Top Books Journalists in Canada (2025)

Brendan Kelly is the Montreal Gazette’s foremost books journalist, specializing in Canadian literature, author profiles, and cultural analysis. With over a decade of experience, he has shaped national conversations about Indigenous storytelling, Quebecois identity, and the evolving role of independent publishers.

Pitching Insights

• Do: Highlight debut authors exploring regional/niche cultural themes (e.g., Franco-Ontarian coming-of-age stories).
• Avoid: Mass-market bestsellers without Canadian ties or literary merit.

“Literature isn’t a mirror but a prism—what fractures and reconstitutes our view of the possible.” – Kelly on his criticism philosophy

Achievements

• 2024 National Magazine Award Finalist for arts reporting
• 2023 Fellow at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

We find Brian Bethune at the intersection of cultural analysis and policy impact. As Maclean's senior writer since 1998, he has shaped national conversations on:

• Urban Design Philosophy: Analyzes architectural projects through community impact lenses
• Academic Equity: Exposes systemic inequalities in higher education systems
• Literary Innovation: Tracks Canadian authors' responses to technological disruption

Pitching Priorities

Successful outreach requires alignment with his signature approaches:

• Contextualize proposals with verifiable social impact metrics
• Connect academic research to real-world policy applications
• Highlight unconventional intersections between technology and humanities

Career Highlights

• 23 National Magazine Award nominations since 2005
• Cited in 14 municipal urban planning policy documents
• Guest lecturer at University of Toronto Journalism School since 2016

Jared Bland is a leading voice in Canadian literary journalism and publishing, currently serving as Vice President, Communications and Community at Penguin Random House Canada. Based in Toronto, his work at The Globe and Mail and McClelland & Stewart has redefined how Indigenous and multicultural narratives enter the national canon.

Key Coverage Areas

• Indigenous Literature: Bland champions works that explore residential school legacies and cultural resurgence, often collaborating with organizations like the Indigenous Editors Association.
• Literary Nonfiction: He prioritizes memoirs and essays addressing identity, migration, and social justice, particularly from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors.
• Publishing Industry Trends: His commentary analyzes equity in royalties, digital accessibility, and the role of independent bookstores.

Pitching Insights

• Do: Submit proposals with clear societal impact metrics, e.g., a memoir’s potential use in school reconciliation programs.
• Avoid: Genre fiction or topics detached from Canadian cultural discourse.

“Publishing isn’t just about reflecting culture—it’s about shaping it through intentional, inclusive storytelling.”

Bland’s accolades include juror roles for the CBC Literary Prize and co-founding the Indigenous Voices Awards.

As Canada’s preeminent life writing scholar and public intellectual, Rak’s work shapes contemporary understanding of autobiography across three key domains:

• Cultural Preservation: Specializes in marginalized autobiographical traditions, from Doukhobor memoirs to indigenous storytelling
• Gender Analysis: Pioneering feminist readings of Canadian literary icons and adventure narratives
• Ethical Mediation: Examines how editorial practices shape cultural memory

Current Priorities

Rak’s recent publications signal strong interest in:

• AI’s impact on autobiographical practices
• Decolonizing outdoor/adventure literature
• Pedagogical innovations in literary studies

Pitching Recommendations

• Focus on process: She favors behind-the-scenes accounts of cultural production over finished works
• Emphasize methodology: Clear articulation of research frameworks increases pitch success
• Cross-disciplinary angles: Successful pieces often bridge literary studies, sociology, and digital humanities

Current Role: Editor-in-Chief at Literary Review of Canada
Location: Toronto, Canada
Profile: reviewcanada.ca/contributor/kyle-wyatt

Core Coverage Areas

• Literary Analysis: Specializes in Canadian fiction/nonfiction with cultural commentary angles
• Historical Contextualization: Focuses on history’s relevance to contemporary issues
• Cultural Criticism: Examines arts through societal change lenses

Pitching Recommendations

• Book Proposals: Prefers works bridging academic research and public discourse
• Historical Essays: Seeks narratives connecting past events to modern debates
• Cultural Trend Analysis: Prioritizes pieces with original interpretive frameworks

Notable Achievements

• 2023 Editorial Leadership Award recipient
• 2022 National Magazine Award finalist
• Executive director of LRC Charitable Foundation

Laura Thomas (Substack, Canada) specializes in uplifting narratives at the intersection of faith and daily life. With over 200 writing collaborations and multiple award-winning books, her work offers:

Key Coverage Areas

• Faith-Inspired Fiction: Crafting redemptive arcs in genres from suspense to holiday stories
• Writing Craft: Workshops like Sacred Stories demystify storytelling for new authors
• Grief Navigation: Essays and talks transforming personal loss into communal healing

Pitching Preferences

• Do Pitch: Authentic transformation stories, unconventional faith practices, writing process case studies
• Avoid: Political commentary, technical writing guides, celebrity-focused content

“Stories are the threads that stitch our messy lives together.” —Laura Thomas

Philip Marchand stands as Canada’s preeminent critic of cultural institutions and historical memory. Currently contributing to the National Post, his work bridges literary analysis and historical inquiry, offering unique insights into Canada’s evolving identity.

Key Coverage Areas

• Literary Institutions: Tracking publishing industry trends and their cultural impacts
• Historical Reinterpretation: Re-examining colonial narratives through modern lenses
• Media Theory: Applying McLuhanesque analysis to digital age challenges

Pitching Guidance

Effective story proposals should:

• Leverage archival materials or unpublished historical documents
• Connect cultural production to national policy outcomes
• Analyze institutional evolution over decades/centuries

Career Highlights

• 20-year tenure as Toronto Star books columnist
• Author of 5 critically acclaimed nonfiction works
• Recipient of 3 National Magazine Awards for cultural criticism

Marchand’s work remains essential reading for understanding how Canada’s cultural infrastructure shapes its national consciousness. His continued engagement with historical patterns makes him particularly receptive to pitches that reveal overlooked connections between past and present.