CBC Announces 2018 Canada Reads Finalists and Panelists!

CBC Canada Reads host Ali Hassan will have his hands full during the 2018 competition, with a panel of savvy and confident readers defending five books that have already amassed significant acclaim. Each of the books that made it onto this year's shortlist have a strong shot at fulfilling the theme of the 2018 competition: "One Book to Open Your Eyes".  

We're especially excited to see friend of Open Book Cherie Dimaline on the list for her YA novel The Marrow Thieves, which has already garnered multiple honours including the Governor General's Literary Award and the Kirkus Prize in the U.S. Congrats to Cherie and to all the shortlisted authors!

Without further ado...

The 2018 CBC Canada Reads Shortlist:

• The Boat People by Sharon Bala (McClelland & Stewart) defended by Mozhdah Jamalzadah, host of The Mozhdah Show
• Precious Cargo by Craig Davidson (Knopf Canada) defended by storm chaser and weather expert Greg Johnson
• The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline (Dancing Cat Books) defended by Juno Award winning singer Jully Black
• American War by Omar El Akkad (McClelland & Stewart) defended by Battlestar Galactica actor Tahmoh Penikett
• Forgiveness by Mark Sakamoto (HarperCollins) defended by fashion icon Jeanne Beker

The Canada Reads debates will take place in front of live audiences over four days from March 26 to 29, 2018, and will be broadcast on CBC Radio One, CBC and online at CBCbooks.ca.  Each day of the competition, one book will be eliminated by the panellists, until a winner is voted the must-read book for Canadians in 2018.