Canada Reads goes live

Canada Reads returned on Monday, April 13, with five celebrity defenders arguing over which Canadian book the whole country should read. (cbc.ca) The 2026 debates run from April 13 to April 16 and air live at 10 a.m. Eastern on CBC Radio, with video on CBC Gem, CBC Books and YouTube, plus a later television broadcast on CBC TV. Ali Hassan is hosting this year’s four-day competition. (cbc.ca) This year’s five contenders are *A Minor Chorus* by Billy-Ray Belcourt, defended by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers; *Searching for Terry Punchout* by Tyler Hellard, defended by Steve “Dangle” Glynn; *The Cure for Drowning* by Loghan Paylor, defended by Tegan Quin; *Foe* by Iain Reid, defended by Josh Dela Cruz; and *It’s Different This Time* by Joss Richard, defended by Morgann Book. (cbc.ca) Canada Reads is a knockout debate, not a prize decided by a jury behind closed doors. Five panellists each back one book, one title is voted off after each day of debate, and the last book standing wins. (cbc.ca) The 2026 theme is “one book to build bridges,” which CBC Books says is meant to highlight stories that connect readers to different people, places and perspectives. The broadcaster is marking the 25th edition of the program this year. (cbc.ca) The live coverage on April 13 tracked the debate minute by minute across CBC’s platforms as the panellists made opening cases, challenged rival books and moved toward the first elimination. CBC’s livestream for Day One described the format the same way: five Canadians, five books and one book voted off after the opening debate. (cbc.ca) (youtube.com) Canada Reads has been on the air since 2002, when *In the Skin of a Lion* by Michael Ondaatje won the first edition. Last year’s winning selection was *A Two-Spirit Journey* by Ma-Nee Chacaby with Mary Louisa Plummer, defended by actor Shayla Stonechild. (cbc.ca) The debates continue through Wednesday, April 16, when one of the five books will be named the 2026 winner after four days of eliminations. (cbc.ca)