On June 29, 2013, The Globe & Mail published a three-page article entitled “The Great Canadian Literary Vacation.” The word “vacation” seemed somewhat inappropriate, then and now, but the spirit of the journalistic “jeu d’esprit” was both commendable and evocative.

Noting that “Canada is a nation of readers” who buy or borrow books by the cartload, Jared Bland — then the editor of Globe Books — added, “We are not just a country of readers, but a country made by what it reads.” We are then a country that values reading and pays close attention to fresh perspectives on our valued identity.

What would Bland say today — that is, 13 years later? The Globe Books section has all but disappeared and book-reviewing in the Globe and elsewhere in Canada is no longer a priority. One might even ask today where in the Canadian journalistic world can one find a reliable place to find reviews of newly published Canadian novels? I am sure that the readership Bland confidently identified in 2013 continues to thrive. However, other than online sources, it is difficult in 2026 for Canadian readers to take note of and interpret how Canadian writing is evolving. Hence, it is unlikely that the absence of new Canadian work is the problem — it is the means of recognition and informed assessment that is available to us. I write as a confirmed newspaper reader.

Let’s return to Bland’s survey of writers by writers in 2013. Perhaps the best represented province in the article was Alberta: Todd Babiak chose Robert Kroetsch’s “The Studhorse Man” and Esi Edugyan chose Thomas King’s “Green Grass, Running Water.” Others chose prizewinning poets (Anne Compton, Alden Nowlan, John Samson, Tim Lilburn) and still others chose non-fiction authors. Among the novels recommended were Ernest Buckler’s “The Mountain and the Valley” (Donna Morrisesy’s Nova Scotia choice); Richard Wagamese’s “Indian Horse” (Joseph Boyden’s Ontario choice); Jacques Poulin’s “Volkswagen Blues” (Louis Hamelin’s Quebec choice). Though Margaret........

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