For the last five years CBC Radio Canada has produced Canada Reads. The program is sort of a survivor type program with five prominent Canadians chosen to select a Canadian book to defend as worthy of being read by all Canadians. The books are debated over the course of five days with one book eliminated each day until only one is left standing. The debates start today on CBC Radio One at 11am and 7pm or you’ll be able to download them later as an MP3 to listen to.

This year’s panelists are the finalists from the last five years. If you’d like to explore the past years you can visit here. The panelists and the books for this year are:

Steven Page, founding member and lead singer of the band Barenaked Ladies, successfully defended Michael Ondaatje’s In the Skin of a Lion during the first Canada Reads in 2002. His choice to defend this year is Natasha: And Other Stories by David Bezmozgis. Page is active in social issues, volunteering at his childrens’ school in Toronto, is on the board of World Wildlife Fund Canada and is a founding member of the Canadian Music Creators Coalition (CMCC). He also has a passion for wine collecting and, as a self-taught connoisseur, he aspires to learn more about the subject each day.

Denise Bombardier, author of six successful books, all published in France, is well known in Quebec. She successfully defended Hubert Aquin’s Next Episode during the 2003 Canada Reads. She’s chosen Children of My Heart by Gabrielle Roy to defend this year. Bombardier grew up in Montreal and continues to make it her home. She’s one of Quebec’s leading intellectuals, known for her outspoken and, at times, politically incorrect views. She writes a weekly column for Le Devoir, contributes a daily editorial to the Montreal radio station 98.5 FM and is a regular commentator on TVA’s nightly news program. She’s produced a number of critically acclaimed TV documentaries, with more in the works.

Jim Cuddy is one of the founders of the six time Juno winning group, Blue Rodeo. Toronto based Cuddy released his first solo album in 1998, All in Time, went gold in Canada. In 2004 Cuddy successfully defended Guy Vanderhaeghe’s The Last Crossing during Canada Reads. This year Cuddy has chosen Stanley Park by Timothy Taylor to defend.

Donna Morissey, author of three novels, hails from Newfoundland but now is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her work has won her awards and acclaim in Canada and the United States and has been translated into several other languages. During the 2005 Canada Reads she successfully defended Rockbound by Frank Parker Day. This year Morissey has chosen The Song of Kahunsha by Anosh Irani to defend this year.

John K Samson, Winnipeg based singer, songwriter, poet and publisher in 2006 defended his friend and fellow Winnipeger author Miriam Toews book A Complicated Kindness. Samson is one of the founders of Weakerthans which has performed throughout North America and Europe to critical acclaim. Active in the Winnipeg arts scene, John collaborates with many notable artists, including his wife, singer-songwriter Christine Fellows. In his spare time, he’s an avid curler and bird watcher. He’s chosen to defend Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill.

I’m going to review the five books for this year in separate entries and I think I may just review the five books that won the past Canada Reads after that.