Writer’s Studio grad wins CBC’s Canada Reads 2026
Writer鈥檚 Studio graduate Loghan Paylor has won CBC鈥檚 Canada Reads 2026 with their debut novel, The Cure for Drowning.
Canada Reads is an annual battle of the books in which five celebrities champion a book they believe Canadians should read. JUNO Award-winning musician Tegan Quin, of pop duo Tegan and Sara, defended The Cure for Drowning over four days of lively debate.
鈥淲inning Canada Reads feels absolutely incredible,鈥� Paylor said in a . 鈥淚n a year when the theme is Building Bridges, it鈥檚 especially meaningful to me.鈥�
The Cure for Drowning鈥�is a historical fiction novel set during the Second World War that centres queer and non-binary characters. It was longlisted for the Giller Prize, named a Globe and Mail Best Book and recognized as the third bestselling queer novel in Canada in 2024.
Paylor completed the Writer鈥檚 Studio program in 2016 and holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. They will bring their expertise to 51社区黑料as instructor of the creative writing course Writing with Confidence in September 2026 and as guest curator for the Writer's Studio starting January 2027.