Jasveer Singh Dangi

Six years in Canada. This article has been a long time in the making.

Canada has brought out the best in me: as a researcher, a writer, and a reader. When I first arrived in Canada, I thought I understood what it meant to be a Canadian reader and writer. Six years later, after publishing ten titles of my own since moving here (fifteen titles in total since 2018) and reading countless books by Canadian authors, I have come to a different conclusion: Canadian literature is not one thing.

It is not defined by a single genre, a single publishing model, or even a single idea of what it means to be Canadian. It is a constantly evolving landscape shaped by established literary voices, emerging writers, immigrant and Indigenous perspectives, regional stories, genre fiction, independent authors, and readers who are increasingly seeking out Canadian voices.

And perhaps that is what makes the current Canadian literary scene so fascinating

The Canadian literary field is changing faster than many readers realize.

The traditional publishing industry remains enormously important. Literary prizes, independent bookstores, major publishing houses, agents and established authors continue to shape Canada’s literary culture. But alongside that system, a parallel publishing ecosystem has become impossible to ignore: self-publishing, hybrid publishing, digital-first authors, BookTok-driven discovery, direct-to-reader communities and authors who move comfortably between independent and traditional publishing.

And perhaps most interestingly, Canadian readers appear increasingly interested in Canadian stories.

CANADIANS ARE READING MORE CANADIAN AUTHORS

One of the clearest trends is also one of the most encouraging.

According to BookNet Canada, books by Canadian contributors accounted for 14% of Canadian print book sales in 2025, up from 12% in 2024. Canadian-owned publishers also increased their share of the market, from 5.6% to 6.2%.

The consumer data tells a similar story.

As per BookNet Canada, in 2025, 35% of Canadian readers said they had read books by or about Canadians, up from 28% in 2021. Meanwhile, 38% of Canadian book buyers said they searched specifically for books by Canadian authors or illustrators, compared with 32% the previous year.

That is significant.

For years, Canadian writers have sometimes seemed to exist in an awkward space. A Canadian author could be critically acclaimed at home but still feel compelled to look south of the border for a larger audience.

That equation is beginning to change.

There is a growing appetite for stories that feel Canadian, not necessarily because they are about maple syrup, hockey or small-town Ontario, but because they are rooted in the realities, landscapes, histories and contradictions of this country.

THE CANADIAN MARKET IS BIG, BUT NOT NECESSARILY IN THE WAY WE IMAGINE (SOURCE – BOOKNET CANADA)

The Canadian book market is substantial. In 2025, approximately 48 million physical books were sold in Canada, representing a market worth roughly $1.15 billion. Fiction accounted for 29% of the market, nonfiction 30%, while juvenile and young-adult books collectively represented 39%.

But the numbers also reveal something important for writers. Canadian readers are not buying only literary fiction.

Mystery, thriller, romance, fantasy, self-help, memoir, biography and children’s literature all have significant audiences. Among Canadian book buyers, fiction represented 62% of purchases in 2025, with fantasy, suspense/thriller and mystery/detective among the leading fiction categories.

This matters because there has sometimes been a tendency to equate the “Canadian literary scene” with literary fiction and prize culture.

That is only part of the picture.

The Canadian publishing landscape increasingly looks like the reading landscape itself: fragmented, genre-driven and heavily influenced by reader communities.

ROMANCE HAS BECOME ONE OF CANADA’S GREAT LITERARY EXPORTS

Perhaps nowhere is this transformation more visible than romance.

Canadian authors have become remarkably influential in contemporary romance, particularly in contemporary romance, hockey romance, dark romance and romantasy.

Consider authors such as Carley Fortune, Rachel Reid, Brynne Weaver, Elsie Silver, Hannah Bonam-Young and Elle Kennedy.

Their success demonstrates something that traditional publishing once had difficulty recognizing: readers do not necessarily care whether a book began with a major publishing house.

They care whether the story works.

Elle Kennedy’s The Deal, for example, began as a self-published novel before becoming a major publishing success. Elsie Silver similarly began by self-publishing and later moved into traditional publishing after building a substantial readership. Hannah Bonam-Young followed a comparable path, self-publishing before attracting international publishers and reaching the New York Times bestseller list. (Source – Elle Canada)

This is more than a romance phenomenon.

It represents a fundamental change in the relationship between writers and publishers.

A publishing house is no longer necessarily the place where an author’s career begins.

Sometimes it is where the career goes next.

THE RISE OF THE “PROOF OF CONCEPT” AUTHOR

The old publishing model was relatively straightforward: Write a book → find an agent → sell the manuscript → get published → find readers.

The new model can work in reverse: Write a book → publish it independently → find readers → build an audience → attract a publisher.

That reversal is particularly important in genre fiction.

A self-published book can now demonstrate something that a manuscript submission cannot easily demonstrate: reader demand.

This is one reason romance has been particularly successful in the independent publishing ecosystem. Canadian publishing professionals have openly acknowledged that self-published books can function as a “proof of concept” for traditional publishers, with publishers watching the independent space for books and authors that are beginning to gain traction. (Canada News Media)

The result is a much more fluid publishing environment.

An author can be independent today, traditionally published tomorrow and hybrid the day after.

THE CANADIAN INDIE-AUTHOR MOVEMENT IS GROWING

Self-publishing in Canada is no longer simply a fallback for writers who couldn’t find a traditional publisher.

It is becoming a publishing strategy in its own right.

The emergence of communities such as Canadian Indie Authors, whose directory now represents more than 200 Canadian authors and more than 500 books, illustrates how large and diverse the independent ecosystem has become. (Canadian Indie Authors)

And it is not limited to romance.

Canadian independent authors are publishing thrillers, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, memoir, nonfiction, children’s books and literary fiction.

There are also authors who deliberately choose independence because it gives them greater control over:

• cover design
• pricing
• release schedules
• formats
• foreign rights
• marketing
• backlist management
• relationships with readers

The trade-off is equally important.

The independent author has to become, in effect, a small publishing company.

Editing, proofreading, cover design, formatting, distribution, marketing and publicity all have to be managed somehow. A book can be produced very cheaply, but cheap production can come with its own hidden defects: inconsistent editing, amateur cover design, poor formatting or ineffective marketing.

Self-publishing removes the gatekeeper.

It does not remove the need for professionalism.

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE MAY NOW BE DISCOVERABILITY

Ironically, publishing a book has become easier while getting someone to notice that book has become harder.

The digital marketplace is flooded with titles.

And readers increasingly discover books through recommendation systems rather than traditional literary gatekeepers.

BookTok, Instagram, podcasts, newsletters, Goodreads communities, independent bookstores and word-of-mouth recommendations can all determine whether a book finds an audience.

Even traditional publishers are adapting to this reality.

The publishing industry now understands that a successful book needs more than a distribution network. It needs a community around it.

That is one reason social media has become particularly powerful in romance and young adult fiction. A passionate reader community can turn an unknown author into a phenomenon remarkably quickly.

AND THEN THERE IS AI

No discussion of the current publishing landscape would be complete without mentioning artificial intelligence.

AI has introduced a complicated new question into publishing: What does it mean to be the author of a book?

The industry is still struggling to answer that question.

Readers are becoming more interested in knowing whether AI has been used in the creation of a book. BookNet Canada’s 2025 consumer study found that 65% of Canadian book buyers wanted to know at least some of the time whether AI had been used in aspects of a book’s production, including content, indexing or back-cover copy. (Source – BookNet Canada)

At the same time, publishers are confronting a flood of submissions and books whose origins can be difficult to establish. Recent controversies over suspected AI-generated manuscripts have made questions of authorship, authenticity and disclosure increasingly urgent.

For legitimate writers, this may ultimately create an unexpected advantage.

In a world where content can be generated instantly, human voice becomes more valuable, not less.

A distinctive perspective, lived experience, emotional intelligence and an unmistakably individual voice are difficult to manufacture convincingly at scale.

AUTHORS TO WATCH: TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING

If I were putting together a Canadian reading list for the years ahead, several writers would deserve particular attention.

My first criterion for identifying the best was recognition through awards. If winning a prestigious literary prize is a mark of success for any writer, then the following Canadian authors are certainly ones to watch.

P.S. The list of authors mentioned here is by no means exhaustive. Canada is a vast country, rich with immense talent and a deep passion for literature. If I have inadvertently missed your name, please accept my sincere apologies.

GILLER PRIZE

Souvankham Thammavongsa

Thammavongsa is already an established literary voice, but her 2025 Giller Prize win for Pick a Colour makes her impossible to overlook.

Eddy Boudel Tan

Tan’s The Tiger and the Cosmonaut was shortlisted for the 2025 Giller Prize.

Emma Knight

Knight’s The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus was also a 2025 Giller Prize finalist.

Kirti Bhadresa

Bhadresa’s An Astonishment of Stars appeared on the 2025 Giller longlist, putting her among the Canadian writers worth following as her career develops.

QUILL AND QUIRE AWARDS

Jamie Chai Yun Liew

Liew’s Dandelion ranked highly among Canadian-authored titles in independent bookstore sales and was a Canada Reads finalist.

Amanda Peters

Peters is another author whose trajectory deserves attention. The Berry Pickers continued to perform strongly on Canadian bestseller lists in 2025, years after its original publication, a reminder that word of mouth and the backlist remain powerful forces.

Waubgeshig Rice

Rice’s Moon of the Crusted Snow was again the top-selling title published by a Canadian press among independent bookstores in 2025.

AUTHORS TO WATCH: THE INDEPENDENT AND SELF-PUBLISHING WORLD

The independent side of Canadian publishing deserves an equally close look.

With these authors achieving success through indie publishing, it can no longer be viewed as merely a backup plan for authors who fail to secure a traditional publishing deal. Indie publishing is just the beginning, the tip of the iceberg, and the possibilities that follow are virtually limitless. Organizations devoted specifically to Canadian independent authors now list hundreds of writers working across genres such as romance, thrillers, science fiction, historical fiction, and more.

Elsie Silver

Silver is perhaps one of the clearest examples of the power of Canadian self-publishing. She self-published her first book in 2021, built an audience through her small-town romance stories and eventually moved into traditional publishing and bestseller territory. Her story is a textbook example of an author using independence as a launchpad rather than a last resort.

Hannah Bonam-Young

Bonam-Young’s journey from self-publishing to international traditional publication and the New York Times bestseller list is another powerful example of the new publishing pipeline.

Brynne Weaver

Weaver’s Butcher & Blackbird is another example of a self-published book breaking through the traditional publishing barrier. Her success demonstrates the commercial power of online reader communities and genre audiences.

Leylah Attar

Attar represents another interesting hybrid trajectory. Her writing career began with a self-published debut, which developed an international readership and bestseller recognition. Her newer novel Caste in the Stars has subsequently been acquired by Doubleday Canada.

Melanie Summers

Summers represents a different but equally important model: the prolific independent author. Her bibliography includes numerous self-published romantic comedies, demonstrating how an author can build a sustainable career through consistent independent publishing rather than waiting years between traditional releases.

TRADITIONAL VERSUS SELF-PUBLISHING IS BECOMING THE WRONG QUESTION

Perhaps the most interesting development is that the distinction itself is beginning to disappear.

The question used to be:

“Are you traditionally published or self-published?”

Increasingly, the better question is: “What publishing model works best for this particular book and this particular author?”

An author might self-publish a romance series while selling a literary novel to a major publisher.

Another might traditionally publish a debut and independently publish a related novella.

Someone else might build an audience independently and eventually license international rights to a publisher.

There is no single path anymore.

And that may be one of the healthiest developments in publishing.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

I suspect the Canadian literary field is heading toward a more complicated but more interesting future.

Traditional publishing will remain essential. Major publishers have resources that individual authors cannot easily reproduce: professional editorial teams, distribution networks, sales relationships, publicity departments, bookstore access and international rights infrastructure.

But independent publishing will continue to grow because it solves a different problem.

It gives authors control.

The most successful writers of the next decade may therefore be those who understand both worlds.

They will know how to write for readers, how to build a community, how to produce a professional book and how to decide when independence makes sense, and when a publishing partnership makes sense.

Meanwhile, readers are likely to become even more powerful participants in determining which authors succeed.

And that is perhaps the most encouraging development of all.

THE CANADIAN STORY IS STILL BEING WRITTEN

I hope my research has been thorough and accurate, but I have become increasingly convinced that the Canadian literary scene is not shrinking; it is expanding. It is becoming more diverse, more entrepreneurial, and more reader-driven.

The next great Canadian novelist might emerge from a prestigious literary program and go on to win a major prize. Or they might write and publish their first novel from a spare bedroom, build an audience on TikTok, sell a thousand copies without a traditional publisher, and eventually receive a phone call from a major publishing house.

They might write literary fiction, romance, a thriller, a memoir, a fantasy series, or a children’s book. The possibilities are becoming as diverse as the readers themselves.

They might write in English, French or another language.

They might be an immigrant writing about belonging. An Indigenous writer reclaiming a story. A newcomer describing Canada from the outside. Or someone whose family has lived here for generations but whose story has never before found its way onto a bookshelf.

That is the Canadian literary landscape I see today.

Not a single literary establishment.

Not a competition between traditional publishing and self-publishing.

But an increasingly broad ecosystem in which more writers can tell their stories; and, perhaps more importantly, more Canadian readers are willing to listen.

And after six years here, that feels like something worth paying attention to.

*****

The information presented in this article has been compiled from a variety of sources.

Thank you to Harpal Singh for his valuable input and research expertise. Your contributions were instrumental in compiling and verifying some of the data presented in this article.

Image by Frank Winkler from Pixabay