Arts·Interview

From Jeopardy! to Canada Reads, Mattea Roach is ready to defend their title as champion

With one month to go until Canada Reads, Jeopardy! super-champion and podcast host Mattea Roach talks about why Ducks by Kate Beaton is their pick for the great Canadian book debate

The trivia star shares their love for Kate Beaton's Ducks, and their strategy heading into the debate

A composite photo of a gray book cover featuring an illustration of a woman working in the oil fields and a photo of a young woman with short hair and glasses standing at a podium wearing a black blazer and white shirt.
Jeopardy! champion Mattea Roach is championing Ducks by Kate Beaton. (CBC)

Ducks by Kate Beaton will become the second comic book to ever appear on Canada Reads, thanks to champion Mattea Roach.

The great annual Canadian book debate features five books. Each book has a champion, and their job is to convince the other champions to vote for their book as the one Canadians must read this year. For an idea of what's to come from this year's battle of the books, we'll be featuring a new champion each week leading up to the competition.

Today, the Jeopardy! super-champion and podcast host tells Elamin why they love Beaton's book so much, from the east coast connection to the way the graphic novel form handles the adult subject matter. They also share their strategy for the upcoming competition, and who they hope to recruit as an ally.

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.