Literary Review of Canada | A Journal of Ideas

March 2026 cover spread by Raymond Biesinger.

This week with bookworm

Ted Fraser reviews Merlin Bunt’s Boom Times in Chilliwack. Sheheryar B. Sheikh on Mayank Bhatt’s Trachea.

Forged Fronts

On souvenirs and shams

Kyle Wyatt

An illustration by Matthew Daley for David Marks Shribman’s March 2026 review of “Elbows Up!,” edited by Elamin Abdelmahmoud.

Star in Their Eyes

We’re pushing back — and we’re not sorry

David Marks Shribman

Floe State?

On trouble in Greenland

Michael Strizic

An illustration by John Fraser for Martin Laflamme’s March 2026 review of “Chrétien and the World,” edited by Jack Cunningham and John Meehan.

Little Guy Diplomacy

Sealed with a Shawinigan handshake

Martin Laflamme

Ulysses Unbound

Navigating this Age of Appetite

Krzysztof Pelc

An illustration by Tom Chitty for Kelvin Browne March 2026 review of “Albert Kahn Inc.” by Claire Zimmerman.

Cemented Legacy

Form follows Ford

Kelvin Browne

An illustration by Diana Bolton for Amanda Perry’s March 2026 review of "Séparés mais égaux" by Christophe Allaire Sévigny.

Multiple Division

As if high school isn’t hard enough

Amanda Perry

A photograph from Archives nationales à Montréal; Fonds La Presse for Emily Mernin’s March 2026 review of “McGill in History,” edited by Brian Lewis, Don Nerbas, and Melissa N. Shaw.

Intellectual Property

Fresh takes on a storied institution

Emily Mernin

An illustration by Adam Mazur for Charles Gordon’s March 2026 review of “Make Me Commissioner” by Jane Leavy.

Back to Bases

A mound to die on

Charles Gordon

An illustration by Dave Murray for Paul W. Bennett March 2026 review of “Breakaway” by Karissa Donkin.

That First Season

From the sidelines to the net

Paul W. Bennett

Dens of Iniquity

Rick Westhead reports from centre ice

Chris Jones

A photograph by Bryan Dickie for Jude Isabella’s March 2026 review of “The Science of Pets” by Jay Ingram.

The Company We Keep

Of hind legs and whiskers

Jude Isabella

An illustration by Karsten Petrat for Christopher Waddell’s March 2026 review of “The CBC” by David Cayley.

Canada Lives Here?

Toward a broadcaster for the people

Christopher Waddell

An illustration by Nicole Iu for Stacey May Fowles March 2026 review of “The Emma LaRocque Reader” edited by Elaine Coburn.

Published Experience

Five decades of Emma LaRocque

Stacey May Fowles

An illustration by Mateusz Napieralski for Cecily Ross’s March 2026 essay on cancelling the publication of her next novel.

Write Call

A novelist’s magical thinking

Cecily Ross

An illustration by Sandi Falconer for Dave Cameron’s March 2026 essay on Canada Post.

Life of Letters

Problems I’d like to address

Dave Cameron

Creature of Bad Habits

Bradley Somer’s lonely traveller

J.R. Patterson

An illustration by Blair Kelly for Allan Hepburn’s March 2026 review of “Wolf, Moon, Dog” by Thomas Wharton.

Tale of Tails

The latest from Thomas Wharton

Allan Hepburn

Strange as It Seems

An Argentine’s surreal English debut

Tomas Hachard

An illustration by Nick Lowndes for Irina Dumitrescu’s March 2026 review of “Kingdom of the Clock” by Daniel Cowper.

Tick Talk

Daniel Cowper’s novel in verse

Irina Dumitrescu

Bombs Away

Jean-Christophe Réhel in translation

John Casey

An illustration by Paige Stampatori for Sophia Ohler’s March 2026 review of “Together by the Sea” by Marie-Claire Blais.

A Vast Expanse

The final novel from Marie-Claire Blais

Sophia Ohler

In March Step

Beware the conformity of Louisa May Alcott

Caroline Adderson

Love’s Remains

Snuffed Torch

Whoville?