The 25th edition of CBC’s Canada Reads 2026 concluded today with a live elimination vote, and The Cure for Drowning (Random House Canada) by Loghan Paylor has been voted Canada’s must-read book for 2026. Over four days of lively debate, moderated by ten-time host Ali Hassan, five celebrity panellists championed their chosen Canadian books that speak to the theme, ‘One Book to Build Bridges.’ Each day of the competition, one book was eliminated by the panellists until Paylor’s acclaimed book was crowned the winner, in a broadcast that was available on CBC Radio, CBC TV, CBC Listen, CBC Gem, CBCBooks.ca, and CBC’s YouTube channel.
The winning book’s champion is Tegan Quin, a JUNO Award-winning singer and songwriter. Quin performs with her sister in the pop duo Tegan and Sara, and she is also a published author.
In their debut novel, The Cure for Drowning, Paylor tells a boundary-pushing love story, centering queer and non-binary characters, set against the backdrop of WWII.
“Winning Canada Reads feels absolutely incredible, especially in a year when the theme is Building Bridges, it’s especially meaningful to me. We’re at a place right now politically and socially where there are a lot of forces trying to divide us and keep people apart. So knowing that my book has gotten people together and furthered understanding and empathy is just incredible,” said Loghan Paylor. “It’s been so wonderful and such a privilege to meet readers at events across B.C. and in the Yukon, one of my favourite parts of this whole process was getting to meet people and speak with them. The biggest thing for me is knowing I played a role in supporting libraries, readers, and Canadian publishers.”
The Canada Reads 2026 debates took place from April 13-16, 2026. The books voted off this week in order of elimination were:
- Foe (Simon & Schuster) by Iain Reid, championed by actor, Broadway performer, and children’s TV host, Josh Dela Cruz.
- A Minor Chorus (Penguin Canada) by Billy-Ray Belcourt, championed by Canadian Screen Award-winning actor and filmmaker, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers.
- It’s Different This Time (Viking) by Joss Richard, championed by #BookTok influencer, content creator, and digital book club host, Morgann Book.
- Searching for Terry Punchout (Invisible Books) by Tyler Hellard, championed by hockey analyst, YouTube personality, and podcaster, Steve “Dangle” Glynn.
Catch up on the week’s debates on the free CBC Gem streaming service and CBC Listen.
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. The final books often appear on the Canadian bestseller lists following the announcement of the shortlist, and many titles have spent months on these lists.
For more information, please visit CBCbooks.ca.
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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.
