Jenn Baerg Steyn, Yellowknife Books

What advice do you have for people struggling to find the time to read?

Audiobooks opened reading to me again. During undergrad and my master’s, I spent a lot of time reading while on buses, but once I was working as a spiritual health practitioner, I found I was on buses less and needed time to decompress. Audiobooks allowed me the time to hold space for the work and myself. While that is no longer my vocation, most of my literary consumption is still via audiobooks.

Who’s your favourite Canadian author? Which book(s) made you fall in love with their work?

Childhood: Eric Wilson’s mystery books were introduced to me by the children’s librarian at McGill Library in Burnaby.

Adult: Hiromi Goto. Goto’s book Kappa Child is still one that, after all these years, I can clearly remember scenes from. I wish I had the opportunity to read it again for the first time.

Has any book successfully sabotaged your sense of time and place?

Rasputin Swims the Potomac by Ben Fountain. From the twentieth century to the present, the political history of Russia is one of my areas of non-fiction interest; as such, the book’s smart and calculated intersection with the modern theatre of US politics was a perfect combination of humour and connection. I followed Fountain’s work with Rasputin by Antony Beevor, a non-fiction text which had been released a few months earlier.

Has the jury process changed the way you will build your TBR in the future?

It might be disappointing for some, but likely not. One aspect of owning and operating an independent bookstore for myself is reading with recommendations in mind. As such, many of the books I read are ones that we “need” to read to better serve our community; as such, I read a mix of middle grade, teen, and non-fiction, with a few personal selections so that we have staff recommendations across all our sections.

Lori Cheverie, Bookmark

What advice do you have for people struggling to find the time to read?

I would tell people who are struggling to read to just turn off the phone and other distractions. Don’t stress that you may not have a lot of time. Ten minutes a day will do your brain a lot of good!

What was the book that made you fall in love with Canadian literature?

I’m sure I’d read Canadian books before this, but discovering Wayne Johnston’s The Story of Bobby O’Malley in university was my aha moment.

In the past year, has a book been so absorbing that you missed a stop, a meeting?

I don’t think I’ve missed a stop or a meeting, but I’ve definitely wondered if I really needed to get any sleep before going into work the next day!

Dan MacDonald, Bookmark

Where is your favourite place to read?

I have a habit of reading fiction on the couch in our living room and non-fiction in bed. Most of the time I am reading at least one fiction title and one or more non-fiction books.

What was the book that made you fall in love with Canadian literature?

Roberston Davies, The Fifth Business, Book One of The Deptford Trilogy – a bit strange and mystical but elegantly written. Made me a Robertson Davies fan.

What advice do you have for people struggling to find the time to read?

• • Stop scrolling on your phone.
  • Read a short book.
  • Talk to a indie bookseller who can recommend books based on your interests and are compelling reads that will hook you in the first chapter.

Chris Hall, McNally Robinson

What sets Canadian literature apart from the rest of the world?

Canadian literature tells our stories, the stories of the people who live in this place we call Canada. It tells us and others what the world looks like from this place.

What advice do you have for people struggling to find the time to read?

The thing about time is that we all have the same amount of it. Finding time to read means finding time within that shared 24 hours per day. Choose a time that can be repeated every day and start with 15 minutes. The end of the day is perfect; sit in a chair 15 minutes before you go to bed and you’ll find yourself wound down and relaxed before sleep as well as reading more.

What makes independent bookstores so important?

Reading is such a personal experience that sharing that experience with someone close by can be really enriching. Booksellers in independent bookstores are your neighbours, experiencing a very similar world, and available almost every day to talk about the books you’re reading.

Has the jury process changed the way you will build your TBR in the future?

I have always tried to read a wide variety of novels but the jury process has only inspired me to widen the variety even more. There are so many creators, from the writers themselves through the editors and publishers, that deserved to be read. And reading is such a personal journey, you never know when a book will appeal directly to you, rather than necessarily everyone.

Sarah Klassen, Mosaic Books

What’s the first thing you’re looking for when evaluating a book?

Connection. That feeling of being drawn in to a story through the setting, a character or the author’s writing style.

Who’s your favourite Canadian author? Which book(s) made you fall in love with their work?

Richard Wagamese. I attended a reading when Indian Horse was published and we, the audience, were absolutely rapt. You could have heard a pin drop in that room full of people. He was such an open, sensitive, and funny man. As a bookseller, I was lucky to chat with Richard a few times. I’ll pick one of his backlist titles when I need something really special to read.

Has any book successfully sabotaged your sense of time and place?

Reading the opening scenes of Abraham Verghese’s The Covenant of Water. An immersive, transportive story that I remember looking up from the page, surprised (and disappointed) to find myself sitting in my living room and not on India’s Malabar Coast.

Has the jury process introduced you to new-to-you authors?

One of the highlights of this jury process has been discovering debut authors at the beginning of their careers and the pleasure of reading some well-established authors for the first time.

Sean Liburd, Knowledge Bookstore

Where is your favourite place to read?

My favourite place to read is in my library, where I am surrounded by a diverse selection of books—books I have already read and books I am looking forward to reading.

What advice do you have for people struggling to find the time to read?

Read for five minutes, read a paragraph, or even read a single line. Do it before you get out of bed, in the washroom, before exercising or going for a walk, on the bus, while waiting for an appointment, standing in line, or waiting for an Uber. Reduce mindless scrolling, or make reading a family activity. Look for opportunities to read—and create them.

What makes independent bookstores so important?

Independent bookstores connect with the community. It’s not just about selling books; it’s about getting to know our community of clients and making sure they get what best meets their needs. There is also a reciprocal relationship: we learn from our clients, and our clients learn from us.

Danielle McNally, Ben McNally Books

Where is your favourite place to read?

Honestly, I will read anywhere! In the wintertime when it’s too snowy to cycle, I get a lot of reading done on the streetcar. On warmer days, I like reading in the park, or next to a body of water. I have been caught reading at work and was guilty of reading under my desk in school. A lot of these Giller books have been read in the comfort of my home, curled up on the couch or standing in the kitchen waiting for my dinner to be ready (a really good book comes with me everywhere).

Who’s your favourite Canadian author? Which book(s) made you fall in love with their work?

In high school, I was gifted A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews. That book really spoke to me. Still speaks to me. It is very rare that I reread a book but I’ve read this one over a dozen times. I still have my original copy, which is all chewed up, earmarked, and underlined. I can and do recommend all her books and actually hand-sold a copy of Fight Night in the middle of writing this.

Has the jury process changed the way you will build your TBR in the future?

This process has been a welcome reminder to read more Canadian fiction. I confess that for the past few years I was gravitating more toward writers from the UK. But after a very rewarding year immersed in voices from across Canada, I will continue to seek them out. I’ll especially keep my eyes on what’s being published by Canadian indie presses.

Rupert McNally, Ben McNally Books

What advice do you have for people struggling to find the time to read?

My advice to people struggling to find the time to read is simple: find the right book. There’s a lot of talk about books you should read or books everyone is reading, but if it’s not speaking to you it’s time to move on. Reading is first and foremost fun. There are so many good books out there, and I guarantee if you find a book that resonates with you suddenly you’ll find it difficult to find the time for everything else in your life.

What makes independent bookstores so important?

There’s a lot that makes an independent bookstore important, but if I had to choose one thing it would be the sense of community that builds around a bookstore. Getting to know your customers, getting to know fellow readers, is an incredibly satisfying experience. There’s nothing worse than reading an amazing book and having no one to talk to about it, so connecting with fellow readers, and connecting those readers with other readers. That’s the magic of an independent bookstore.

Although the 2026 longlist has not been decided yet, what do you hope Canadians take away from this year’s list?

I truly believe that reading the right book at the right time has the capacity change your life. So my hope is that the longlist introduces someone to a book they would not have otherwise come across, and afterwards they are left looking at the world in a different way.

Carmela Vedar, The Book Wardrobe

What makes independent bookstores so important?

Independent bookstores foster human connections in a non-judgemental space. Much like the biblical verse, an independent bookstore is a safe place where the community is “patient and kind, does not envy, does not boast. It does not dishonour others, and it is not self-seeking. It keeps no record of wrongs because where there is knowledge, it will pass away”.

If you could explain being a Giller Prize juror in three words or less, which words would you choose?

Discovering. Discerning. Delivering.