Wrapped up Canada Reads yesterday—Day 4. I was in the hot seat defending the book I believe all Canadians should read: The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor
The last four days have been such a trip. I’ve loved this process and feel so proud we have a show like Canada Reads in Canada.
The other panelists Steve, Morgann, Elle-Máijá, and Josh, were incredible—true champions of their books. And all of their books were fantastic. That said, I’m over the moon The Cure for Drowning won. First-time author Loghan Paylor is so deserving. I hope this book opens hearts and minds—and that you love it as much as I do.
In my opening statement, I said: Reading is a passport. It can take you anywhere—even places you’ll never go. It can take you back in time, into relationships and bodies and identities unlike your own. It can introduce you to people you may have never met, people you may not understand, and shows you that you are capable of loving them. I think The Cure for Drowning should win because it does all of this. It took me to a time I wasn’t alive, into a family not like mine, across the world and back, introducing me to new things along the way.
You can watch all four lively debates on the Tegan and Sara and CBC Books YouTube channels.
A massive thank you to my fellow champions for being so kind, open, generous, and inspiring, and to the Canada Reads and CBC Books teams—and everyone I crossed paths with this week. It was a joy.
Excited to get home and get back to work. Sara and I have new music coming, I’ve got a book out in September, and a new Dream Dump drops Tuesday. I’ll share a bigger post-mortem on Substack—if you’re not following us there, you should be.
Keep reading.