The Creation of 'CanLit'

To understand where CanLit, or Canadian Literature, came to be what it is today, we need to go back in time to when it was first imagined into being. In this episode we cover the 1951 Massey Report, the founding of the Writers’ Union and arts councils, and how we’re investing in the stories we tell about ourselves today.

Hosted by Rebecca Diem

Produced by Quinton Bradshaw

Music by James Ellercamp

Special thanks to our guests Nick Mount, John Degen, Jesse Wente, and Alana Wilcox

You can learn more about the The Writer’s Union of Canada at writersunion.ca, and the Canada Council for the Arts at canadacouncil.ca.

Reading List:

Arrival - Nick Mount

Unreconciled - Jesse Wente

The Uninvited Guest - John Degen

The Lives of Girls and Women - Alice Munro

The Case for Basic Income - Jaime Swift & Elaine Power

Presented by The Word On The Street & CJRU 1280AM, with support from the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

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Tune in to Read The North, a history of CanLit, as told by Toronto's favourite book festival!

In this five-episode miniseries, WOTS' Rebecca Diem interviews authors, publishers, booksellers, librarians, readers, & historians to discover the origins of the festival, the creation of a Canadian Literature, and how the story we tell ourselves about ourselves continues to evolve.

The 33rd edition of The Word On The Street returns to the street at Queen's Park on June 11 & 12, 2022.