Canada Reads picks debut winner

Loghan Paylor’s debut novel *The Cure for Drowning* won Canada Reads 2026 on April 16 after four days of live debate. (cbc.ca) CBC said the novel took the 25th edition of the annual competition in a 4-1 vote on the final day. Musician and writer Tegan Quin defended the book throughout the contest. (cbc.ca) Canada Reads is CBC’s yearly “battle of the books,” where five public figures each champion one title they think the country should read. The 2026 debates ran April 13 to 16 and were hosted by Ali Hassan. (cbc.ca) This year’s theme was “one book to build bridges.” The other finalists were *A Minor Chorus* by Billy-Ray Belcourt, *Searching for Terry Punchout* by Tyler Hellard, *Foe* by Iain Reid and *It’s Different This Time* by Joss Richard. (quillandquire.com) Paylor’s novel is set during the Second World War and follows Kit, a nonbinary character on a rural Ontario farm, through wartime pressure, family conflict and a love triangle. CBC and Penguin Random House Canada both describe it as historical fiction centered on queer and nonbinary lives. (cbc.ca) (penguinrandomhouse.ca) The book was published by Random House Canada on January 30, 2024, and it was Paylor’s first novel. It was also longlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize, according to the publisher. (penguinrandomhouse.ca) (cbc.ca) Quin told CBC before the finale that she was drawn to the novel’s queer love story and transgender representation in a historical setting. She said the book offered a story “anyone can relate to,” even as it centers characters who are often missing from period fiction. (cbc.ca 1) (cbc.ca 2) For Paylor, the win puts a 2024 debut into one of Canadian publishing’s biggest broadcast showcases. Quill & Quire reported the result on industry desks the same day, and local reporting in Chilliwack said a Canada Reads win can sharply raise a first-time novelist’s profile and sales. (quillandquire.com) (theprogress.com) Paylor, who now lives in Chilliwack, British Columbia, grew up on a hobby farm north of London, Ontario, according to earlier CBC reporting. A week after the finale, their first novel is now the book CBC labeled Canada’s “must-read” for 2026. (ca.news.yahoo.com) (mediacentre.cbc.ca)