The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing

Chart-topping musician Tegan Quin has joined the table for Canada Reads 2026. She is the second member from the duo Tegan and Sara to participate in Canada Reads, and will defend Loghan Paylor's novel The Cure for Drowning. The team will discuss the upcoming debates and make their case for why this historical queer love story is the one book all of Canada should read.

Books discussed on this week's show include:
The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor

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Every month across the country in federal prisons, inmates get together for bookclubs. It may not look like the typical club, but the connection, community and stimulation are all there. It’s a program that’s been running for almost 20 years. Tom Best, the Executive Director of Bookclubs for Inmates, drops by to talk about the program and Antonio Michael's experience as a guest author. Plus, Bridget Raymundo recommends a staff pick and explains its mysterious tie to Heated Rivalry.

The next Canada Reads panellist and author pairing has joined the table. Actor and TV host Josh Dela Cruz will defend Iain Reid’s novel, Foe. It’s a psychological thriller set against a science fiction backdrop, and examines the nature of a domestic relationship in a climate-change-ravaged country. The eerie familiarity stuck with Dela Cruz well after he finished reading, and will make his case for why it's must-read material for Canadians during the debates in April. Plus, Juno-nominated musician Siibii shares the book they think should be required in classrooms.

Books discussed on this week's show include:
Foe by Iain Reid
Mind's Eye: Stories from Whapmagoostui edited by Emily Masty & Susan Marshall

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Gill Deacon is a writer, musician and a familiar voice on CBC. A few years ago she developed a debilitating illness that defied diagnosis for many months. In those long months of not knowing, she was forced to adjust to her relationship with uncertainty. Her new book is called A Love Affair with the Unknown: Leaning into the Uncertainty of Modern Life. She’ll talk about her journey, and recommend two similar titles. Plus, Karma Brown answers The Next Chapter’s version of the Proust Questionnaire.

Books discussed on this week's show include:
A Love Affair with the Unknown: Leaning into the Uncertainty of Modern Life
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities by Rebecca Solnit
Mother is Watching by Karma Brown

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Filmmaker and actor Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and author Billy-Ray Belcourt are bringing rural Alberta authenticity to Canada Reads. Tailfeathers will be defending Belcourt’s novel A Minor Chorus. It follows a queer Indigenous doctoral student who steps away from his dissertation to write a novel, feeling caught between his childhood on the reservation, and the newest chapter of his life. They'll get into the upcoming debates, and why Tailfeathers believes this is the story Canada needs now more than ever.

Books discussed on this week's show include:
A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
I am Woman by Lee Maracle
Kiss of the Fur Queen by Tomson Highway
In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Mosionier

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