Canada Reads

Canada Reads 2020 is coming

Here's what you need to know to get ready for the next edition of CBC's battle of the books.

Here's what you need to know for the next edition of CBC's battle of the books

A bald man in a pink suit jacket gestures towards a studio audience.
Ali Hassan greets audiences and panellists as the host of Canada Reads 2018. He will return to host Canada Reads a fourth time in 2020. (Peter Power/CBC)

Canada Reads 2020 is coming. Here's what you need to know to get ready for the next edition of CBC's battle of the books.

Ali Hassan returns to host for the fourth time. He hosted the program for the first time in 2017.

Hassan is an actor, comedian, host of CBC Radio's Laugh Out Loud and frequent guest-host of q. He can also be seen in his recurring roles on Designated Survivor (ABC), Odd Squad (PBS Kids) and Cardinal (CTV). In fall 2019, Hassan was part of the cross-country Just for Laughs Comedy Night in Canada tour with Rick Mercer.

We'll announce this year's Canada Reads theme and the longlist of 15 books on Jan. 8, 2020.

The final books and the panellists who will be defending them will be revealed on Jan. 22, 2020.

The debates will take place March 16-19, 2020.

Ziya Tong defended By Chance Alone by Max Eisen on Canada Reads 2019. The book won the competition. (CBC)

Science journalist and broadcaster Ziya Tong won Canada Reads 2019, championing Max Eisen's memoir By Chance Alone.

In the book, Eisen, who is a Holocaust survivor, relives his traumatic memories of when he and his family were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Second World War and shares how he came to Canada and rebuilt his life. He has since dedicated his life to Holocaust education.

Since winning Canada Reads, it was announced that By Chance Alone would be published in the United States.

You can watch past Canada Reads on CBC Gem or listen to past Canada Reads on CBC Listen.

You can see all the past Canada Reads books and panellists here.