Writer’s Studio grad wins CBC’s Canada Reads 2026

Writer’s Studio graduate Loghan Paylor has won CBC’s Canada Reads 2026 with their debut novel, The Cure for Drowning.

Canada Reads is an annual battle of the books in which five celebrities champion a book they believe Canadians should read. JUNO Award-winning musician Tegan Quin, of pop duo Tegan and Sara, defended The Cure for Drowning over four days of lively debate.

“Winning Canada Reads feels absolutely incredible,” Paylor said in a press statement. “In a year when the theme is Building Bridges, it’s especially meaningful to me.”

The Cure for Drowning is a historical fiction novel set during the Second World War that centres queer and non-binary characters. It was longlisted for the Giller Prize, named a Globe and Mail Best Book and recognized as the third bestselling queer novel in Canada in 2024.

Paylor completed the Writer’s Studio program in 2016 and holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. They will bring their expertise to SFU as instructor of the creative writing course Writing with Confidence in September 2026.