The best moments from Canada Reads 2024
The Future by Catherine Leroux, championed by Heather O'Neill, won this year's great Canadian book debate
The great Canadian book debate has come to another amazing finish! The 23rd season of Canada Reads was won by author Heather O'Neill who championed the novel The Future by Catherine Leroux, translated by Susan Ouriou. O'Neill successfully argued that The Future is the "one book to carry us forward."
O'Neill faced off against four other debaters — athlete and CBC Sports contributor Dallas Soonias, former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, fashion influencer Mirian Njoh and actor Kudakwashe Rutendo — and sealed her victory in the finale with a 4-1 vote.
All of the champions felt personal connections to the books they were championing and made powerful arguments throughout the week of debates.
O'Neill is the first person to win Canada Reads as both an author and a contender. Her debut novel Lullabies for Little Criminals was a Giller finalist and won Canada Reads 2007 when it was defended by musician John K. Samson. While championing The Future, O'Neill pointed out that the novel speaks of hope in a world that's falling apart.
Rutendo was a measured and kindhearted defender in championing runner-up Shut Up You're Pretty by Téa Mutonji. The actor said of Mutonji's linked short story collection "at every single moment, is it turns away from despair and chooses grace."
Njoh, a fashion influencer, was championing the first romance novel on Canada Reads, Carley Fortune's Meet Me at the Lake. Njoh argued that romance novels are all about human connection, helping them appeal to a wide audience.
Nenshi, who championed Denison Avenue by Christina Wong and Daniel Innes, discussed how a bittersweet ending can still go a long way. "I think that it does show us that even when there's bitter with the sweet, we figure out how to go forward," Nenshi said on the second day of the debates. After Canada Reads was complete, Nenshi announced he was running to be the leader of the NDP party in Alberta.
Jessica Johns's horror-infused novel Bad Cree was championed by Soonias. Bad Cree decentres Indigenous trauma from the forefront of the plot. Soonias argued that without diving so deeply into the causes, Johns shows the symptoms of this pain. "She doesn't have to tell you exactly why. Because we know why," he said.
During the debates, Soonias also brought to light the importance of accessibility in Canadian literature.
Relive the 2024 Canada Reads debates
If you missed out on the debates, here's where you can check them out.
WATCH: The Finale, Day Three, Day Two, Day One
LISTEN: The Finale, Day Three, Day Two, Day One
