Why Akil Augustine chose Radicalized by Cory Doctorow for Canada Reads 2020
Akil Augustine will defend the book Radicalized by Cory Doctorow on Canada Reads 2020.
Radicalized collects four science fiction novellas, all of which explore ethical questions surrounding how technology is abused on both personal and corporate levels.
Akil Augustine has worked with the NBA, Toronto Raptors, NHL, Toronto Maple Leafs and MLS, as well as brands like Chapters Indigo and Nike as a content creator and producer. He's an avid public speaker and works with educators facilitating storytelling workshops to high school and post-secondary students.
Canada Reads 2020 will take place July 20-23.
At a live event on Jan. 22, 2020, Augustine talked about Canada Reads and Radicalized.
Why Canada Reads?
"This is pretty serendipitous, because a couple years ago I made a conscious choice to involve more of the books I read into my social media. In my early life, I battled depression at a young age and I didn't have a lot of people in my community — black, West Indian, inner-city — who really knew how to deal with it.
"I used to go to my nearby Chapters Indigo and spend all day reading books by the Dalai Lama and Lao Tzu. That's how I started my whole path. I want other people to find out that books have answers."
I want other people to find out that books have answers.- Akil Augustine
Why Radicalized by Cory Doctorow?
"Cory is hyper-intelligent in his own way. He picked very simple things in his novel, like a toaster, and turned it into a weapon of mass destruction for the future.
"He showed you the guts and the innards of how something so simple could be co-opted by companies and turned against you. I didn't research him. I just read the book. I met him yesterday and we're vibing."
Akil Augustine's comments were taken from a live Canada Reads event with all the panellists and authors, hosted by Here & Now's Gill Deacon.
The Canada Reads 2020 contenders
- Alayna Fender defending Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club by Megan Gail Coles
- Akil Augustine defending Radicalized by Cory Doctorow
- Amanda Brugel defending We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib
- Kaniehtiio Horn defending Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson
- George Canyon defending From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle
