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The House

CBC's The House presents — a summer beach-read book club with a twist

CBC's The House is going to bring to you discussions with some of the country's most important and thought-provoking non-fiction authors — and we want you to take part.
CBC News ·
A book mark.
CBC's The House will be digging into some of the most important and thought-provoking Canadian-written books in politics and policy for its summer series Book Smart Summer. (CBC)

This summer CBC's The House is inviting readers to put their questions about some of the most important issues of our time to some of the smartest writers in Canada.

Over the course of nine weeks, our Book Smart Summer series will feature top policy thinkers laying out their ideas on climate, health care, the housing crisis, Indigenous life in Canada, the future of peacekeeping, the justice system and much more.

Join the conversation! Send your questions for these authors to thehouse@cbc.ca 

Truth Telling: Seven Conversations About Indigenous Life in Canada — Michelle Good

A composite photo of a white book cover with an illustration of a turtle and the book's author, an older woman with white hair and a purple sweater looking at the ground.
Truth Telling, an essay collection by Michelle Good, was a finalist for the 2023 Balsillie Prize for Public Policy. (HarperCollins, Silken Sellinger Photography)
You can listen to that episode here:
The House47:30Michelle Good kicks off our Book Smart Summer

Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast — John Vaillant

John Vaillant: Fire Weather
John Vaillant's Fire Weather won the 2024 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. (John Sinal/Penguin Random House Canada)
You can listen to the interview with John Vaillant here:
The House26:31Award-winning author warns climate change brings 'ongoing instability'

We, The Data: Human Rights in the Digital Age — Wendy Wong

A woman wearing a blue and white polka shirt smiles at the camera. A book cover with pink and grey writing against a background of cartoon faces.
We, The Data by Wendy Wong, professor of political science and Principal’s Research Chair at the University of British Columbia. (Submitted on Wendy Wong, Penguin Random House)
You can listen to the interview with Wendy Wong here:
The House22:35Are you aware of the data you share every day?

Black Boys Like Me: Confrontations with Race, Identity, and Belonging — Matthew Morris

Black Boys Like Me by Matthew R. Morris. Illustrated book cover of a vinyl record. A man with a black t-shit looks into the camera.
Black Boys Like Me is a book by Toronto-based writer and educator Matthew R. Morris. (Viking, Anthony Gebrehiwot)
You can listen to the full interview with Matthew Morris here:
The House22:35How Black boys and men shape their identity — and how it’s shaped for them

Our Crumbling Foundation: How We Solve Canada's Housing Crisis — Gregor Craigie

A beige book cover with an image of a house splitting in two down the middle.
Our Crumbling Foundation is a book by CBC Radio host and Balsillie Prize for Public Policy finalist Gregor Craigie. (Random House Canada, Rebecca Craigie)
You can listen to the full interview with Gregor Craigie here:
The House24:14What can be done to solve Canada’s housing crisis?

The Peace: A Warrior's Journey — Romeo Dallaire

A headshot of a man looking off into the distance, and the cover of his book.
Retired senator and former lieutenant-general Romeo Dallaire is the author of The Peace: A Warrior's Journey, a book rooted in his experiences leading the UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. (n/a)
You can listen to the full interview with Romeo Dallaire here:
The House26:30A path to peace

Indictment: The Criminal Justice System on Trial — Benjamin Perrin

A man and a book cover.
Author Benjamin Perrin examines the state of the Canadian justice system in Indictment, which was shortlisted for the 2024 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. (University of Toronto Press, CBC)

Have your questions in for Benjamin Perrin by August 6.

Our Tribal Future: How to Channel Our Foundational Human Instincts into a Force for Good — David Samson

A man and a book cover
Our Tribal Future, by David R. Samson, was the winner of the 2023 Balsillie Prize for Public Policy. (MacMillan, University of Toronto Mississauga)

Have your questions in for David Samson by August 13.

Health for All: A Doctor's Prescription for a Healthier Canada — Jane Philpott

A woman with brown hair smiles in a green park. A book of tiny people standing in the shape of two hands touching each other.
Health for All is a book by former federal minister of health Jane Philpott, now dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and director of the School of Medicine at Queen's University. (Liz Cooper, Signal)

Have your questions for Jane Philpott in by August 20.

You can find The House wherever you get your podcasts, or Saturdays on CBC Radio 1 after the 9am news and just after midnight on Sunday. (9:30am, 12:30am in NL.)