A debut novel from Newfoundland; a quartet of novellas focused on the travails of American society; a personal journey through identity and self-discovery; the first novel in an ongoing trilogy; and a searing account of addiction and homelessness on the streets of Toronto. The five books in contention for the 2020 edition of CBC’s Canada Reads program cross genres and subjects, and come from multinational publishers and House of Anansi Press.

The books vying for this year’s title are:

• Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club by Megan Gail Coles (House of Anansi Press), defended by Alayna Fender
• Radicalized by Cory Doctorow (Tor Books), defended by Akil Augustine
• We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib (Viking Canada), defended by Amanda Brugel
• Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson (Vintage Canada), defended by Kaniehtiio Horn
• From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless and Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle (Simon & Schuster Canada), defended by George Canyon

The theme for this year’s contest is “One Book to Bring Canada into Focus.” The debates, hosted by Ali Hassan, can be heard on CBC radio between March 16 and 19. This year, CBC is providing a link to each of the titles in contention in accessible formats, via the Centre for Equitable Library Access.

Tonight at 7:00 p.m. there is an event in Toronto at the downtown Eaton Centre featuring all five shortlisted authors and their celebrity defenders. The event is hosted by Gill Deacon.