Canada Reads panellist Shayla Stonechild holds the winning title, A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder by Ma-Nee Chacaby, with Mary Louisa Plummer. (Joanna Roselli, photo courtesy CBC)

Ma-Nee Chacaby’s A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder has been crowned the winner of the CBC’s 2025 Canada Reads competition.

In a three-to-two decision on Thursday, March 20, Chacaby’s book, published by University of Manitoba Press and written with Mary Louisa Plummer, was named the winner of the annual battle of the books, edging out Jamie Chai Yun Liew’s debut novel Dandelion, published by Arsenal Pulp Press. A Two-Spirit Journey was championed by podcaster and wellness advocate Shayla Stonechild.

Stonechild was overcome with emotion when the winning title was announced. Referencing a four-day fast she undertook in advance of this week, Stonechild reminded Canadians that there are solutions and ways to move forward with the work of reconciliation. “I would urge Canadians and all listeners to take action, but also to open their hearts, like Ma-Nee.”

In a statement issued after her win, Chacaby called it “an unexpected and beautiful gift.”

“Mary and I want to thank everyone who joined us on this journey and made it possible, especially our friends and loved ones, and the wonderful staff of the University of Manitoba Press and Canada Reads. We really appreciate all of the readers and the other writers that also joined us on this journey. Most of all we are grateful to Shayla Stonechild for choosing the book and championing it so well!” she said. “We hope the book will inspire other people to tell their stories, especially First Nations elders who have so much to share. I encourage everybody to just enjoy your life today and remember to love yourself.”

In A Two-Spirit Journey, published in 2016, Chacaby shares the story of her life, from her childhood in the remote community of Ombabika, Ontario, where she learned spiritual and cultural traditions from her Cree grandmother and practical survival skills, including trapping and hunting, from her Ojibwa stepfather, to fleeing an abusive marriage and moving to Thunder Bay with her children at the age of 20, and on to her work as an alcoholism counsellor and leader of Thunder Bay’s first gay pride parade in 2013.

Both of this year’s finalists are from independent Canadian presses. The other three shortlisted books – Samantha M. Bailey’s Watch Out for Her, Wayne Johnston’s Jennie’s Boy, and Emma Hooper’s Etta and Otto and Russell and James – were eliminated from the competition in that order, beginning on Monday.

A Two-Spirit Journey is the second book published by a university press to be featured on Canada Reads, 20 years after Frank Parker Day’s Rockbound, published by University of Toronto Press, was featured – and won –  in 2005.

This year’s Canada Reads debates were hosted by comedian Ali Hassan.