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Canada Reads is back. This year, the great Canadian book debate is looking for one book to build bridges.
Stories connect us to different people, places and perspectives. The collection of titles for 2026 showcase the power storytelling has to inspire, connect and grow — together.
On Canada Reads, five Canadian celebrities each pick one book that all Canadians should read. They debate their choices over the course of four days, voting to eliminate one every day. The last book standing is the winner.
This year’s edition will air April 13 to 16 on CBC TV, CBC Radio, CBC Listen, CBC Gem and CBC Books. It will also be on YouTube and available as a podcast.
Every year, CBC Books reveals a longlist before the final contenders are announced. Ranging from hockey romance and memoir to historical fiction and horror, the 2026 longlist showcases the breadth of what Canadian literature has to offer.
The 2026 longlist is:
- A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt
- Celestina’s House by Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez
- Crossroads by Kaleb Dahlgren
- Everything Is Fine Here by Iryn Tushabe
- Foe by Iain Reid
- Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
- It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard
- Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang
- Never Been Better by Leanne Toshiko Simpson
- Oxford Soju Club by Jinwoo Park
- Restaurant Kid by Rachel Phan
- Searching for Terry Punchout by Tyler Hellard
- Slice The Water by PP Wong
- The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor
- The Hunger We Pass Down by Jen Sookfong Lee
The five panellists and the five books they choose to champion will be revealed on Jan.
This story was brought to Nouzie by RSS. The original post can be found on https://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/canada-reads-2026-longlist-9.7029177?cmp=rss
