CBC’s great Canadian book debate, Canada Reads, returns for its 25th edition, Monday, April 13 through Thursday, April 16. Ali Hassan will host a panel of celebrity advocates championing Canadian books that speak to this year’s theme, “One Book to Build Bridges.” Each day of the competition, one book will be eliminated by the panellists until a winner is declared Canada's must-read book in 2026. The Canada Reads 2026 debates will broadcast each day at 10 a.m. (11 AT, 1:30 NT) on CBC Radio, with a live audio stream and podcast recap on CBC Listen. Watch live daily at 10 a.m. ET/ 7 a.m. PT on CBC Gem, CBCbooks.ca and YouTube, or at 1 p.m. (2 AT, 2:30 NT) on CBC TV.
The five books that will be debated and their champions for Canada Reads 2026 are:
- A Minor Chorus (Penguin Canada) by Billy-Ray Belcourt, championed by Canadian Screen Award-winning actor and filmmaker, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers.
- Searching for Terry Punchout (Invisible Books) by Tyler Hellard, championed by hockey analyst, YouTube personality, and podcaster, Steve “Dangle” Glynn.
- The Cure for Drowning (Random House Canada) by Loghan Paylor, championed by JUNO Award-winning singer and songwriter, Tegan Quin.
- Foe (Simon & Schuster) by Iain Reid, championed by actor, Broadway performer, and children’s TV host, Josh Dela Cruz.
- It’s Different This Time (Viking) by Joss Richard, championed by #BookTok influencer, content creator, and digital book club host, Morgann Book.
“This is an incredible milestone for Canada’s great book debate, which has elevated our country's storytellers across genres and perspectives," said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports, CBC. "From a simple but spirited taped radio program in 2002, Canada Reads has grown to be a multi-platform live national event, driven by a passion for reading and the sharing of ideas. Now more than ever, we look forward to discovering new ways that books can help build bridges.”
Ali Hassan, who also hosts CBC’s stand-up comedy show Laugh Out Loud, returns for his tenth year as host of Canada Reads to moderate the debate between the five panellists, who will champion their chosen Canadian books.
“If you had told me 10 years ago that I'd be the host of Canada Reads for a decade, I wouldn't have believed you. I still don't believe it,” said Hassan. “I'm so grateful and so inspired to be part of this show; a show that continues to challenge people, encourage debate and promote the best of Canadian literature!”
Canada Reads finds new ways each year to raise awareness for a range of Canadian books and authors, and has influenced the way Canadians talk about and consume books. For the past ten years, every Canada Reads finalist has appeared on the Canadian bestseller lists following the announcement of the shortlist, and many titles have spent months on these lists.
The first winner of Canada Reads in 2002 was In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje, championed by musician Steven Page.
Past panellists include the winningest Canadian contestant in the history of Jeopardy! and the host of CBC’s Bookends, Mattea Roach; athletes Olympian Clara Hughes and wrestler Adam Copeland; and actors such as Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Devery Jacobs.
A complete list of past winners and finalists is available on CBCbooks.ca.
CBCbooks.ca has all the latest on Canada Reads, or follow @CBCbooks on TikTok and Instagram using the hashtag #CanadaReads.
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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: Dëne Sųłıné, Dene Kǝdǝ́, Dene Zhatıé, Eastern Cree, Dinjii Zhuʼ Ginjik, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun and Tłı̨chǫ. 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.
About CBC Books
Home to Canada Reads, Bookends with Mattea Roach, The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing, and the CBC Literary Prizes, CBC Books encourages Canadians to connect through a shared love of reading and writing. For book news, writing challenges, reading lists, book recommendations and more, visit CBCbooks.ca.
