Canada Reads 2022: Watch the Day One replay here
The great Canadian book debate is back for its 21st season! The opening round of Canada Reads kicked off March 28, 2022 at 11 a.m ET.
Watch the Day One debates on this page or find other ways and times to tune in here. Watch the second day of debates here, the third day here and finale here.
The champions and their chosen books are:
- Ojibway author and Vogue fashion writer Christian Allaire champions Five Little Indians by Michelle Good
- Actor and activist Malia Baker champions Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez
- Entrepreneur and former Syrian refugee Tareq Hadhad champions What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad
- Forest ecologist and author Suzanne Simard champions Life In the City of Dirty Water by Clayton Thomas-Müller
- Olympian and LGBTQ2+ advocate Mark Tewksbury champions Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Over four days, the five champions will state their case for why their book is the "one to connect us." On Day One, they voted to eliminate the first title from the competition.
This year's host is comedian Ali Hassan.
Each panellist had an opportunity to deliver an opening pitch for their respective book, then champion it when the question turned to whether their book was truly the one that all Canadians need to read right now.
The Day One debates — which touched on themes such as community, empathy and intergenerational trauma — were insightful, engaged and thought-provoking.
After one hour of debate, the five panellists had to vote one book off the show.
Check this link to find out which book was voted off on Day One of Canada Reads 2022.
Want to learn more about the books? Check out the Canada Reads 2022 podcast.
Last year, Mohawk actor Devery Jacobs championed Joshua Whitehead's novel, Jonny Appleseed, to victory on Canada Reads 2021.
WARNING: The books chosen for Canada Reads deal with difficult topics, such as trauma and abuse. These stories may be shared during the broadcast. Click this link to find publicly available resources for support.
