Best Canadian Essays 2026

Since earning his PhD in medieval studies from the University of Toronto in 1987, Brian Bethune has written extensively about books, ideas, economics, business, religion and culture for Maclean’s magazine and other publications. He lives in Toronto.

Praise for the Best Canadian Series“One of the best things about the end of the year is having a chance to look back. The three Best Canadian volumes . . . are a snapshot of some of the finest in Canadian writing this year.”—Robert J. Wiersema, Toronto Star"Brian Bethune chose fourteen compelling pieces that take on pressing issues: the climate crisis, medical assistance in dying, voluntary childlessness, addiction . . . In his introduction, Bethune writes, 'The most entrancing essays are intensely personal.' For them to reach a broader audience, however, they must also find meaning in individual experiences. These pieces do just that."—Jadine Ngan, Literary Review of Canada“A superb collection of national thinkers, crackling with insight on the issues of the age.”—Chatelaine“Each of the authors in Best Canadian Essays 2024 offers a particular style and perspective, but the essays work together to provide a picture of some of the issues Canadians have been facing. Many readers are likely to find something to interest them in this short collection of essays.”—Susan Huebert, Winnipeg Free Press“The arrival, late in the fall each year, of [this] collection is always cause for fanfare.”—Quill & Quire