CBC Digital Archives

Upset win for 'Next Episode' in 2003

Since its debut in 2002, CBC Radio's Canada Reads has quickly become a popular and influential show, attracting huge audiences and driving up book sales. Each year, CBC convenes a panel of prominent Canadians to each pick a work of Canadian fiction and argue why their choice should be the book that all of Canada reads. The CBC Digital Archives brings you a collection of the animated and entertaining final debates, winner "reveals" and interviews with the winning authors of Canada Reads.

The result is in, and it's a shocker! In this final episode of Canada Reads 2003, host Bill Richardson reveals the winner: Next Episode by Hubert Aquin. Objections erupt! A recount ensues! In the end, the vote is upheld and the victory is confirmed thanks to an unlikely vote by panellist Justin Trudeau; he votes against his own selection, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, handing the victory to Next Episode. 
• As of 2009, Yann Martel's Life of Pi was the only Canada Reads selection to also win the prestigious Booker Prize, although its win was marred by controversy. Soon after the prize was announced in 2002, Brazilian author Moacyr Scliar publicly accused Martel of plagiarizing his 1981 novel Max e os Felinos (Max and the Cats), the story of a young Jewish-German refugee who crossed the Atlantic Ocean while sharing his boat with a jaguar. Martel denied reading Scilar's book and Scilar did not pursue the claim legally.

  The full list of books and their advocates for Canada Reads 2004 was:
• Next Episode by Hubert Aquin (translation of Prochain episode by Sheila Fischman), championed by Denise Bombardier.
• Sarah Binks by Paul Hiebert, defended by Will Ferguson.
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel, defended by Nancy Lee.
• The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys, defended by Mag Ruffman.
• The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston, defended by Justin Trudeau. 

Medium: Radio
Program: Canada Reads
Broadcast Date: April 25, 2003
Guest(s): Denise Bombardier, Will Ferguson, Nancy Lee, Mag Ruffman, Justin Trudeau
Host: Bill Richardson
Duration: 23:35
This clip was edited for copyright reasons.
Photo: Denise Bombardier reading from Next Episode. From the CBC Still Photo Collection.

Last updated: February 9, 2012

Page consulted on April 2, 2013

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