Go to main content

CBC ANNOUNCES NEW LITERARY PROGRAM BOOKENDS WITH MATTEA ROACH, PREMIERING SEPTEMBER 8 ON CBC RADIO AND CBC LISTEN

Mattea Roach sits down with Eleanor Wachtel in the final episode of WRITERS & COMPANY, September 1 on CBC Radio and CBC Listen

When the book ends, the conversation begins. CBC today announced the new one-hour national literary program BOOKENDS WITH MATTEA ROACH, premiering on Sunday, September 8. Airing Sundays at 1 p.m. (1:30 NT, 3 PT) on CBC Radio and CBC Listen and repeating Wednesdays at 1 p.m. (1:30 NT), host Mattea Roach will speak with bestselling and emerging Canadian and international writers about their work, the world and our place in it, providing listeners with big questions to ponder and new books to read.

“I'm incredibly excited to move into this new role, which I hope and expect will allow me to grow as both a reader and an interviewer,” said Mattea Roach. “I’ve always loved books and am curious about creativity and the world around us. I’ll be speaking with authors from different genres, different parts of the world and different stages in their career. This is an amazing opportunity for both me and our audience to get to know writers I love and be introduced to exciting new voices shaping today's literature."

*Photo of Mattea Roach available for download here. Courtesy of CBC.*

BOOKENDS is the go-to place for authors to have insightful conversations, offering listeners an opportunity to go inside the creative minds of writers topping bestsellers lists as well as an introduction to rising stars from Canada and around the world. Conversations to look forward to include Iranian American poet Kaveh Akbar (Martyr!), American humourist Sloane Crosley (Grief is for People) and Canadian novelists David Huebert (Oil People) and Heather O'Neill (The Capital of Dreams). Listeners are also encouraged to follow @CBCBooks on Instagram and CBC Arts’ YouTube Shorts for interview highlights and behind-the-scenes videos. 

“Mattea’s sharp insights on writing and the literary scene make them the perfect choice to helm this new program and bring listeners across Canada in-depth and thoughtful conversations with a wide range of authors,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports, CBC.

Roach is a writer, podcaster and book lover based in Toronto. In the spring of 2022 they appeared on the game show Jeopardy!, winning 23 games and becoming the most successful Canadian contestant in the history of the program. They also won Canada’s great book debate, Canada Reads, in 2023 when they championed Kate Beaton’s graphic novel Ducks. Roach is originally from Halifax. 

As part of the final episode of CBC’s celebrated long-running literary program WRITERS & COMPANY, Roach will sit down with retiring host and veteran broadcaster Eleanor Wachtel to discuss Roach’s new role and what to look forward to from BOOKENDS. The episode will air Sunday, September 1 at 3 p.m. ET/AT (3:30 p.m. NT, 5 p.m. PT/MT/CT) on CBC Radio and CBC Listen. Wachtel announced her retirement in May 2023.

-30-

About CBC Books 

Home to Canada Reads, Bookends with Mattea Roach, The Next Chapter and the CBC Literary Prizes, CBC Books connects Canadians with books, encouraging a shared love of reading and writing. For book news, writing challenges, reading lists, book recommendations and more, visit cbcbooks.ca.

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada's trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

For further information, contact:

Frances Bedford, CBC PR

frances.bedford@cbc.ca 

###

Discover

1 day ago

Reverie: The Indigenous Music Residency Returns in 2026

CBC and the SOCAN Foundation are proud to announce the return of Reverie: The Indigenous Music Residency, an immersive month‑long creative program supporting emerging First Nations, Inuit, and Métis music creators from across Canada. 
6 days ago

CBC renews unscripted series The Assembly for a second season

On World Autism Awareness Day, CBC is announcing the renewal of the groundbreaking unscripted series The Assembly for a second season, featuring an expanded cast of more than 30 neurodivergent and autistic adults interviewing celebrities.
March 25th at 15:00

New to CBC Gem in April

Highlights of programs new to CBC Gem this April include CBC’s great Canadian book debate, Canada Reads, returning for its 25th edition from April 13 through April 16; new two-part CBC original POV documentary Speechless (April 14); and new CBC original series Must Love Dogs (April 20, pictured). 
February 20th at 12:20

New to CBC Gem in March 2026

March on CBC Gem includes coverage of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games from March 6–15; new original CBC docuseries Cirque Life (March 19, also on CBC TV); The 55th Annual JUNO Awards (live on March 29) hosted by Mae Martin; and the Spotlight on Canadian Film Collection, including CBC Films' titles such as D.W. Waterson's Backspot (pictured). 
February 17th at 5:45

CBC Greenlights Six Original Kids Series

CBC today announced the greenlight of six new and returning original kids series from Canadian creators and producers, reinforcing the national public broadcaster’s commitment to serve children and families with homegrown storytelling that inspires, entertains and informs.