Canada Reads kicks off
CBC confirmed Canada Reads 2026 began Day 1 on Monday, April 13, with the broadcast starting at 10:05 a.m. ET and its live page noting which book was the first to be eliminated. (cbc.ca) The live coverage is running across multiple platforms, per the broadcaster’s schedule. (cbc.ca)
Canada Reads returned on Monday, April 13, with the 2026 debates starting at 10:05 a.m. Eastern time and one book set to be voted off by day’s end. (cbc.ca) This year’s debates run April 13 through April 16 and are hosted by Ali Hassan, with five celebrity panellists each defending one Canadian book. (cbc.ca) The 2026 contenders are *A Minor Chorus* by Billy-Ray Belcourt, *Searching for Terry Punchout* by Tyler Hellard, *The Cure for Drowning* by Loghan Paylor, *Foe* by Iain Reid and *It’s Different This Time* by Joss Richard. Their champions are Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Steve “Dangle” Glynn, Tegan Quin, Josh Dela Cruz and Morgann Book. (cbc.ca) Canada Reads works like an elimination contest: the panellists debate for four days, vote one book out each day and leave one winner standing on the final day. CBC describes the program as a national debate over the single book “the whole country should read.” (cbc.ca) CBC says the 2026 theme is “one book to build bridges,” a framing that pushes panellists to argue not only for literary quality but also for social reach and relevance. (cbc.ca) The broadcaster spread the rollout across radio, television and streaming. CBC said the debates air live on CBC Radio and CBC Listen, stream on CBC Gem, CBC Books and YouTube, and replay later on CBC Television and online platforms. (cbc.ca) The 2026 edition is also an anniversary year. CBC says this is the 25th Canada Reads since the program began in 2002, when Michael Ondaatje’s *In the Skin of a Lion* became the first winner. (cbc.ca) That history helps explain why the opening day matters: Day One sets the tone, narrows the field from five books to four and often reveals which arguments resonate beyond literary circles. CBC had already prepared for a possible five-way tie by publishing a public tiebreaker survey before the debates began. (cbc.ca) With Day One now underway, the format is familiar but the stakes are immediate: by the end of the first debate, one 2026 contender is already out and the final three days will decide the book Canada Reads crowns on April 16. (cbc.ca)
