CBC’s great Canadian book debate, CANADA READS, returns for its 23rd edition, Monday, March 4 through Thursday, March 7. Ali Hassan will host a panel of celebrity advocates championing Canadian books that speak to this year’s theme, “One Book to Carry Us Forward.” Each day of the competition, one book will be eliminated by the panellists until a winner is declared Canada’s must-read book in 2024. The CANADA READS 2024 debates will broadcast each day on CBC Radio, with a live stream on CBC Gem, CBC Listen and CBCbooks.ca. The debates will be available on demand later in the day on those platforms, and exact broadcast times for the live debates will be posted soon at CBCbooks.ca.
The five books to be debated and their champions for CANADA READS 2024 are:
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Meet Me at the Lake (Viking Canada) by Carley Fortune, to be championed by fashion content creator and model Mirian Njoh.
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Denison Avenue (ECW Press) by Christina Wong (text) and Daniel Innes (art), to be championed by a three-term mayor of Calgary and internationally recognized voice on urban issues Naheed Nenshi.
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Bad Cree (HarperCollins Canada) by Jessica Johns, to be championed by former Team Canada athlete and CBC Sports contributor Dallas Soonias.
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Shut Up You’re Pretty (VS. Books, an imprint of Arsenal Pulp Press) by Téa Mutonji, to be championed by actor and TIFF-proclaimed rising star Kudakwashe Rutendo.
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The Future (Biblioasis) by Catherine Leroux, translated by Susan Ouriou, to be championed by novelist, poet and screenwriter Heather O’Neill.
Ali Hassan, who stars in the CBC original comedy, Run the Burbs, and hosts CBC Radio’s stand-up comedy show, Laugh Out Loud, returns for his eighth year as host of CANADA READS, moderating the debate between the five panellists, who will champion their chosen Canadian books.
“More than ever, Canada Reads fans and avid readers across the country have popular reads and genres to cheer for, discover and fall in love with… bring on the top-notch romance! Or horror or beautifully illustrated books or short stories or speculative futures, if that’s more your thing. There’s something for everyone this year,” said Hassan. “I’ve been getting to know the books and their champions while guest hosting The Next Chapter and I can’t wait for a week of lively, thoughtful debate.”
CANADA READS finds new ways each year to raise awareness for a range of Canadian books and authors, and has influenced the way Canadians talk about and consume books. For the past eight years, every CANADA READS finalist has appeared on the Canadian bestseller lists following the announcement of the shortlist, and many titles have spent months on these lists.
For more information, please visit CBCbooks.ca or follow @CBCbooks on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #CanadaReads.