Canada Reads kicked off April 13

Canada Reads moved into its debate stage on April 13, with five celebrity defenders starting four days of live eliminations to decide one national must-read. (cbc.ca) The 2026 debates run from April 13 to April 16 and air live at 10:05 a.m. Eastern time on CBC Books, CBC Gem, YouTube and CBC Radio, with later replays on television, radio and podcast feeds. (cbc.ca) This year’s five 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 defenders are Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Steve “Dangle” Glynn, Tegan Quin, Josh Dela Cruz and Morgann Book. (cbc.ca) Canada Reads is a vote-off format: the five panellists argue for one book they think all Canadians should read, then eliminate one title each day until one remains. CBC says the 2026 theme is “one book to build bridges.” (cbc.ca) The program is now in its 25th edition. CBC says Canada Reads began in 2002, and last year’s winner was *A Two-Spirit Journey* by Ma-Nee Chacaby with Mary Louisa Plummer, defended by Shayla Stonechild. (cbc.ca) CBC has also expanded the event into a multi-platform release, with live video, radio, streaming audio, same-day replays and a YouTube stream available outside Canada. The broadcaster says episodes are also posted as podcasts after the live airing. (cbc.ca) Before the debates, CBC published a 15-book longlist on January 8 and revealed the final five books and defenders on January 22. The shortlist mixes literary fiction, speculative fiction, young adult fiction and sports-centered fiction. (cbc.ca 1) (cbc.ca 2) Day 1 opened with the first elimination, leaving four books to return for the April 14 debate. The final vote is scheduled for April 16. (cbc.ca) (youtube.com)