Literary Review of Canada | A Journal of Ideas

January-February 2026 cover spread by Paul Rogers.

This week with bookworm

Rob Benvie reviews Ray Robertson’s Dust. Daniel Green reviews Sibylle Grimbert’s The Last of Its Kind. A Q&A with our cover artist Paul Rogers.

Indecent Exposure

Conflict, collectibles, and other contradictions

Kyle Wyatt

Friends with Benefits?

We go way, way back

Jeffrey F. Collins

Give and Take

How mutual was their exchange?

Ian Smillie

An illustration by Blair Kelly for Michael Taube’s January-February 2026 review of “Workers of War and Empire from New France to British North America, 1688–1783” by Richard H. Tomczak.

All Work, No Pay

So very feudal of us

Michael Taube

An illustration by Tim Bouckley for David Marks Shribman’s January-February 2026 review of “An Accidental Villain” by Linden MacIntyre.

Churchill’s Man in Dublin

Linden MacIntyre tells a violent tale

David Marks Shribman

A photograph from the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Museum & Archives for J. L. Granatstein’s January-February 2026 review of “The Taking of Vimy Ridge” by Carla-Jean Stokes.

Photo Ops

William Ivor Castle’s augmented reality

J.L. Granatstein

An illustration by Mateusz Napieralski for Murray Campbell’s January-February 2026 review of “This Rare Earth” by Jeremy Thomas Gilmer and “The Beaver Manifesto” by Glynnis Hood.

Rocks, Rodents, and Reckonings

We’re in deep trouble

Murray Campbell

An image from Keystone Pictures USA for Ron Verzuh’s January-February 2026 review of “The Price of Gold” by John Sandlos and Arn Keeling.

Big Unfriendly Giant

Yellowknife’s struggle with the aftermath

Ron Verzuh

An image from Lichfield Archive for James Chatto’s January-February 2026 review of “George the Last” by Rachel Manley and Drum Manley Drummond.

The Fast and the Curious

Along for the ride with a king’s godson

James Chatto

An illustration by Paige Stampatori for Graham Fraser’s January-February 2026 review of “Rue Duplessis” by Jean-Philippe Pleau.

Class Conscious

An hour from Montreal but a world away

Graham Fraser

An illustration by David Parkins for Linda Leith’s January-February 2026 review of “Book of Lives” by Margaret Atwood.

Peggy Who

The long-awaited memoir

Linda Leith

An image from the National Basketball Association for Robert Sullivan’s January-February 2026 review of “We the Raptors” by Eric Smith and Andrew Bricker.

Good Eggs

They hatched so much more than a basketball team

Robert Sullivan

An illustration by Alexander MacAskill for Brad Dunne’s January-February 2026 review of “The Smiling Land” by Alan Doyle.

Unofficial Ambassador

Alan Doyle circles the Rock

Brad Dunne

An illustration by Natàlia Pàmies Lluís for Spencer Morrison’s January-February 2026 review of “Walking the Bypass” by Ken Wilson and “Walking with Beth” by Merilyn Simonds.

Sole Searching

Two authors tread lightly

Spencer Morrison

An illustration by Karsten Petrat for Giovanna Riccio’s January-February 2026 review of “The Translating Subject” by Melissa Tanti.

Tongue and Groove

On language and translation

Giovanna Riccio

An image for Kyle Wyatt’s January-February 2026 review of “La Cucina di Terroni” by Cosimo Mammoliti, with Meredith Erickson, and The Seaside Café “Metropolis” by Antanas Sileika.

That’s Amore

Served with a side of story

Kyle Wyatt

An illustration by Dave Murray for Jack Chambers January-February 2026 essay on rereading “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger

Rye Observations

What we talk about when we talk about Holden

Jack Chambers

Illustration by Neil Webb for Vanessa Stauffer’s January-February 2026 review of “Starry Starry Night” by Shani Mootoo.

Sands of Time

Shani Mootoo’s latest

Vanessa Stauffer

An illustration by Gwendoline Le Cunff for Ian Canon’s January-February 2026 review of “The Trial of Katterfelto” by Michael Redhill.

On the Horn

Michael Redhill’s blast from the future

Ian Canon

An illustration by Sandi Falconer for Kelly Baron’s January-February 2026 review of “Sacred Rage” by Steven Heighton.

Romps to Remember

A Steven Heighton anthology

Kelly Baron

An illustration by Sarah Farquhar for Stacey May Fowles’s January-February 2026 review of “When Water Became Blue” by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, translated by Rhonda Mullins.

Temptation Island

Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette explores desire

Stacey May Fowles

An illustration by Tessa Presta for Kevin Jagernauth’s January-February 2026 review of “The Witch of Willow Sound” by Vanessa F. Penney.

Maritime Gothic

Vanessa F. Penney’s ominous debut

Kevin Jagernauth

Echoes of Violence

When we think we’ve heard it all before

Casey Plett

Uncorked

Ho, Ho, No!

An East End Story