

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Post-Apocalyptic Optimism?

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We’re in the midst of the annual Canada Reads tournament, wherein a panel of defendants select their choice of Canadian book they believe can “shift our perspective.” At the end of each round, one book is eliminated until only one remains standing. This year, the 2014 novel Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel is in the running even though it’s almost a decade old, which got me wondering what gives this particular post-apocalypse story such staying power. Of course, this story about the world after a flu pandemic was re-introduced to audiences through the excellent HBO adaptation in 2021 (yikes at that timing, though). And the apocalyptic genre has come rushing back into fashion through the popularity of The Last of Us, based on the video game (for the sake of ease, I will be referring to those mushroom-infested people as zombies). But I think readers (and audiences) can find some odd comfort in Mandel’s version of a ravaged future, the same way people connected with the emotional elements of The Last of Us. These works of fiction contend with the spectrum of humanity (including the good parts) in the face of existential crisis.

While I raptly watched each episode of The Last of Us, I couldn’t help but hope that the show would transcend the usual zombie trappings. And it did…sometimes. I’m not a gamer, so I suppose the plot structure is shaped by its devotion to the source material. In my opinion, the show was at its best when it was at its most specific (the cannibalistic Christian cult, for example, is the opposite of specific: weirdo church guy turns out to be a bad man? Who knew!). And it’s especially at its best when it bucks the expectations of the genre. There is a reason that the third episode, called “Long, Long Time” after the Linda Ronstadt song, was the most well-received by audiences and critics. After two episodes of stellar (but typical) zombie fare, “Long, Long Time” caught viewers off guard by spending an entire episode on a side character’s love story. This genre tends to be bleak and nihilistic, and puncturing that narrative with an unexpectedly sweet and moving—if only marginally relevant—side story was an unexpected but welcome detour.

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